Three Intriguing Agendas For Visionary State Associations
I recently had an exciting opportunity to attend the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Culture of Health stakeholder meeting, “ Engaging Allies in the Culture of Health Movement.” This initiative represents a multiyear collaborative effort to identify strategies to create and sustain conditions that support equitable good health for all Americans. Although I had served on Capitol Hill for nearly four decades, Co-Directors Ivory Clarke and Charlee Alexander introduced me to a fundamentally new social action concept, that of anchor institutions (e.g., academic health centers, hospitals, health systems and universities). Kimber Bogard, formally with NAM and presently senior vice president of strategy and programs at the New York Academy of Medicine: “Anchor institutions can play a key role in helping to achieve health equity. In particular, if they are trusted by community residents and organizations, then they can bridge the voices of the community with local elected officials. If anchor institutions have research capacity, then they can add data and theory of change to decision-making that advances a health equity agenda.” Have Anchor Institutions presented at your state association annual meeting?
With the advent of health care technology, and particularly tele-psychology and webinar conference interactions, the need for licensure mobility is becoming increasingly critical. During our Denver 2016 Annual Convention, Steve DeMers, then Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) executive director, was successful in urging the Council of Representatives to support, in principle, the establishment of the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries. This will allow psychologists to legally provide electronic psychological services from their home compact state to a patient in a distant compact state without having to be licensed in that distant state. It also allows colleagues to temporarily physically go into another compact state to provide face-to-face psychological services, again without having to be licensed in that distant state. As of May 1, 2019, PSYPACT is alive with Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Georgia, Oklahoma and Illinois (effective Jan. 1, 2020) having adopted the necessary legislation. The lead contact for ASPPB is Alex Siegel. When will your state association embrace this important legislative agenda?
And, Prescriptive Authority (RxP)
Steve Ragusea: “In Florida, we made a great deal of progress this year and almost brought our RxP bill to a House vote. The Health Care Appropriations Committee and the Health Quality Committee, two of the three reviewing committees, overwhelmingly passed our RxP bill. However, as time ran short and the end of the session loomed, House and Senate leadership prioritized the bills they most wanted to push through this session. Our bill was not one of their top priorities so it was sidelined. However, Representative Cary Pigman (a physician) and Senator Jeff Brandes expect to reintroduce the bills in January for the 2020 session and there will be some changes in governmental leadership that may benefit our cause. We are very optimistic.”
Mental Health America of Hawai'i reflecting upon Access: “Prescriptive Authority for Advanced Trained Clinical Psychologists (RxP), to improve and increase access to comprehensive mental health services, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas and for people with low income. Result: SB 819 did not pass House committees.”
“Let's continue to work together and make our voices heard!” Significant community support -- What more could Hawaii Psychological Association (HPA) ask for?
“But if I really say it, the radio won't play it” (Peter, Paul, and Mary).
Aloha