3 minute read
Executive Director Update
Continued from page 5
Enhancing Practice of Medicine While
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Promoting Appropriate Access to Care Spring forward:
Change is inevitable, especially when we are living in a world that changes not just daily, but by the minute. Healthcare delivery is no exception to the rule. Within just one year, telemedicine is the norm. These technological advances, along with the increased healthcare needs of our citizens, force all healthcare facilities and those providing services to be creative with not just how they deliver care, but how to recruit and retain highly qualified and appropriately trained healthcare personnel. As we navigate in this new healthcare arena, where insurers are looking to reduce their costs while providing “quality care” in a post COVID-economy, how do we proceed? What solutions can we suggest ensuring that each healthcare provider practices within their level of education and training and not beyond their scope? Not an easy fix, especially when well-intentioned legislators want to expand non-MD scopes beyond their reach. However, your Society continues to spring ahead with solutions. Yes, we respond to proposed legislation as it is introduced. But we have wanted to do more. Thanks to the productive relationship we have with our medical specialty colleagues within the walls of PAMED, we work in coalitions to be a unified voice of medicine to oppose removal of collaborative agreements for non-physicians, or additional responsibilities being advocated to allow non-medically trained medical providers to prescribe psychotropic medications, to oversee a treatment team without a physician present or an attempt to call themselves a physician when a PhD. The APA’s government relations team has worked hand in hand with us and are invaluable resources for us as we perform grassroots advocacy efforts. Your leadership is also working in earnest with interested stakeholders on ensuring that both public and commercial insurance are mandated to cover collaborative care codes, where individuals in need of substance use and mental health needs can benefit from treatment than begins at the primary care level and extends to consultations by psychiatrists and other mental health providers to integrate care or to expand access to treatment. As updates are available, we will provide them with action plans.
Fall back:
In an ideal world, funding for mental health and substance use treatment would be endless. Unfettered access to every prescription medication or cutting-edge treatment would be the norm not the outlier. Physicians would be able to practice without concerns about liability, or without having to work double shifts because there are enough psychiatrists to cover every specialty in every practice setting (and not just in urban areas). Patients would not be encumbered with excessive costs and/or must decide if they will go for preventive care or even follow-up care instead of paying their bills or feel stigmatized. Well, unfortunately, that ideal world does not exist. However, we will keep falling back if your voice is not heard. When it is time for us to react, we need all of you to answer the call to get involved.
If you are willing to spring ahead with me and affect change, contact me via email (dshoemaker@pamedsoc.org). Let me know if you have questions about our grassroots advocacy efforts or how to get involved in being part of the solution. Spring is here and I do not know about you, but I am very excited to get out and enjoy everything in bloom. Spring is usually a very busy time for the Society and here are some Society items you might be interested in.
Events: The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society has been very busy since last October! Chapters have held a variety of events including in-person resident poster nights, virtual awards events, and virtual CME events. I think the Society has adapted to the constraints of the pandemic, but we are all looking forward to some in-person events in the fourth quarter of 2021. Check the website for event information.
Committees: The Council approved the formation of a Social Media Task Force to review ways PaPS can increase their social media footprint. PaPS has a variety of committees you can get involved in. For a list of committees, check out the Council page of the website. If you are interested in social media or another committee and would like to learn more, please contact the office at papsych@papsych.org or 800-422-2900.
Annual Business Meeting: The Annual Business Meeting of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society will be held in conjunction with the May 15th Council Meeting. Both meetings are being held via Zoom. If you are interested in attending the meetings, please let me know at jredmond@pamedsoc.org or 800-422-2900.
