“WE’RE GONNA SIT AND GRIN AND TELL OUR GRANDCHILDREN ‘BOUT THE TIME I CALLED THIS GUY.  IT WAS FOUR IN THE MORNING”

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM):  Reflections by Victor Dzau, having served 12 years as President of NAM: “When I arrived in 2014 at what was then called the Institute of Medicine, the organization had reached a long-awaited crossroads.  Within a year, we became an independent Academy alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.  We navigated the challenges of a complex transition, developed a new organization, and established a stronger leadership platform for health and medicine within the National Academies organization [NASEM].

“In the years that followed, we transformed what it means for an Academy to serve.  We pioneered new models for collective and global impact – including Action Collaboratives, International Commissions, Grand Challenges, and more.  We focused on catalyzing change at the systems level and improving outcomes at the highest possible scale – confronting monumental challenges like the health impacts of climate change, the needs of an aging world population, global pandemics, and the crisis of substance use, to name a few.  We maintained a steady focus on improving the performance of the US health system, including by supporting the wellbeing of its workforce.  And amid historic breakthroughs in science and technology, we built essential policy scaffolds to ensure equitable and responsible implementation.

“We have navigated extraordinary challenges.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, we mobilized expertise, informed public understanding, and advanced solutions at a time of profound uncertainty.  We navigated daunting societal challenges including firearm violence, racism, and access to reproductive health care.  Through innovative communications and partnerships, we tackled the challenges of infodemics and the spread of inaccurate information and worked to strengthen trust in science and evidence.  Amid significant political and financial pressures for research and public health, we have consistently spoken up for science, evidence-based policy making, and the broad societal benefits of sustained investment in biomedical and health research.  We have never strayed from our commitment to health equity and our conviction that advancements in science, medicine, and health must be made accessible to all.

“Perhaps most importantly, we have invested in the future.  Through the Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine program, established in 2016, and new and innovative fellowship models, including at the state and international level, we are cultivating a new generation of leaders who will carry our mission forward.  [Subsequently, the NAM Council affirmed that those selected for the program will henceforth be known as “Victor J. Dzau Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars”.  And, over $5 million has already been invested in a quasi-endowment to provide enduring support.]

“As I look ahead, I am convinced that the need for the trusted leadership, independent expertise, and evidence-based guidance provided by our Academy – and the broader National Academies organization – has never been greater.  We are operating in a period of profound change and growing complexity.  Public trust in institutions can no longer be taken for granted, while misinformation and disinformation spread at unprecedented speed and scale.  Scientific and health priorities are increasingly shaped by political, social, economic, and cultural forces, often complicating the path from evidence to action.  At the same time, transformative advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and data science are reshaping nearly every aspect of society, creating extraordinary opportunities alongside significant ethical, societal, and security considerations.

“In this context, we must ask ourselves several fundamental questions: How do we maintain independence and credibility?  How do we demonstrate value in a more skeptical and divided society?  How do we ensure that scientific and technological advances improve lives broadly rather than deepen disparities?  And how do we continue to earn the trust of the communities we seek to serve?

“In tackling these questions, several priorities will be especially important, but above all else, the Academy must remain a champion and leader for scientific integrity, evidence, and health equity.  In so doing, it will be important to strengthen our ability to communicate clearly, rapidly, and effectively across a changing media and information landscape.  We must continue to cultivate diverse, engaged, and forward-looking leadership among our members, fellows, scholars, and staff.  We should continue to guide the development of emerging technologies and ensure that innovation advances the public good.  And we should remain not only a national organization, but also a globally minded one prepared to address challenges that cross disciplines, sectors, and borders.

“For decades, we have used this quote from Goethe in the frontmatter of our reports: ‘Knowing is not enough; we must apply.  Willing is not enough; we must do.’  I trust that the NAM will continue to demonstrate not only that we produce rigorous, evidence-based guidance, but also that our work drives meaningful impact across policy, practice, and population health….”

The 2026 APA Psychologists in Politics Events:  For those interested in the public policy/ political process, this engaging virtual initiative, hosted by the Psychology PAC, spotlights colleagues who have made their mark in public service.  The first of the 2026 series highlighted Representative Judy Chu (CA-28), who is currently the only psychologist serving in Congress.  A graduate of CSPP (now Alliant University, as attested by attendee and fellow graduate Elaine Rodino), she is the first Chinese American woman ever elected to Congress and serves as a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is extremely important for a wide range of health care issues.  She chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American caucus advocating for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community across our nation.  Representative Chu is a long-time champion of psychology and has been recognized by APA and APA Services for her leadership.

Moderated by Stephen Gillaspy and CEO Arthur Evans, our colleague made it very clear that those concerned about the availability of quality mental health care for our nation should personally get involved and make their voice and underlying values heard (including addressing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)  – especially during this Administration.  An excellent first step would be to actively join an organization representing one’s views and collaborating with colleagues who are equally concerned.  She described a number of her successful legislative efforts, including those generating bipartisan and bicameral support.  In response to Arthur’s question, she concurred that her foundational psychology training was extremely relevant to the public policy process, especially learning how to really “be with and hear” what her constituents were saying, i.e., possessing emotional intelligence.

Graduate Psychology Education:  During its deliberations on the Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations legislation for the Department of Health and Human Services, the House Appropriations Committee again recommended $25 million for the Graduate Psychology Education program.  “The interprofessional Graduate Psychology Education program increases the number of health service psychologists trained to provide integrated services to high-need, underserved populations in rural and urban communities.  The Committee notes data from CDC demonstrating a rise in mental health issues for youth and adolescents and urges HRSA to strengthen investments in the training of health service psychologists to help address this population.”  This visionary initiative was the brainchild of former acting APA CEO and health psychologist Cynthia Belar and remains a very high legislative priority for APA.

Digital Tools For Youth Mental Health:  In June, the APA joined with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Children’s Hospital Association, and the Department of Health and Human Services as sponsors to the NASEM Forum for Children’s Well-Being Leadership Summit Defining Quality Together: Youth, Parent & Practitioner Perspectives on Digital Mental Health Tools.  The workshop (with APA’s Vaile Wright actively participating) examined how to collaboratively develop quality measurement standards, assess the safety and efficacy of these tools, apply clinical and ethical considerations essential to responsible deployment, create sustainable financing models, and address implementation challenges.  Building on an initial November 2025 workshop focused on youth mental health, the participants dove more deeply into defining quality measurement and clinical standards for digital tools aimed at youth mental health, explored how digital mental health interventions can be developed through authentic youth and family partnership, and sought to establish rigorous quality standards and appropriate clinical safeguards.

The first workshop examined frameworks for youth co-creation of digital tools for youth mental health; quality measurement approaches that balance speed with rigor; methods for incorporating lived experience into design, evaluation, and validation; and the clinical and ethical considerations essential to responsible deployment.  How should one measure quality outcomes across the continuum of digital interventions and the safety and efficacy of these tools, from self-help tools to therapy extenders to virtual care platforms that meet the needs of various interested parties including youth, families, clinicians, child and adolescent mental health specialists, funders, and health systems?  What is the current evidence base for digital mental health interventions in youth populations, the ethical considerations of deploying tools with limited validation data, and the role of clinical oversight in ensuring safety and effectiveness?  A future workshop will focus on scaling what works, examining sustainable financing mechanisms (e.g., reimbursement innovations, and system-level strategies) as well as the mechanics of scaling up effective digital mental health tools.  The behavioral/ mental health world is clearly rapidly changing.  We would ask: Will interested and concerned visionary clinicians, scientists, and educators become personally involved in a timely fashion?

Slow But Steady Progress Towards Licensure Mobility:  Alex Siegel, Director of Professional Affairs, ASPPB:  “Just to let you know that I have been proven wrong about New York.  When asked, I always said I do not believe NY would adopt PSYPACT.  Well, PSYPACT is on the NY Governor’s desk to be signed into law.  In talking to folks from NY, even though there is opposition, they believe the Governor will sign the bill.  The only other profession in NY to be part of a compact is nursing.  Recently bills also passed the legislature in Iowa and Louisiana.  When these three become law, this will bring the total to 46 jurisdictions.  I guess I need to quit talking or retire.  We are now down to the Sleepy Six: California, Oregon, Guam, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”  “Makin’ the same mistakes, we swear we’ll never make again” (Jerry Jeff Walker. Pissin’ in the Wind).  Aloha,

Pat DeLeon, former APA President — Division 29 — July, 2026