APA elects Maria A. Oquendo, MD, as next president

The American Psychiatric Association announced they have elected Maria Oquendo, MD, as the president-elect of the association, according to a press release.

She is the residency training director at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and began her career as a community psychiatrist at Columbia University. She is also professor and vice chair for education at Columbia University, where she investigates the treatment and neurobiology of mood disorders, suicide and global mental health, according to the release.

Maria Oquendo

“I am honored and grateful to have been elected to lead APA,” Oquendo said. “This is an exciting time to practice psychiatry. Our knowledge base has grown exponentially in the last decades, and we still have the privilege of forming close therapeutic alliances with our patients and their families, offering relief for suffering. Yet, APA has much work to do.”

According to the press release, Oquendo intends to address the following priorities in her new role:

identify psychiatrists’ role with new health care reforms, and ensure quality care;
seek fair reimbursements in psychiatric care;
work with advocacy groups and obtain federal funding for education and research;
capitalize on partnerships with psychiatric subspecialties and primary care; and
strengthen communication with all APA members.

“Importantly, I believe APA can continue to strive for diversity at all levels of the organization, including representation from women, minority psychiatrists, international medical graduates, and LGBT members. I hope to harness my experience in teaching and mentoring to engage our trainee members and early career psychiatrists. They are our future,” Oquendo said in the release.

Her role as president-elect will begin following the APA Annual Meeting in Toronto in May.