April 16, 1999

Colorado Psychiatric Society

• The CPS presented its annual Media Awareness Award for 1998 to Leslie A. Young, a journalist for the Denver Rocky Mountain News, at its annual Winter Dinner Meeting in Denver in March. Young's range of work includes stories on nutrition and depression, anxiety disorders, helping the mentally ill return to society, and postpartum depression.



• The CPS held its Fellowship Dinner on April 7 and honored four new APA fellows, Earlene Dal Pozzo, M.D., Susan Frederick, M.D., Marianne Wamboldt, M.D., and Phillippe Weintraub, M.D. Fred Gottlieb, M.D., former APA trustee and now chair of APA's Council on Internal Organization, discussed "Therapy With Couples, Spouses, and Families."

Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Society

• The HPMA held its popular annual legislative reception in January to kick off Hawaii's legislative session for 1999 as part of its effort to educate legislators on mental health issues. Almost half of Hawaii's state legislators attended.

Psychiatric Society of Virginia

• PSV Representative William L. Harp, M.D., participated in the Virginia General Assembly's delegation to the Area 5 Council's annual meeting in Atlanta in March. The meeting was part of an annual effort to discuss issues affecting medical and psychiatric care in each of the 14 Area Five member states and the Puerto Rican Commonwealth. He issued a legislative update, which pointed out several victories for physicians. Among them are the passage of the Fair Business Practice Act, which establishes guidelines that insurance carriers must abide by in their relationship with providers and a parity bill covering many disorders in the workplace from bipolar disorder to substance addiction. Moreover, Governor Gilmore has earmarked an extra $42 million for the state mental health system.



• Helen Foster, M.D., former PSV legislative chair, received a Distinguished Legislative Advocacy Award from APA's Joint Commission on Government Relations at APA's Federal Legislative Institute earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

Puerto Rico Psychiatric Society

• The PRPS has begun a weekly half-hour radio program, which airs every Monday at 8:30 p.m. on 1320 AM. The program is part of the society's antistigma campaign to increase awareness about psychiatric disorders. Each broadcast includes commentary by at least two guest mental health professionals. Past topics include "How to Properly Conduct a Mental Health Evaluation" and "The Dynamics of Alcoholism." The program is funded by an educational grant from Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.

Southern California Psychiatric Society

• SCPS President William Arroyo, M.D., in collaboration with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), traveled to Havana in January to participate in the first of a series of formal exchanges to promote more professional engagement between the Cuban Psychiatric Society (CPS) and the AACAP. Arroyo participated in a series of visits guided by representatives from the Cuban Health Ministry and CPS to pediatric hospitals, clinics, and the homes of patients involved in partial hospitalization programs in Havana and surrounding cities. Arroyo was impressed by the quality of health care in Cuba, despite the shortage of adequate medicine and medical supplies.

Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians

• The Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians, along with its partners of the Mental Illness Awareness Coalition, held a luncheon for members of the Texas legislature on February 24 in the Texas Medical Association Building in Austin. About 170 people, including legislators and legislative staff, attended the program, which featured the presentation "Conquering the Beast: Slaying the Myths and Fears About Mental Illness" by Washington Post reporter Tracy Thompson. Coalition members visited with legislators at the state capitol as part of the coalition's Mental Illness Awareness Day.

Psychiatric News welcomes news from APA's district branches and state associations. While staff contact district branches and state associations on a regular basis to obtain news and photos for this department, information can be sent at any time to Carlos Moreno at cmoreno@psych.org or call him at (202) 682-6210.