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NORTH CAROLINA Psychiatric Association A DISTRICT BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION MARCH 2013 #OMG! @NCPsychiatry Rebrands, Revamps Webpage, Joins Social Media we also hope that members will find that the “front-end” user experience is easier to navigate, control, and tailor to individual preferences. The new IN THIS ISSUE platform also allows for increased communication between members NCPA’s Advocacy Efforts Focus on Access to Care and committees via bulletin board PAGE 3 groups, creates E-lists to easily hold NAMI - NC Offers Valuable Patient email conversations, and a establishes a Services social community with Facebook-style PAGE 4 The North Carolina Psychiatric profiles, walls, photo galleries, etc. Annual Meeting Speakers Association makes first major change Announced! to its website since its debut in 2000. Keep Your Information PAGE 15 Current At its November meeting, Executive One exciting feature of the updated Council voted to approve the transition website is the enhanced Find-A-Doctor into a new membership database and tool. The search is primarily used by website redesign; they also approved the public and office staff to locate a rebranding project (see Executive members who are accepting new Director Robin Huffman’s column on patients. The NCPA office receives calls page 7 for more details). Since then, from patients seeking a doctor every NCPA office staff members have day, so this search feature was a big Follow NCPA Online! been busy migrating the previous part of updating the website. membership database to a new The NC Psychiatric Association system powered by the association The old Find-A-Doctor search feature is now on Facebook and Twitter. management software, MemberClicks. typically provided limited results If you’re online, be sure to Like because of the search criteria and the Us at www.facebook.com/ This new system provides an functionality of the site search. For NCPsychiatricAssociation or updated platform for organizing and example, patients would enter in too @NCPsychiatry on Twitter. managing member information, online many criteria, become confused by event registration, website content some search fields or just be intimidated We will be sharing educational management and more. The goal is by the search page’s length. Staff often resources, news, updates for to create a system that offers more fielded calls from patients seeking a members and more. If you have a functionality and is still easy to use – doctor close to home, but the old system smart phone, scan these QR codes basically a more up-to-date system didn’t allow for mapping or searching to follow us immediately! that lets NCPA do more for you, our based on distance. The new Find-A- members. Doctor search allows people to search by zip code, with the optional selection While the new software makes daily of physician gender—the two most operations more efficient in the office, commonly requested search requested Twitter Facebook Continued on page 14... NORTH CAROLINA Psychiatric Association | march 2013 NORTH CAROLINA Psychiatric Association | march 2013 Governor McCrory Announces Aldona Wos, M.D., as Secretary of How NCPA Advocates for You Health and Human Services Debra A. Bolick, M.D., D.F.A.P.A., President Governor Pat McCrory announced Secretary Wos has both New The North Carolina Psychiatric working to reduce administrative with the new Governor, Speaker in December that Ambassador York and North Carolina medical Association is committed to and regulatory burdens, such as of the N.C. House, and other key Aldona Wos, M.D. would serve licenses; she practiced medicine in advancing the practice of psychiatry prior approval of medications for legislators. Letters of welcome and as the Secretary of Health and New York for many years before and promoting the highest quality stable patients that keep you from introduction were mailed to all the Human Services. Dr. Wos was born moving to Greensboro. She has care for residents with mental delivering patient care. NCPA newly and re-elected legislators illness, including substance use in Warsaw, Poland. She earned been a member of the American also supports the inclusion of and to appointed leaders, including disorders—two key provisions in her medical degree at the Warsaw Medical Association, and American our mission. As part of this effort, psychiatry in integrated care and Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Medical Academy, and completed College of Physicians, the Greater we strive to serve as a resource to medical homes. We are committed Goodwin, Secretary of DHHS her internship and residency in Greensboro Society of Medicine and policy leaders in the state. Our to helping small- and medium- Dr. Aldona Wos, and her recent internal medicine and a fellowship the North Carolina Medical Society. legislative efforts vary slightly sized psychiatric practices remain appointment, Carol Steckel, in Pulmonary Medicine in New from year to year, so I wanted to financially viable and available to Director of Medicaid. Meetings York. Her experiences include time From 2004-2006, Secretary Wos take this opportunity to share with treat patients. are being scheduled to formally as a physician in private practice, served as an United States you the 2013 legislative and public meet these leaders and to share our corporate medicine, attending Ambassador to Estonia as an policy priorities approved by your Legislators are concerned about the public policy priorities. physician duties, clinical care, appointment of President George Executive Council. rates of prescription drug abuse teaching and consulting for both W. Bush. and overdose in the state. NCPA Most recently, we have provided The NCPA advocates for improved is helping to develop sensible Secretary Aldona Wos, M.D. hospitals and private industry. a response to the Request for access to medical care by supporting solutions to these problems. We Information (RFI) on Medicaid expansion of insurance coverage have signed on as supporters from the North Carolina DHHS. for the uninsured. One of our of Senate Bill 20, which seeks to An NCPA task force convened most pressing issues is stabilizing provide limited immunity for and prepared an insightful our public mental health system. bystanders who call for emergency comprehensive paper addressing It is crucial that strong medical help in overdose situations and our concerns and recommendations. NCPA also is a member of The leadership and accountability are increase access to the opioid Coalition, an advocacy group that brought back into every level of antagonist Naloxone. advocates for services and supports the delivery system—including for mental health, developmental EXECUTIVE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS DHHS, DMA and the agencies Gun safety and violence, with a disabilities and addictive disease. Jim Michalets, M.D. Robin B. Huffman, Executive Director Kristin Milam, Communications Coordinator that provide care. NCPA has focus on those with mental illness, The Coalition has pooled its Katy Dorman, Membership Coordinator been vocal regarding expansion have received national attention resources to hold several outreach of the Medicaid waiver, which following the recent shooting days for both North Carolina The NCPA News is a publication of the NC Psychiatric Association, 4917 Waters Edge Drive, Suite 250, Raleigh, NC 27606. moves all psychiatric services to tragedies. The organization General Assembly leadership and To update your mailing address or if you have questions or comments about NCPA News, contact Kristin Milam, 919-459-0752 or [email protected] capitated managed care run by supports gun safety initiatives that general members. multiple LME/MCOs across the do not perpetuate stigma about NCPA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL COMMITTEES While our Executive Director and CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEES state. We are concerned that the mental illness. Our Psychiatry President Debra A. Bolick, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. lobbyist have been hard at work Budget President-Elect Ranota T. Hall, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. Harold Carmel, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. rapid move to waivers has created and Law Committee continues carrying our concerns forward, Vice President Burt P. Johnson, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. Constitution and Bylaws Charles R. Vance, M.D., Ph.D., D.F.A.P.A. situations that hurt psychiatrists— to research the issue, and Robin Secretary Ethics Diana Antonacci, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. there are opportunities for you to Arthur E. Kelley, M.D., L.M. such as nonpayment for services, Huffman has met with law Treasurer Harold Carmel, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. Fellowship Elizabeth Pekarek, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. become involved. In April NCPA Assembly Representative Debra A. Bolick, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. Membership Arthur Kelley, M.D., L.M. duplicative contracting processes enforcement officials to discuss our members have the opportunity to Assembly Representative Nominating Ranota T. Hall, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. Stephen E. Buie, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. and administrative burdens. perspective. personally present our issues to the Immediate Past President John H. Gilmore, M.D. STANDING COMMITTEES Further, high administrative costs Past President B. Steven Bentsen, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. Access to Care Task Force Drew E. Bridges M.D., D.F.A.P.A. legislators during two advocacy to run multiple managed care Finally, NCPA wants to stay Councilor at Large Samina A. Aziz, M.D., F.A.P.A. Addiction Psychiatry Tom Penders, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. days. We hold “White Coat Community and Public Psychiatry Burt P. Johnson, M.D., D.L.F.A.P.A. involved in the development Councilor at Large Donald T. Buckner, M.D., D.F.A.P.A. organizations reduces the amount Wednesdays” in conjunction with Councilor at Large Daniel L. Johnston, M.D. Cultural Diversity John Shin, M.D. of money available for patient care.