Joint Commission on Public
Affairs Mary Jo Fitz-Gerald, M.D. Area V JCPA
Representative
The Joint Commission on Public
Affairs (JCPA) met Feb. 23, 2000 at the Joint Legislative and Public Affairs
Institute in Miami. The members reviewed the program for the Institute and
emphasized the "dynamic duo" aspect of the Public Affairs Representatives
(PARs) and the Legislative Representatives (LRs) working together on
legislative issues. The group discussed the use of the suicide public service
announcement around the county and urged everyone to present it to the local
media. The newsletter subcommittee submitted suggestions for changes to the
Newsletter of the Year contest. There were progress reports on the journalism
fellowship, the JCPA component presentation at the annual meeting with the
disaster committee and the auxiliary essay contest. There were presentations on
a free Internet clipping service and medem.com. The JCPA made suggestions on
the Ethics Committee response to the Ethics/Patient advocacy action paper
referred by the Assembly.
The Area V PARs met on Feb. 23, 2000 at the
Joint Institute in Miami. Each representative gave highlights of action taken
in their district branch. Louisiana continued its essay contest for patients.
The major hot issue was and is psychologist prescribing. LPMA is forming a
Political Action Committee and has hired a lobbyist. The Georgia district
branch is preparing for a psychologist-prescribing bill.
The group discussed
problems with the APA mailing list and ListServ. Dr. Timothy Wolff, the Texas
PAR, suggested a header for the APA Division of Government Relations net
ListServ items. Since I am completing my second term as Area V JCPA
representative, I asked for nominees for a new representative and alternate.
Dr. Mary Helen Davis of Kentucky was nominated for representative and Dr. Wolff
of Texas for alternate. These nominations will be presented to the Area V
Council on March 4, 2000 for ratification. The Area V PARs and LRs met on
Sunday, Feb. 7 to discuss the Institute and battle plans. Dr. Dudley Stewart
announced that the lobbyists from Tennessee, Georgia and Louisiana had met to
discuss psychologist-prescribing bills. The group asked for orientation
sessions for new representatives at the Institute. I suggested that each public
affairs committee ask for a budget from their district branch. Dr. Stewart
inquired about interest in the Area V ListServ.
The Joint Commission on Public
Affairs (JCPA) met Feb. 23, 2000 at the Joint Legislative and Public Affairs
Institute in Miami. The members reviewed the program for the Institute and
emphasized the "dynamic duo" aspect of the Public Affairs Representatives
(PARs) and the Legislative Representatives (LRs) working together on
legislative issues. The group discussed the use of the suicide public service
announcement around the county and urged everyone to present it to the local
media. The newsletter subcommittee submitted suggestions for changes to the
Newsletter of the Year contest. There were progress reports on the journalism
fellowship, the JCPA component presentation at the annual meeting with the
disaster committee and the auxiliary essay contest. There were presentations on
a free Internet clipping service and medem.com. The JCPA made suggestions on
the Ethics Committee response to the Ethics/Patient advocacy action paper
referred by the Assembly.