Email News Update by Ellen Haller
May 27, 2004
E-Bulletin
Dear NCPS members,
Thanks for your support of our organization, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this past year. As your new President, one of my goals is to increase communication amongst all of us, and to that end, I'll be sending out emails periodically informing you of what's going on and providing you with news you can use. Please feel free to email or call me with any questions, concerns, ideas, or whatever.
Here are some items/information that may be of interest to you:
NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
I'm delighted to introduce Charlie McNeil to you all. Janice Tagart retired after 10 incredibly productive and busy years as the NCPS Executive Director, and she will be greatly missed. However, Charlie brings a wealth of experience in the world of non-profits and has hit the ground running; the search committee is extremely confident that we found just the right person for the job. Charlie can be reached at cmcneil@ncps.org or 334-2418 x 105. Welcome Charlie!
NEW NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
Dr. Raymond Reyes has taken the reins of editing our award-winning newsletter, and he and I are currently working on identifying an assistant editor. We plan to add new features including member-to-member interviews, brief updates by committee chairs and chapter leaders, and other items of interest to you. If you would like to contribute, please contact Raymond at newsletter@ncps.org.
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES PRESCRIPTION UPDATE:
A new law, SB 151, is now in effect, and you need to know about it if you ever Rx any controlled substances (including benzos!). Here's what it changes:
A) Effective 1/1/04 (i.e. it's already happened):
-Controlled substance prescriptions (schedule II-V) are valid for 6 months
-Schedule II-IV Rx's must be signed and dated only by the prescriber, however, other information may be written in by a designated staff member of the prescriber
B) Effective 7/1/04 (i.e., coming soon):
-The Dept. of Justice will no longer produce or distribute triplicate Rx forms
-Triplicates that you still have can still be used, but have to be filled by 12/31/04
-Any prescriber who dispenses a schedule II drug must report these Rx's to the Dept of Justice
-If you obtain them, you may begin using the new Controlled Substance Prescription Forms for Schedule II medications (see below.)
C) Effective 1/1/05 (i.e. you've got some time to prepare.)
-Triplicates are no longer valid at all
-All written controlled substance Rx's (INCLUDING Schedules II-V) must be on tamper-resistant Controlled Substance Prescription forms which practitioners must order from a private printer company that has been approved by both the Board of Pharmacy and the Dept of Justice. To date, four companies in California have been approved.
-Prescribers will be able to do Rx's by phone or fax for Schedule III-V, but if doing a written Rx, remember that you must use the new Rx form for all of these controlled drugs. Phone or fax Rx's are not permitted for Schedule II drugs.
-Any prescriber who dispenses schedule III controlled substances must report those Rx's to the Dept of Justice as of 1/1/05
If you want to find out more, check out the website for the California Pharmacy Board at http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/info_prescribe_rph.htm
That's all the news for now. Again, I very much welcome your input and am looking forward to an active, productive year. Thanks. -Ellen Haller ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu or 415-476-7799.
June 28, 2004
Email News
Here's another update for your information. As I wrote last month, one focus for my presidency will be to increase communication to you about NCPS activities and other items of general interest. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, ideas, or whatever. Many thanks.
1) PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE UPDATE: After many years of service, Dr. Kathryn Lee has stepped down as Chair of this very critical committee. Many thanks Kathryn for your dedication to NCPS! Those of you who attended the recent superb NCPS Annual Meeting up at Squaw Valley know first hand of the incredible work done by Kathryn and the rest of the committee. I'm pleased to tell you that the Prof Ed Committee will continue this year under the energetic leadership of newly appointed Co-Chairs, Drs. Gene Nakajima and Susan Downs. Please contact one of them (or me) if you're interested in participating in this active committee. Also, save the dates of 4/1-4/3/05 for our Annual Meeting next Spring to be held in the heart of the Napa Wine Country.
2) MEMBERSHIP: In order for NCPS to fulfill its mission, we need to grow! Please make a commitment to encourage your colleagues to join us! If you work in the Kaiser System or the SF Community Mental Health System, it is my understanding that all (or at least some) of your dues are covered by your employer. Imagine the power of NCPS if each of us brought in just one additional member; we'd double from the current ~1100 members to ~2200! Having more members means more representation at the APA Assembly and in CPA, more opportunity for professional networking and mentoring, and more financial support for our advocacy and educational efforts. Even if only half of you brought in one new member, that'd be fantastic. So, please do what you can, and if you need any materials about NCPS to share with your colleagues (including new membership packets), contact the office by email at cmcneil@ncps.org or by phone at (415) 334-2418 and they'll happily supply you with whatever you need.
3) CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT: NCPS and many other local and state-wide mental health organizations are in full support of this initiative which will be on the November ballot. If passed, it will expand mental health care programs for children and adults by adding over $700 million per year to funding for mental health care in California. From their website: "The initiative will directly raise approximately $700 million dollars per year for mental health services in California. Because of the initiative, California would also qualify for additional federal funds, raising the annual total to more than $1 billion." Under this initiative, programs would be funded through a surcharge on individual income above $1 million per year; this new 1% surcharge would apply to each dollar earned over $1 million. In addition, the initiative would create a new oversight and accountability commission to supervise the expansion of services. I'm including information in this e-bulletin as a heads up to NCPS members. Please contact Dr. Dick Shadoan at 415-346-4016 or Dr. Robin Cooper at 415-642-0144 with any questions or if you'd like to participate more actively in the campaign. Dick and Robin (and others) have organized a fund-raiser for this campaign that will be held at the SF Medical Society Building, 1409 Sutter St, San Francisco on Thursday, July 21, 2004 from 6-8 PM. Look for an invitation in your mailbox! Also, much more information is available at http://www.campaignformentalhealth.org.
In closing, thanks for your support. I'm looking forward to this year, and I promise not to fill your email inboxes with too many messages!
Best, Ellen Haller ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu or 415-476-7799
August 2, 2004
E-Bulletin
Hope your summer is going well! Here's another e-bulletin update for your information. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, etc. Many thanks.
1) THE BARD IN ASHLAND: You're all invited to participate in the 17th Joint Meeting of the Oregon Psychiatric Association and NCPS in Ashland, OR on October 1-3. The conference is entitled, "Trauma and Its Aftermath," a topic we all, sadly, have to deal with in our practices all too frequently. Details available at www.ncps.org or call 415-334-2418.
2) MEMBERSHIP: A reminder that all of you can be considered to be members of our recruitment and retention committee. Please encourage your colleagues to join us! Do you supervise any residents? Ask them if they're members! Having more members means more representation at the APA Assembly and in CPA, more opportunity for professional networking and mentoring, and critically, more financial support for our advocacy and educational efforts. If you need any materials about NCPS to share with your colleagues (including new member packets), contact the office (cmcneil@ncps.org or 415-334-2418) and they'll happily supply you with whatever you need.
3) PROPOSITION 63: THE CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT: Just a quick reminder that NCPS and many other local and state-wide mental health organizations are in full support of this initiative which will be on the November ballot. If passed, mental health programs would be funded through a surcharge on individual income above $1 million per year. Much more information is available at http://www.campaignformentalhealth.org. Please contact Dr. Dick Shadoan at 415-346-4016 or Dr. Robin Cooper at 415-642-0144 with any questions or if you'd like to participate more actively in the campaign. Thanks and kudos to Dick and Robin for their outstanding efforts to date; they organized a well-attended fund-raiser for the initiative in San Francisco on 7/21/04 and plan to facilitate other such events elsewhere in Northern California in the months to come.
4) ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HELPING TO SHAPE POLICY REGARDING MEDICATION FORMULARIES? The California Psychiatric Association (CPA) Formulary Committee is seeking a representative from Northern California. The committee does its work via email and conference calls; they work with insurance companies and state-wide organizations regarding all sorts of formulary issues. Please let me know ASAP if you're interested in representing our District Branch on this important committee. Many thanks!
Best, Ellen Haller ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu or 415-476-7799
This month I'm highlighting the hard work of our Professional Education Committee with information for you about upcoming events. I'm particularly committed to increase the participation of early career psychiatrists and residents at these events, but welcome all of our members to join your NCPS colleagues for collegiality and education!
1) Joint meeting with the Oregon Psychiatric Society, October 1-2, 2004.
This year the theme is "Trauma and its Aftermath." This meeting is unique because about one third of it is devoted to pre-play discussions by English professors and post-play discussions with panels of actors and directors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival productions the night before. When's the last time you heard a talk by an English Professor? This year The Comedy of Errors and King Lear will be discussed. For more information click to http://www.ncps.org/programs/ashland042.pdf
2) End of Life Care and Pain Management Conference.
NCPS has tentatively scheduled February 4-5, 2005 for a two day CME conference which would educate you on these two crucial areas of knowledge and would meet the 12 hours required by the California Medical Board as of 2006 for all MDs. Stay tuned for details!
3) Call for Proposals for the NCPS 51st Annual Meeting
We've begun planning our Annual Meeting which will be April 1-3, 2005 at the Napa Marriott. As president, I have the pleasure of choosing a theme for the meeting and have chosen: "Sex and Psychiatry: the Role of Gender in Current Practice." We would like to invite NCPS members to help develop the program for the meeting both scientifically and socially and are now accepting proposals for workshops, symposia, film discussions and group recreational activities. If you would like to speak, please send a proposal including a title of your talk, a two-sentence description, three educational goals, a one-sentence bio, your address, telephone number and email address for review by the Professional Education Committee. Send your proposal to cmcneil@ncps.org or to the NCPS office.
Proposals are encouraged from those who have never presented at a NCPS meeting and from under-represented minority groups, early career psychiatrists, and residents. The committee requests submissions by 9/20/04 (the date of their next meeting), but the absolute deadline is 10/15/04. For more information, please click on the following website for the first announcement and call for proposals: http://www.ncps.org/programs/annual05.html
Please also contact the committee chairs (Gene Nakajima at gnakajim@pacbell.net or Susan Downs at susanrdowns@hotmail.com) if you have ideas for recreational activities in the Napa area. Your input is valued and welcomed!
Hope to see you at these events!
Best,
Ellen Haller, MD
ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu or 415-476-7799
October 14, 2004
E-Bulletin
Hope your Fall going well so far! I want to remind you to please exercise your right as a citizen and vote on 11/2/04. This is an extremely important election on so many fronts; Walter Cronkite said recently that this is the "most important national election since the time of the Civil War." In addition to my general plea, please also remember that NCPS is in full support of Prop 63, the Mental Health Initiative. For more information, check out http://www.yeson63.org/. I want to also let you know about an important event coming up on Saturday, 11/20/04. This event, National Survivors of Suicide Day, is being sponsored by the National Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It will be held at multiple sites simultaneously across the country, and in the Bay Area, sites include San Francisco, Pleasanton, and Santa Rosa. The schedule is:
8:30-9
Registration, pick up literature on depression, etc. 9-10:30 National simulcast (over satellite) of two panel discussions:
1) physicians discussing suicide prevention and bereavement, and
2) suicide survivors discussing their experiences as family members of people who successfully suicided.
11-12 Small group discussions (May not occur at all sites).
Please feel free to mention this event to anyone you know (patients or otherwise) who has lost someone close to them due to suicide. On the NCPS website (www.ncps.org), you'll find an easily downloadable flyer about the event; feel free to print it out and to disseminate it widely. For further details, contact the following individuals:
SAN FRANCISCO
Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute Auditorium
University of California
San Francisco
Parnassus Campus
Contact Person - Pamela Chu 415-476-7555
PChu@lppi.ucsf.edu
SANTA ROSA
Sutter Warrack Hospital-
Conference Room 1 -Second Floor
2449 Summerfield Road
Contact Person - Margo Requarth 707-535-5785
requarm@sutterhealth.org
PLEASANTON
ValleyCare Medical Plaza Conference Room
5725 W. Las Positas Avenue
Contact Person - Shirley Kaminsky 925-872-5634
shirleykam1@yahoo.com
Also, please note that the NCPS Awards Banquet will be on Friday, November 12, 2004. Details are coming to you in the mail; I very much look forward to seeing you there as we honor the extraordinary contributions of several esteemed colleagues, hold our Annual Business Meeting, and have a chance to catch up with each other. As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments, concerns, suggestions, or whatever. Many thanks.
Best,
Ellen Haller, MD
ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu or 415-476-7799
January, 2005
E-Bulletin
Happy New Year to you and yours! Following are a few updates FYI:
1) NCPS Pain Management and End of Life Care Conference will be held on February 4-5, 2005 at the San Francisco JCC. You can surf to the brochure on line at www.ncps.org. You have the option of registering for one or for both days. This conference will fulfill the 12 hours of CME in pain management and end of life care required by the Medical Board of California by December, 2006. Space is limited, so register soon! Please forward this information to your psychiatric colleagues who might be interested in the conference.
2) Reminder that the Annual NCPS Job Fair is on 1/29/05 from 9 AM -1 PM at Millberry Union on the UCSF campus. Please spread the word to any graduating residents you may know and also to anyone contemplating a career shift. Contact the NCPS office for more information (www.ncps.org) or 415-334-2418, ext. 101.
3) The NCPS Newsletter is going digital!! Sending the NCPS Newsletter via email rather than printing and mailing it has many advantages both to our organization and to you. The NCPS Council fully supports the importance of the newsletter as a vital member benefit, however printing and mailing costs have risen dramatically and have become prohibitive. Thus, the Council would like to encourage as many members as possible to opt out of a mailed version and instead receive the Newsletter as a pdf file via email. If you are comfortable with this change, simply reply to this email stating "please send me the newsletter via email rather than regular mail."
Advantages of the electronic newsletter to the organization include: 1) Very significant cost savings 2) Ability to easily archive the newsletter electronically 3) Rapidity of getting the Newsletter out to members rather than relying on the U.S. Postal Service (which isn't always as swift as Lance Armstrong despite their advertising campaign...)
Advantages to you include: 1) Ability to read the Newsletter on your computer or to print it out and read elsewhere at your leisure 2) Ability to have your own archive of Newsletters without creating yet another pile of paper on or near your desk (simply keep the pdfs in a file somewhere on your hard drive) 3) Knowledge that your dues money isn't going towards printing or mailing costs, but instead is supporting CME activities, resident mentoring, advocacy, ethics, etc."
As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments, concerns, suggestions, or whatever. Many thanks.
Best,
Ellen Haller, MD
ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu
or 415-476-7799
February, 2005
E-Bulletin
I hope the new year is going well for you so far. Following are a few brief items FYI:
1) A reminder that the NCPS Annual Meeting will be held at the Napa Marriott from 4/1-4/3/05. The theme this year is "Sex and Psychiatry: The Role of Gender in Current Practice," and I want to thank the Professional Education Committee for their incredible job putting together an outstanding program. A wide range of talks will be presented, and speakers include Nada Stotland and Carolyn Rabinowitz (APA Officers) as well as many NCPS members including some residents. I hope you can make it for what should prove to be a stimulating meeting. Look for the brochure coming to you in the near future!
2) Please let Bruce Van Horn know if you'd like to receive the NCPS newsletter via email. We would like at least 25% of our members choose this option this year to reduce printing and mailing expenses. If you are worried about the email attachment being too large, you can opt to simply download the .pdf file from the NCPS website at www.ncps.org. Bruce can be reached at bvanhorn@ncps.org.
3) Take a resident to lunch or meet with a bunch of them for dinner! Dick Shadoan and I have been talking about ways to recruit more residents into organized psychiatry, and he came up with the wonderful idea of having NCPS members take residents to lunch. I've spoken with a few UCSF residents, and some have expressed a desire to meet as a group with NCPS members. Dick is a contact person for volunteers from our membership to match up with the trainees. Please let him know if you'd like to take a resident out to lunch or to host a few of them at one time for dinner or brunch (it'll have to be on your own tab due to budget constraints…I'm very sorry about that…). Dick can be reached at 415-346-4016 or richard@shadoan.net. FYI, the NCPS trainee membership application is available as a pdf on our website, www.ncps.org, so please encourage any and all trainees to download and complete it.
4) Finally, many of you know that Marin County psychiatrist William Dickerson, MD and his wife Jane died in the Tsunami in southeast Asia on Dec. 26. They were vacationing in Thailand. A memorial is planned for February 11, and you can find details at www.janeandbilldickerson.com.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments, concerns, suggestions, or whatever. Many thanks.
Best,
Ellen Haller, MD
ellenh@lppi.ucsf.edu
or 415-476-7799
May, 2005
This will be my final email bulletin to you as NCPS president. It's been an exciting year, and I want to thank you all for honoring me with this experience. Dr. Peter Forster will become NCPS president at the end of the APA Annual Meeting; I know that our organization is in good hands! Following are a few brief announcements that may be of interest to you:
1) Are you an Early Career Psychiatrist or Member in Training attending the APA Annual Meeting? If so, you're invited to:
Join fellow Early Career Psychiatrists and Members-in-Training for an Evening of Networking at: