Response to the presidential address: APA enters the twenty-first century.

Abstract

It is exhilarating to become the first APA President to serve in the twenty-first century. I am the 129th President elected but only the 127th President to assume office because two of our respected colleagues expired before taking office. I am not surprised, considering the stresses of APA elections. My odyssey from a small New Mexico city, where I was clearly a member of a minority, through military school, engineering school, medical school, residency, and psychoanalytic training to the leadership of the largest, most prestigious psychiatric organization in the world is beyond my wildest imagination. What an honor and an awesome responsibility! However, I am eager to meet the challenges that accompany this position, knowing that I have the support and assistance of my extremely talented colleagues on the Board of Trustees, the many other members who volunteer countless hours to our organization, and the dedicated, hard-working staff. The understanding, encouragement, and loving support of my spouse, Bonnie, for the past 33 years and our son Jay made it possible for me to be in this position today. We are very proud of Jay. Aside from being a great person, he is Vice President of Engineering in charge of technical development for an Internet start-up company. Our relatives, Skip and Dede Priest, and special friends like Dan Belin, a brilliant attorney, and my closest psychiatric colleagues from Los Angeles have been particularly helpful. I will focus on some of the actions planned for next year. Many of these initiatives began through the pioneering efforts of previous Presidents. Through our business and industry initiative, through legislation and through litigation, if necessary, we will lead the way in restoring our patients’ access to high-quality care in both the public and private sectors. Patients must be able to choose their doctors. Treating physicians must be able to make unfettered medical decisions for their patients. Peter Drucker tells us, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” That is our aim. Reallocating $2.4 million toward high priorities and a new corporate structure in January 2001 will help us reach our goals.