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APA created a new office last month to improve communication with its district branches and state societies and provide them with necessary support.
"District branch officers and executive staff are on the front lines when it comes to helping our members cope with the rapidly changing world of health care," commented APA Medical Director Steven M. Mirin, M.D. "District branches and state societies are also the critical connectors between our 42,000 members and the national APA."
The new Office of District Branch and State Society Relations will provide efficient and coordinated central-office support to the district branches. The goal is to help them resolve problems rapidly by coordinating the flow of information and requests for technical assistance.
Mirin appointed Carol Davis to direct the new office, which has been operational since last month. Davis has been with APA for 35 years and is the former special assistant to the medical director.
Mirin commented, "I know that our DB's will benefit from Carol's vast knowledge of APA, its historical growth, and its components and staff offices."
Davis told Psychiatric News, "This is something the DB's have wanted for a long time. We will be their advocate inside the system."
She noted that the idea was proposed at the 1995 leadership conference headed by then-APA president Mary Jane England, M.D., and reinforced by conversations with district branch officers.
"This job will build on my continuing role of overseeing the APA ethics process and existing relationships with DB executive directors," said Davis.
Dara Schumaier, who has been with APA nearly 12 years, will assist Davis. Schumaier is the former special assistant to the chief executive officer and assistant to the president.
Davis commented, "Dara will be a tremendous help because of her previous work on the leadership conference and her ongoing work as staff to the Task Force on the District Branch/APA Partnership."
Davis plans to mail the district branches a brief survey to elicit comments on how the new office should function.
"This office should be viewed as belonging to the district branches. They will have a hand in crafting our responsibilities."
She also plans to obtain input from relevant APA department heads on how the new office should function.