October 2020
Featured Article:
SCPS Selects Psychiatric Physician Alliance of California (PPAC)
by George A. Fouras, M.D.
As you probably know by now, the California Psychiatric Association is closing operations due to the withdrawal of support by three of the five District Branches in California. Unfortunately, this leaves California psychiatry without a strong statewide voice to protect our patients and our profession at a time when patient care is threatened by proposed laws to give unqualified providers medical privileges presently only held by physicians. For example, there have been repeated unsuccessful efforts to grant prescribing privileges to psychologists. The immediate challenge is a law, AB 890, authorizing nurse practitioners to practice medicine, including psychiatry, without physician supervision. This was recently signed into law by the Governor despite fierce opposition advocacy by the CPA, CMA and other medical specialty societies. These kind of incidents must not be allowed to happen again. Strong, effective advocacy is essential. Your SCPS Council is aware of these dangers and has decided to work with the new Psychiatric Physicians Alliance of California (PPAC), whose sole function is focused on legislative advocacy for psychiatrists and their patients, in order to fulfill our members’ need and expectations for advocacy in California.
Please read Dr. Fouras' complete President's Column beginning on Page 1
