Minutes of the Second Annual HAPA Meeting
Minutes of the Second Annual HAPA Meeting 2001
May 8, 2001 New Orleans, Louisiana
The meeting was called to order at 8 p.m. by HAPA Founding President, Maria T. Lymberis, MD.
Dr. Lymberis welcomed everyone and noted that the change of time from early on Saturday for lunch during the APA Annual Meeting to later on Tuesday for dinner had resulted in a much larger number of Greek psychiatrists in attendance. This was significant because part of HAPAís mission is to develop a close relationship with our Greek colleagues and the presence of so many Greek psychiatrists during this meeting was noted as a significant step in HAPAís growth.
Dr. Lymberis urged everyone to work on the HAPA Membership Drive. ìPass the word about HAPAís value. This is YOUR organization!î HAPAís goal is to reach at least 100 members so it can be included formally in the APA Assembly as an Allied Professional Organization. Dr. Lymberis noted that all of the HAPA officers have been working very hard this year: ìWe are beginning to have a real organizational structure with results to be proud of.î Specifically, the HAPA Membership Chair, Dr. Cardasis, has been developing our membership list which will be posted on our website in the near future. HAPA Treasurer, Dr.Wang, has moved the HAPA bank account to get better service, while taking care of IRS requirements. She noted that our balance as of May 7, 2000 was $9,839.17. Dr. Lymberis expressed regret that HAPA Secretary, Dr. Alexopoulos was unable to attend due to travel problems. Dr. Lymberis is again keeping the minutes.
Dr. Lymberis expressed HAPAís appreciation for the sustained support that Astra-Zeneca has given HAPA. It has provided HAPA with an educational grant every year, starting with our 1999 founding. With this support, HAPA has been able to grow and provide our members with the HAPA Newsletter, website and most importantly, our scientific programs.
HAPA president-elect, Constantine Lyketsos, MD, also welcomed everyone and noted his commitment to increasing HAPAís visibility and participation in psychiatric scientific meetings in Greece. He also emphasized the need for HAPA to launch an outreach membership program in England and Australia, where large numbers of psychiatrists of Greek origin are found. He noted that our presenters at this meeting are from these countries and hoped that both would support this effort.
Hellenic Psychiatric Association president, George Christodoulou, MD expressed his appreciation for the work of HAPA, thanking Dr. Lymberis for her efforts in making HAPA possible. He gave a brief update of psychiatric developments in Greece. (Please see his report on page 4 of this newsletter.)
The President of the Hellenic Society of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Grigoris Vaslamatziz, M.D., was unable to attend our meeting but he had invited HAPA to attend their very successful meeting of November 2000 in Athens, Greece. Dr. Lymberis had sent a letter expressing HAPAís interest in continuing to collaborate in fostering scientific exchange with our Greek colleagues.
Minutes of the First Annual HAPA Meeting of May 15, 2000 were approved as written. HAPA Membership Committee Chair, William Cardasis, MD reported on the status of the HAPA membership. HAPA Treasurer, Dora Wang, MD reported on the status of the HAPAís finances and noted that the budget for 2002 will be presented to the executive committee for approval by November 2001. Nominating Committee Chair, Maria Lymberis, MD reported on the committeeís recommendation to
reelect William Cardasis for HAPA Councilor for another 3 year term from 2001-2005.
HAPA Scientific Program Chair, Constantine Lyketsos then opened the scientific program which presented cutting edge research by two outstanding Greek psychiatrists from Greece and Australia. The first, Christos Pantelis, MD, Associate Professor and Head of the Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Research and Academic Unit, the University of Melbourne & Mental Health Research Institute, spoke of ìStructural Neuroimaging and Neuropsychological Findings in Schizophrenia: From Prodrome to Established Schizophreniaî. The second speaker, Nick Stefanis, MD, Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, Greece, presented ìProdromal Features to Schizophrenia: A Study of Greek Military Recruitsî.
The meeting adjourned at 10:15 pm with the promise of another successful HAPA meeting in Philadelphia in May 2002.
Respectfully submitted,
Maria T. Lymberis, M.D.
