Coronavirus COVID 19 Resources 

Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association is trying to be a source of resources to the psychiatrist of Hawaii when dealing with the novel coronavirus COVID-19.  HPMA is working with the Hawaii Medical Association, Hawaii Department of Health and American Psychiatric Association to provide you with updated information. 

What You Should Know About COVID-19

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, so the best way for patients to prevent illness is to avoid exposure.  The CDC recommends every day preventive actions:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then thew the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment

Click here to download handbook.

Stay Up To Date

Guidance is rapidly changing as new evidence arises.  Please ensure you check the CDC website for the most up to date information.

To provide support in the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), APA is collecting authoritative and timely resources in this information hub.

If you are a patient or family member or friend in need of immediate assistance:

• Disaster Distress Helpline Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255 for Chat with Lifeline
• Crisis Textline Text TALK to 741741

Webinars

• Telepsychiatry in the Era of COVID-19
• Managing the Mental Health Effects of COVID-19

Practice Guidance for COVID-19

APA Urges CMS to Waive Telepsychiatry Video Requirements

COVID-19 May Bring Long-Term Changes to Medical Student Education

Click here for additional information and resources from APA.

• Relief for Clinicians, Providers, Hospitals and Facilities Participating in Quality Reporting Programs in Response to COVID-19
• COVID-19 Provider Enrollment Relief FAQs
• Partner Toolkit

The AMA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are closely monitoring the outbreak of COVD-19 (2019 novel coronavirus)

• COVID-19 (2019 novel Coronavirus) resource center for physicians
• Physician's Resources Guide to COVID-19
• COVID-19 FAQ
• CDC COVID-19 Situation Summary

The Hawaii Medical Association is working closely with the Hawaii Department of Health and relevant partners within the state to ensure that the physicians community of Hawaii is well informed and have the resources necessary to provide quality care to patients during the developing COVID-19 outbreak.  HMA and Hawaii DOH will continue to keep the physician community, as well as Hawaii communities educated and informed on efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

• Coronoavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Additional Resources

• COVID Coach is a free app you can get on the app store.  It is a good resource for medical and psychiatric staff. It was developed by a team at the VA in SF.  Check it out here.

• A Systematic, Thematic Review of Social and Occupational Factors Associated with Psychological Outcomes in Healthcare Employees During and Infectious Disease Outbreak

• The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence
• Briefing note on addressing mental health and psychosocial aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak-Version 1.0
• CSTS-Psychological First Aid: How You Can Support Well-Being in Disaster Victims
• COVID Protocols

2015 President's Message

 

February 9, 2015


Dear fellow HPMA members:

Greetings from Honolulu! I hope all of you are doing well in 2015. Many of you had recently attended, in person or remotely, Dr. Larry Faulkner’s talk on maintenance of certification (MOC) in psychiatry. As president of ABPN and guest of HPMA, Dr. Faulkner gave a very informative talk, and his MOC presentation can also be viewed at http://www.abpn.com/webinars.html

I now want to take this opportunity to provide a few important updates for all members.
 

First, we have been working on some much needed structural changes at HPMA, involving taking advantage of web access to enhance member communication. We have greatly expanded the HPMA website (http://www.hawaiipsychiatry.org), where members can access information on our monthly meetings, special announcements, and materials pertinent to our various educational events. The log-in information should be the same as your APA membership login.

In addition, starting with the February meeting, I am very excited to say that we will have capacity for remote access and participation by members not able to attend in person, such as those not on Oahu. I am aware that this has been a lingering concern by many members, and I want to thank Dr. Alex Serghi in particular for navigating through all the technological challenges to make this possible. There will be instructions on the monthly meeting announcement on how you can join the meeting, together with a contact phone number if you encounter problems. We realize this very much is still a work in progress, with possible glitches, so please be patient and give us your  feedback. I do look forward to hearing from more of you at our meetings from now on.

Second, there are legislative actions in Hawaii that are likely to have long-lasting impacts on our practice of psychiatry. The most important issue deals with psychologists asking to have prescriptive authority, in a manner that some of our members referred to as a “crash course” with many safety concerns. Our HPMA legislative representatives, Dr. Michael Champion and Dr. Jeff Akaka, are closely following this development. We are also discussing to what extent HPMA can help to shape the outcome of these legislative initiatives, in as much a manner consistent with the overall view of our members. We will devote a substantial amount of time at our February meeting on this, and, if you are not able to make it, please let our legislative representatives know your views and how you may be able to assist.
 

Lastly, we have continued to expand the tradition of our “Hot Topics” talks, inviting special guests to our monthly meeting to talk about pertinent issues in an informal, collegial, and interactive manner. Some recent topics have ranged from latest clinical advances to meeting challenges in the ongoing healthcare reform. For our membership at large, we will continue to have special educational talks (DSMV in 2014, MOC in 2015), with the next one scheduled in March of 2015 on pharmacogenomics in psychiatry. I hope you can join us as well as suggesting any future topics or special guests. Again, we are planning to have live remote access for all of these events.
 

Thank you again for your continued support and membership. The HPMA officers and I hope to be able to meet more of you in person, to hear your views and suggestions on how HPMA can further serve the interests of its members. We will be present to host a members event in Maui in February, with plans to have similar events on other islands. You will be receiving an invitation from the HPMA representative for each island, once we have determined a date. There will also be opportunities for HPMA officer positions for the 2015-16 year, and, if you are interested in becoming a nominee for this worthy, all-volunteer effort, please contact Dr. Celia Ona, who heads the nomination team, or let me know.
 

You should soon be receiving our February meeting agenda, which contains many of the items I have alluded to in this letter.

Sincerely and with warmest Aloha,

Brett Y. Lu MD/PhD
President of HPMA, 2014-15
[email protected]
cell: 808-285-9271