APA President Allan Tasman, M.D., has longed served APA in many capacities, but few throughout the Association know that his wife, Cathy, is just as devoted to the cause and prevention of mental illness.

A few years ago, Catherine Kirschner, then president-elect of what is now known as the APA Alliance (APAA), encouraged Cathy Tasman to join the APAA and chair one of its committees. Little did Tasman, a professional artist and art teacher, realize that this would be the beginning of a new and gratifying part of her life. Tasman is now chair of the Elsa Barton Scholarship Committee, a position for which her career in education has well qualified her.

The Elsa Barton Scholarship Fund was created in 1984 and began granting scholarships in 1994. Tasman credits the smoothly functioning fund to past chairs Paula Lipsius and Charlotte Wilson, who, according to Tasman, "have spent much time and energy making this fund viable, well run, and successful in its goal of helping physicians’ families." Tasman is pleased that both remain committee members.

Linda Lodgsdon, M.D., chair of APA’s Committee on Physicians’ Health, Illness, and Impairment, has offered to act, along with her committee, in an advisory capacity to the fund and has invited Tasman to serve as a liaison to the APA committee.

Tasman is continuing the legacy of the late Elsa Barton, a professional woman who was artistic, the wife of an APA president, and a dedicated volunteer who supported the goals of APA long before the Alliance even existed. Elsa Barton was the wife of Walter Barton, M.D., who was APA president for the 1961-62 term and medical director of APA for a decade beginning in 1964.

To Tasman, being involved with the APAA at this time in her life is especially satisfying. "The APAA’s recent name change from Auxiliary to Alliance and the vote last year to include as members individuals sponsored by APAA or APA members have created opportunities to better reflect the focus of the organization."

This past year, she said, APA encouraged and supported the APAA’s national essay project, whose theme was "When Not to Keep a Secret," chaired by Rosalind Hayes. "The APAA is pleased to continue the project and its growing relationship with APA. We appreciate APA’s recognition of the significant resources that the APAA can activate to educate and promote better mental health both locally and nationally."

Tasman said she has been honored to work on the essay project in Kentucky with Nancy Kiesow-Webb, M.D., chair of the Public Affairs Committee of the Kentucky Psychiatric Association; Theresa Walton, the district branch’s executive director; Donna Smith, M.D., of the Public Affairs Committee; and APAA members Joyce St. Clair and Valerie Casey.

"We were thrilled that the national winner of the national essay project, Cynthia Ailiff, came from Louisville and that the project received recognition from the White House," said Tasman. The APAA is using that same theme, "When Not to Keep a Secret," for its national essay project this year because of its continued timeliness.