December 18, 1998

By Lawrence A. Stone, M.D.

President Carter said: "In a democracy, it's not the president who is the most important person, but rather the citizen." In APA, it is not the president who is the most important person, but the member. I have been a member since 1966, fellow since 1984, and life fellow 1998. Every member is the most important person in APA.

I have talked with another important group of persons: those who have dropped membership or have rejected joining APA. Their expressed reasons: "Too costly," "Lack of value," "Ineffective organization," "Impossible communications," or "Did nothing for me."

Unfortunately, those expressions are heard from current members. There are concerns about organizational and personal detachment, communication fallout, and group isolation. These are not necessarily complaints from passivity, defensive negations, or justifications for laziness. Instead, they should be the basis for our future planning. I am hearing the members loud and clear; my presidential platform has been galvanized!

Members:

1. Lower dues; increase value of dues


2. Improve effective communications and interactions between all levels of members


3. Focus on local integration of members with organizational activities; improve multilevel communications

Practices:

1. Managed care intrudes, controls, and distorts the doctor-patient relationship, the confidentiality, the economic entities and the legal ramifications of the effective practice of psychiatry; all must go.


2. Encroachments upon our scientifically based psychiatric biopsychoso-cial practices for medically caring for seriously emotionally and behav-iorally ill patients; must be stopped.

Patients:

1. Freedom of choice and decision making


2. Parity


3. Confidentiality


4. Adequate distribution of care within systems adequate to provide quality care and that accommodate for the diversity of patient and psychiatrist needs.

Profession:

1. Infuse new interest, money, and manpower into training, research, and continuing education; use legislative or litigious means if necessary to protect and promote.

We will build additional advocacy for our members, practices, patients, and profession. APA is here for you and me. We must inform and be informed by members; we must inspire and be inspired by members; and we must activate and be active with members.

Effective, forceful, dynamic leadership can lead, and an informed, impassioned, and active membership will respond.