October 2013

Minutes of the HAPA 14th Annual Meeting 2013

5/21/13 San Francisco, CA

NOTE: This draft of the 2013 14th HAPA Annual Meeting Minutes was approved by the HAPA executive committee. The Minutes are posted on the HAPA website and will be ratified at the 15th HAPA Annual Meeting in May 2014 in New York City, NY

Members Present:

Drs. Katina Matthews-Ferrari, Maria Lymberis, Arthur Papas, George Petrides, Philip Candilis, Emmanuel Cassimatis, George Fouras, Nick Togias, Dennis Plesons, Stamatic Zeris, Ippolytos Kalofonos, Iannis Zervas

Guests: Bruce Herschfield, Marcia Goin, George Tacticos

Members Absent:
Drs Christodoulou, Vidalis, Papadimitriou.

Minutes of the 13th HAPA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia were distributed, reviewed and approved as written.

President’s Report:

Dr. Matthews-Ferrari called the meeting to order at 6 pm.

She welcomed all & especially Dr. Zervas who is the first member of HPA & HAPA to attend from Greece in over 4 years. She again stressed that her goal as HAPA President remains membership and recruitment. Both Drs Candilis & Papas are working with her in this effort. She noted that she expects that HAPA’s IRS status will be resolved by September 2013. Once that is done a major membership effort will be done targeting various community organizations such as the Hellenic Medical Association of New York, the Greek-American Behavioral Sciences Institute (GABSI), AHEPA, the Hellenic College in Boston (we have the Dean’s contact information), Greek Orthodox churches and academic centers soliciting membership and financial support. She thanked Arthur and Phil for their recruitment efforts for Boston Greek/Greek-American colleagues and for Dr. Papas’s recruitment of Thomas Mallios,PhD, past president of GABSI, whose HAPA Affiliate membership was approved at the 2012 Annual meeting. She noted that after the announcement of the 15th HAPA Annual meeting is prepared she plans to invite the current President of GABSI to join HAPA and request that our announcement is distributed to GABSI members since we will be meeting in NYC in 2014.

President’s Elect Report:
Dr. Candilis presented the current list of dues paying HAPA members numbering just 12 people. Even with the good attendance at this meeting HAPA is still in the red, carrying a debt that is being paid down very slowly.

2013 marks the end of the current HAPA officers term of office. He reminded the members that at the 2012 meeting there was unanimous agreement with the recommendation to maintain the current HAPA officers for yet another term as that is consistent with the HAPA By Laws and keep working to increase the HAPA membership and bring in new members.

Treasurer’s Report:
Drs Papas & Candilis reported that the transfer of the HAPA banking data from Dr. Fouras was completed and that the HAPA banking has remained at WFB as agreed in 2012. HAPA continues to run a deficit.

Reports from Greece:
Dr. Christodoulou reported on the successful March 2013 International Congress on “Crises and Disasters: Psychosocial consequences” that took place in Athens. This Congress was sponsored by the World Federation for Mental Health, the Hellenic Psychiatric Association and the Psychiatric Association for Eastern Europe and the Balkans,(a division of the WPA) took place. A brief summary of the proceedings for the HAPA website was requested.

Dr. Vidalis’s report on the The Cube of Psychiatry meeting of February 2013 in Thessaloniki is pending.

The economic conditions in Greece continue to be dire.

HAPA Nominations:

Dr. Candilis presented the Nominations Committee report of the HAPA Officers for 2013-2016. Dr. Papas’s he term of office as HAPA Councilor was concluded and Dr. Plesons agreed to accept the post. The full slate of HAPA candidates was unanimously elected:
HAPA President: Katina Matthews-Ferrari, MD
HAPA President Elect: Philip Candilis, MD
HAPA Treasurer: Arthur Papas MD
HAPA Secretary: Yannis Zervas, MD
Dennis J Plesons, MD was elected HAPA Councilor for 2013-2016.

Scientific Presentations:

Improving the Quality of Medical Education Worldwide: The Contributions of ECFMG and FAIMER

Download Powerpoint Presentation

Emmanuel Cassimatis, MD, DLFAPA,
Past HAPA President
Distinguished F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine,
USUHS, Professor of Psychiatry;
President and CEO, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
Chair, Board of Directors, Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).

Women’s Mental Health in Athens: The first 10 years (2003-2013)

Download Powerpoint Presentation

Iannis Zervas, MD
HAPA Councilor
Associate Professor of Psychiatry,
Athens University Medical School
Chief of Women’s Mental Health & Perinatal Psychiatric Clinic, Eginition Hospital

There was a lively discussion during & following these exceptional, outstanding & very stimulating presentations.

Adjournment: Dr Katina Matthews-Ferrari closed the meeting at 8:15PM
A group of members met for the Dutch Treat dinner at the Kokkari’s famous Greek restaurant at the conclusion of the meeting.

The 15th HAPA Annual meeting will be on Tuesday May 6th 2014 in connection with the APA Annual meeting in New York City, NY. Details will be on the HAPA website soon

Respectfully Submitted
Maria T. Lymberis, MD
HAPA Founder & Past President
&
Philip Candilis, MD
HAPA Secretary