May 7, 1999

BY RODRIGO MUŅOZ, M.D.

This last year has been one of planning new services and improving already existing ones for APA members at the same time we aimed to strengthen APA's position to address patient needs in the legislative and health care arenas. In the past APA's structures, organizational plan, and components were not always what was necessary to meet future challenges successfully. The task that confronted the APA leadership was literally and physically to reinvent APA.

We have done it! The thinkers, tinkerers, and idealists seated around the table at the Board of Trustees meetings this past year approved a deluge of policy and operations changes that have utterly transformed APA. At the Board's first meeting under my presidency, in July 1998, we passed more than 250 policy and operations changes. They included the following:

1. Rebuilding of APA so that it becomes a public affairs, government relations, and clinical services giant.


2. Creation of APIRE, the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education, the powerhouse that will be the center for psychiatric science in the future.


3. Consolidation of our assets-sell, buy, transform, and create so that the new APA is permanently solvent and independent.


4. Transformation of APA's components into an integrated, coordinated, internally consistent force for psychiatry.


5. Changing APA's staff structure to reflect APA's vision, mission, and goals.

With our blueprint in place, successive Board meetings in late 1998 and early 1999 brought about effective action on our relationship with other psychiatric, medical, and advocacy organizations; basic and continuing education for psychiatrists; telemedicine; and psychiatric care for specific patient populations, including children, the elderly, veterans, and those living in rural areas and prisons.

At the same time, we have advanced decisively in building our international relations, especially with our colleagues in Canada and Mexico. APA has been the leader in advancing individual membership in international organizations. The time has come for joint individual international membership in APA and the World Psychiatric Association (WPA). The WPA will consider our proposal at its 1999 World Congress in Hamburg in August (link to "APA Encourages Members to Attend World Congress In Germany", April 16, 1999). We see a future of cooperation on international standards for psychiatric training, continuing education, and diagnostic nomenclatures.

The Board's last meeting, held in Chicago in March, made much progress in consolidating our publishing activities; approved quality performance indicators, one of our proudest achievements; made possible a meeting with psychiatrists interested in psychiatrist-sponsored networks; and allowed a productive exchange with the leadership of the AMA. Most remarkably, with the help of former APA president Mary Jane England, M.D., we met with representatives of the business community (link to "Munoz Seeks To Strengthen Psychiatry's Ties To Business", April 16, 1999). All these events give a glimpse of a new world in which psychiatrists will have regained our clinical independence.

The 1998-99 Board of Trustees has done well for the APA membership. This rebuilding and strengthening of APA should be seen as only the beginning. Allan Tasman, M.D., our president-elect, Dan Borenstein, M.D., his successor, and several distinguished APA leaders who will likely succeed them were among the thinkers, tinkerers, and idealists who brought about change this year and will keep on building the new APA. Godspeed to them!

One often quiet but creative and always thoughtful participant in this process has been our medical director, Steve Mirin. He has been a true partner especially in times of distress, a fellow ideologue in times of contemplation, a resolute leader in times of challenge, and always a sincere friend. He will be critical to the promotion of meaningful and dynamic progress.

My fellow APA members, we are in good hands.