Howard P. Rome

The Council on International Affairs

312 Am J Psychiatry 1 52:2, February 1995 the necessary amount are being explored. The committee was concerned about this award, since Dr. Tanjan was such an important force in the Association and in work on mental retardation and mentab health services. Beginning in September 1993, the committee has discussed working more closely with the Institute on Psychiatric Services program committee. Beginning in I 994, a representative of the institute committee is appointed as a member of the Committee on Grants and Awards. The two committees have discussed the possibility of transferning some of the awards now presented at the annual meeting to the institute. The members were concerned that awards might lose stature because so many are presented at the Convocation of Fellows. The committee received a memorandum from National Medical Enterprises, sponsors of the APA Award and Fellowship for Research Development in Psychiatric Services Research. National Medical Enterpnises has eliminated its psychiatric division and therefore does not wish to continue its sponsorship. The award consisted of a

A TOTALLY AUTOMATED PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST: EXPERIENCE IN A MEDICAL CENTER.

5,000 award to a senior investigator for major accomplishments and a

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR SCORING AND INTERPRETATION OF MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORIES IN A MEDICAL CLINIC

15,000 fellowship to support the careen development of a young investigator, payable to his on hen university on institution. The committee discussed possible ways to continue giving the award by combining it with another one or obtaining additional funding. These possibilities will be explored with the award board; however, no award will be given in 1995. Cynthia P. Rose, M.D., is chairperson ofthe Committee on Special Benefit Programs. The special benefits program for APA members was moved in-house from Professional Risk Management Services (PRMS) in August 1 994. The person in PRMS who coordinated the program left the company. The programs would have been lost if APA had not brought them in-house. Mn. Robert Palmer, in the Office of Membership, is APA’s member benefits coordinator and is now handling these benefit programs. Any income from the programs will now go to APA instead of PRMS. PRMS continues to manage and market the APA insurance programs. The MNBA Gold Card program is going very well; approximately 5,000 members participate. Grande Financial Services is optimistic about future numbers of participants in its investment programs, since many members have requested information about the programs. Vantage Travel, which primarily sponsors cruises, not trips involving air travel, arranges travel only for association groups. Some membens have felt that the trips are too bong and should include weekends and focus groups. The two newest benefits are discount office supplies and furniture from Pennywise Office Products and a new program for magazine subscriptions. No data are available on these programs as yet. A new program was approved in September 1994 by the Board of Trustees. The proposal involves discounts on Airborne Express overnight package delivery. The company also will pick up packages directby from the member’s office or home at no extra charge. APA will be eligible for a rebate from Airborne Express for each package. The Committee on Advertising, James S. Eaton, Jr., M.D., chairperson, advises the editors of APA’s three periodicals (Psychiatric News, AmericanJournalofPsychiatry, and Hospitaland Community Psychiatry) on questionable advertisements that have been submitted for publication. The editors ask the committee to review advertisements when they cannot come to a consensus, need additional input, or want medical or technical advice. Although the editors usually foblow the recommendations of the committee, they are responsible for the content of their respective publications. The Committee on Advertising was not asked to review any advertisements during 1 993 or the first 9 months of I 994. This, however, is good news-it signals that APA’s guidelines have successfully conveyed the elements of acceptable advertising to its advertisers. The guidelines, “Principles and Guidelines of Advertising Acceptance,” were revised in 1 993 by the editors and the committee, and they were subsequently approved by the Board in March 1993 and distributed to advertisers. The revision was prompted by a variety of minor shortcomings in the previous principles. Chief among them was that the guidelines were heavily weighted toward pharmaceutical advertisements, the major type of advertising when the guidelines were written. The revision includes guidelines that coven tests, devices, and other nondrug products, areas for which advertising has increased in the last I 0 years. Although in the past decade the editors have had to turn to the committee to review questionable advertisements only two to four times a year, the committee continues to provide valuable support when an advertising problem needs immediate medical on, in particulan, psychopharmacological expertise. The Headquarters Committee, Ralph E. Wittenbeng, M.D., chairperson, was pleased to learn that the JBG Management Company has agree to retrofit the building for sprinklers and will pay the cost. Dr. Merlin Johnson, Dr. Lucy Ozarin, and Mr. Kenneth Robinson, Director of the APA Office of Administrative Services, were applauded by the council for their constant efforts to obtain a sprinkler system. Progress is being made in complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Elevator floors are now indicated with sound, bathroom doors have accessible handles, and closure of elevator doors has been changed to conform with requirements. The council welcomes any suggestions or questions from APA members concerning issues that it should discuss in the future.