Resident Update

At the state Capitol, legislators continue to focus their efforts on COVID-related issues, election reforms, prescription drugs/ substance use-related initiatives and scope of practice expansion. The Society works via individual and coalition work on prior authorization, opposition to scope of practice expansion for Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners, Licensed Clinical Psychologists’ prescriptive authority, and appropriate supervision for Physician Assistants. We are also keeping on top of proposed legislation to allow insurers to access the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and related acts to, in the words of one proposal, “promote the health, safety, and welfare of members or subscribers, including identifying drug diversion, misuse, abuse, fraud or inappropriate prescribing, dispensing, billing or claim submission patterns in accordance with the quality assurance and utilization management programs of the managed care plan, licensed insurer or insurance administrator.” In direct collaboration with your executive committee, and co-chairs of the Clinical and Government Relations Committee, I labor with key staffers and members of the state legislature and the Wolf Administration to ensure our voice is heard on these important issues that affect your daily practice of medicine. Your leadership has also committed time to review areas of potential grassroots advocacy and continues to prioritize future legislative strategy. For example, the Society has been working closely with APA and various stakeholders on potential Collaborative Care model legislation, determining our level of prioritization. Our dedication to the collaboration between the PPLC, our psychiatric residency directors and membership grows beyond its initial stages to a monthly residency director meeting and weekly subcommittee meetings on structural racism. Last, but not least, at the direction of PaPS Council, a Task Force on Legalization of Marijuana and Safe Injection Sites was created in May to explore the Society’s positions on these two important issues prior to any legislative action. As you can read, your Society has been falling into action over the past year. I expect these and other priorities to continue into 2022. So, if you are willing to work closely with your leadership, your government relations committee volunteers and myself, contact the Society via email at papsych@papsych.org.

Happy Fall. Please continue to stay safe and be well.

Greetings! My name is Michael Chen and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I will be serving as the Resident Representative for the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society. In this role, it is my hope to serve the psychiatry residents of Pennsylvania in part by helping to develop our network and advocate for residency development. I had the chance to connect with some residents in the area so far, and I understand there is a particular interest in learning more about job opportunities in the state as we all get closer to graduation. According to a study reported by the U.S. News & World Report,1 13.39% of Pennsylvanians live in areas with a shortage in mental health. I believe we have an opportunity to improve this deficit with the 15 psychiatry residencies in Pennsylvania.

Michael Chen, MD Lehigh Valley Health Network

I would be glad to assist if residents are interested in joining the Society or would like further information. Please reach out to me at Michael.Chen@lvhn.org

1Hubbard, Kaia. “Many States Face Shortage of Mental Health Providers.” U.S. News & World Report, 10 June 2021, www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2021-06-10/northeastern-states-have-fewest-mental-health-provider-shortages.