Insight Matters
Winter, 2004

Charting Our Course
by Kenneth Miller, M.D., Chair, Government Relations Committee

Greetings to all and in trying to stay with my seafaring theme let me share with you an update from the Chair's log.

Governance & teambuilding
With good cheer for the future and some sadness we wish Phil Workman well as he is heading off for warmer climates. We enthusiastically welcomed Janet Shaw to the Crew and already she has proven her salt. Other new able-bodied members include Doug Lehrer, MD (Dayton), and Leslie Abromowitz, MD (Columbus). Peter Kotcher, MD (Cincinnati) is helping us out and we hope he joins as a regular committee member. We hope to take on more representatives from Toledo, the North East, and South West sectors.

HB 357 "Guilty but insane"
This piece of legislation, introduced by past Rep. Jovilette, is inflammatory and punitive to the criminally mentally ill. We are in active opposition. We are thankful for the prompt response by our forensic resources at the APA, and with in the state and local GR committees. Dr. Lehrer has written a draft position paper, Dr. Melvyn Nizny and group are actively monitering and mounting a response, and Janet, SR Thoward and I have met with Rep. Hughes who was a prior prossecutor to get his insight/reaction.

Psychologists prescribing
Diligence and vigilance is the key. We are continuing to monitor any mounting activity in Ohio and also note new legislation introduced by psychologist groups in other states.

Marriage and Family Therapist
Just when we though it was over... an oversight by the legislative body allowed language to pass on to the Rules committee that provides contradictory information that may provide a loophole for MFT's to diagnosis and treat mental illness. Janet and I have actively pursued the correction of this and will be ellicting the support of our allies including the OSMA and psycholologist organization.

Other changes to navigation
Pharmacy Benefit Management: as asked by the APA, we will continue to watch for state initiatives that might interfere with the physician's practice of prescribing.

Be on the look out, through your chapter, for the APA Managed Care Survey. This will be a checklist addressing the impact of managed care on the practice of psychiatry. Local and national outcomes are to be analyzed by the APA committee on Managed Care.

Signing off... and keep those sails trimmed.

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