AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

            As President Obama's landmarkPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act [PPACA] [P.L. 111-148] is systematically implemented over the next 5-10 years, it is important that our State Associations appreciate that the law is fundamentally patient-centered, and not provider-centric, andfurther that the States have considerable flexibility to develop local approaches which address broad, often non-specific, national objectives.  Psychology is one of the nation's health care professions and as such, must increase its efforts to work collaboratively with other disciplines, engage patients in taking responsibility for their own health care, and begin utilizing the unprecedented advances occurring within the communications and technology fields (i.e., telehealth and virtual realities) to ensure data-based, high quality care.  Geographical boundaries (for example, in rural America) no longer are acceptable excuses for denying care.  State Associations must work with their legislatures and licensing boards to achieve licensure portability.

            The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) recently announced a new grant program Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws That Improve Health.  RWJF seeks to build the evidence for, and strengthen the use of, regulatory, legal, and policy solutions to improve public health and help individuals lead healthier lives.  It is equally interested in identifying and ameliorating laws and legal practices that unintentionally harm health.  Critical questions: How does law influence health and health behavior?  Which laws have the greatest impact?  Can current laws be made more effective through better enforcement, or do they require amendment?  Preference will be given to applicants that are public entities or nonprofit tax-exempt (501(c)(3)) organizations.  Short-term study grants up to 18 months ($150,000 each); complex and comprehensive study grants up to 30 months ($450,000 each).  A total of $2.85 million will be available for this round of grants.

            The Call for Proposals focuses upon three topics: 1.) Effects of laws and legal practices on population health outcomes.  2.) Using innovative regulatory tools to promote health.  And, 3.) Effects of law, regulation, and policy on the performance of public health systems and the delivery of public health services.  Examples include: studies that will investigate the design and implementation of a new legal intervention or assess effects of an existing law or enforcement strategy on physical or mental health; exploring the impact of the criminal justice system on the health of communities; studies of the unintended effects of law on the incidence or prevention of chronic diseases; and, studies of the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services, including public mental and behavioral health services, and the effects of those services on public health.  One selection criterion is effective collaboration between public health, legal researchers, and practitioners.  We would suggest that this RWJF initiative provides an exciting opportunity for state psychological, nursing, and bar associations to collaboratively address some of society's most pressing needs.  Law and business remain the most common professional backgrounds of elected officials.  Early career exposure goes a long way towards encouraging professional respect for other disciplines.  This Spring, Hawaii Psychological Association was successful in having their prescriptive authority (RxP) legislation pass the State Senate on an 18-3-4vote.  With mutual respect comes legislative success.  Aloha,

 

Pat DeLeon, former APA President – Division 31 – March, 2011