Federal News & Issues

Nov 17, 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. Nov. 17, 2016 – Today the American Psychiatric Association (APA) praised the release of a new report by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy that draws attention to the current drug and alcohol addiction public health crisis, highlights proven treatments and calls for collective coordinated action.

“We are encouraged by the focus on the nationwide substance use epidemic and the many ways we can collectively work to address it,” said APA President Maria A. Oquendo, M.D., Ph.D. “The disease of addiction affects people from all backgrounds across our society and we have the knowledge and tools to provide effective treatment.”

“It is important to have effective policies and programs to help prevent alcohol and drug misuse as well as make addiction care both more acceptable, and more accessible to...

Nov 08, 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. Nov. 8, 2016 — Today, the American Psychiatric Association announced the launch of PsychPRO, a national mental health registry that will help psychiatrists deliver high quality care and meet new MACRA quality reporting requirements by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, (CMS). PsychPRO will spur future research and develop better ways to treat and prevent psychiatric illnesses.

The APA is also announcing that Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore, Maryland, the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health and substance use services in the U.S., has become the first major health system to join PsychPRO (Psychiatric Patient Registry Online).

A clinical registry is a system that helps providers easily collect and submit quality reports; in addition, it gives patients a...