A Strategic Plan for Neuropsychiatry

Abstract

A recent special article in this journal reviewed the history, accomplishments, and goals of the American Neuropsychiatric Association (ANPA) on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its founding. The suggestion was made that to sustain ANPA’s early and remarkable success, its leadership should engage in an organized strategic planning process to include development of a formal mission and vision statement, as well as identification of strategic priorities to guide the future resource investment of the association over the next three to five years. On May 19, 1999, 13 current and past officers of ANPA convened in Washington, D.C., to begin this important process. (Participants included C. Edward Coffey, M.D.; Jeffrey L. Cummings, M.D.; Barry Fogel, M.D.; Jordan Graffman, Ph.D.; Robert Green, M.D.; Edward Lauterbach, M.D.; Tom McAllister, M.D.; Robert Robinson, M.D.; Stephen Salloway, M.D.; Randolph Schiffer, M.D.; Jonathan Silver, M.D.; Gary Tucker, M.D.; and Stuart Yudofsky, M.D.). This half-day strategic planning retreat was facilitated by Anne Barrins, C.S.W., Director of Quality Management for the Department of Psychiatry, Henry Ford Behavioral Health. Participants prepared for the retreat by reviewing literature on strategic planning and the building of a shared vision for an organization. The retreat began with some words of wisdom from the cartoon character Dilbert (a self-proclaimed expert on organizational development). Ms. Barrins then led the attendees through a series of group exercises designed to identify the key stakeholders in the association, as well as the association’s core values. Identified as key stakeholders were (listed in no particular order of significance): ANPA members and leaders, patients, patient advocacy groups, the medical industry (e.g., pharmaceutical companies), allied medical organizations (e.g., the Behavioral Neurology Society, the British Neuropsychiatry Association), students and trainees, The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, clinicians in neuropsychiatry, and neuroscience researchers. Three core values were identified for the association (again, not listed in any order of significance): advancing knowledge of brain–behavior relationships; providing a forum for learning; and promoting excellent, scientific, and compassionate health care. Breakout groups were then formed to begin the process of crafting a mission and vision for the association, with special reference to the key stakeholders and core values just identified. The requirement for the mission statement was that it express ANPA’s raison d’etre and that it be applicable for at least 100 years (in contrast to goals and strategies that would change many times in 100 years). Dialogue sparked by a variety of initial drafts led to strong consensus on the following: