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Kavita Fischer, MD, DFAPA
PaPS President
| | Reframing “Gambling Awareness Month”: Mitigation of gambling harm and our role as psychiatrists in Pennsylvania | March is Gambling Awareness Month, yet a focus on “individual responsibility” dangerously obscures the true drivers of harm. In response to the accelerating crisis, the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society has joined with the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine to issue a Position Statement on Mitigating Gambling Harm in Pennsylvania. The message is clear and urgent: gambling-related harms are predictable, preventable, and demand immediate, evidence-based action. We have seen this pattern before—with tobacco and opioids—and we know the cost of delay. As gambling expansion accelerates and losses to Pennsylvanians mount at the highest levels nationally, inaction is no longer acceptable. Read more to see how psychiatrists can help shape legislation that prioritizes health over profit and prevention over regret…. | | Hope Selarnick, MD, DLFAPA | | I am excited to introduce a new and exciting feature for our March 2026 edition! Welcome RFM Dr. Chandra B. Rai who is serving as our Guest Editor!! As a PGY4 from Tower Health's Phoenixville Hospital, Dr. Rai brings a fresh perspective to our team. Many thanks Dr. Rai for your stellar work!! | | | | A Suprise Addition to our March Edition | I am deeply honored and excited to serve as the Guest Editor for this March edition of our newsletter. This month, our contributors challenge us to look past traditional labels and encourage us to rethink how we support our patients. | | |
Kavita Fischer, MD, DFAPA
President
Mark Matta, DO, DFAPA
President Elect
Indranil Chakrabarti, MD, DFAPA
Vice President
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Aileen Oandasan, MD, FAPA
Treasurer
Christine Marchionni, MD, DFAPA
Secretary
Irakli Mania, MD, DFAPA
Immediate Past President
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2025-2026 District Executive Council members with their abbreviated bios are listed here.
Click here for the full PaPS Council member listing.
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Mark Your Calendars and Join Your Colleagues, Friends, & Peers at PaPS’ Statewide Conference
October 9-11, 2026 at Kalahari Resort & Conference Center.
Bring the Family and Enjoy All Kalahari has to offer.
Overnight accommodations include resort fees, and 4 passes to Kalahari’s Waterpark (a $200 value).
Registration Opens June 2026. To Learn More About Kalahari, Scan the QR Code
| | | May 28, 2026
Graduation Extravaganza at the Steel Club
400 Winding Creek Boulevard, Mechanicburg, PA | | Event Registration to Open Soon | | April 11, 2026
Psychosis Case Conference
New this year! Speaker and panelists
Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia Rockland | | | April 18, 2026
Women’s Brunch at The Inn at Swarthmore | | | Kenneth Certa, MD, DLFAPA | | Protecting our patients!! | Maintaining safe prescribing, highlighting potential harm from Chatbots, ensuring a safe process for mental health screening in schools and attention to the Governor's proposed budget are priorities for psychiatrists across our commonwealth. Make sure your voices are heard- contact your senators regarding the proposed legislation for psychologist prescribing! | | Robert Wilson, MD, DLFAPA | | Hear about getting involved from a former PaPS President! | From testing the waters during his residency to diving in, Dr Wilson reflects on what inspired his journey through organized psychiatry – how taking the plunge gave him a true appreciation of how a dedicated group of people can positively influence the practice of psychiatry. | | | | Hear from our current PaPS RFM Rep on finding a place in organized psychiatry! | From COVID connections to ongoing relationships, Dr. Kathe describes his evolving journey through organized medicine from residency training to ensuring that trainee voices are heard in Pennsylvania and across our country. | | President-Elect Dr. Mark Matta attended the Nevada Psychiatric Association's (NPA) 2026 Psychopharmacology Conference in Las Vegas. Pictured below are: Dr. Matta far right, Dr. Barry Cole, NPA President and Dr. Theresa Miskimen-Rivera, APA President. | | | | YES, you can have a great career in Psychotherapy! | Dr. Brenner draws from four decades of experience and discusses that a career dedicated to psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy is not only viable as solo private practice but also remains deeply relevant in today's time. | | Heather John, MD, PhD, FAPA | | Philly touts Superbowl year for the Chapter! | From quality education to career opportunities and networking, the Philadelphia Chapter of PaPS is having a winning year. Don’t miss this line up. | |
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The 28th Colloquium of Scholars was held 2.28.26 on Drexel’s campus
It featured a fantastic lineup of speakers including current and past APA presidents! Our PaPS president, Dr. Fischer, was also in attendance. Mind Games, our premier resident event, was successfully resurrected by Drs. Neimark and Du! Shout to the 6 competing programs and to UPenn the winner of the competition!
Congrats to Dr. John, current PaPS Philadelphia Chapter president, Dr. Gogineni, Education Committee Chair, and to NWG Regional Director, Roy Harker!
Click here to view photos from the PaPS Philadelphia Chapter - Annual Colloquium of Scholars on February 28th, 2026.
| | | | Patients ARE working hard…relapse does not equal failure! | Recovery from substance use disorders is seldom a straight line. Dr. Neff explains the importance of supporting patients on their often winding recovery paths as vital to the therapeutic process. | | | | |
May 16-20, 2026
APA returns to San Francisco for the 2026 Annual Meeting for 4.5 days of in-person learning, networking, and profession-moving engagement.
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We’re pleased to share a few PRMS updates designed to support you and your members in the important work you do every day.
2025 Q4 PRMS Case of the Quarter
Click here to find PRMS’ latest “Case of the Quarter” column, a sample case study highlighting best practices in actual scenarios encountered through PRMS’ extensive experience in litigation and claims management. This newest resource covers the topic of knowing if your malpractice policy includes Privacy Crisis Expense coverage. Current and past cases can also be found on our website here.
PRMS Welcomes a New Team Member
We are delighted to introduce the newest addition to the PRMS marketing team, Courtney Brooke Smith, MBA, Director of Marketing. Courtney is a marketing leader with extensive experience in diverse industries, including financial services and healthcare. During her career, Courtney has led transformations delivering measurable results through innovative brand strategies, creative storytelling, and data-driven marketing. At PRMS, Courtney is leading the marketing team in partnerships, advertising, exhibiting, and digital communications. Please join us in welcoming Courtney to PRMS.
As always, we thank you for all your hard work to support your members and the behavioral mental healthcare community!
Warmly,
Julia Bajereanu | Senior Client and Partner Relations Manager
Professional Risk Management Services (PRMS)
4300 Wilson Boulevard | Suite 700 | Arlington, VA 22203
Cell: (412) 660-2092
Toll Free: (800) 245-3333
PRMS.com
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Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society
574E Richie Highway, #271, Severna Park, MD 21146
Phone: 800-422-2900 | Fax: 410-544- 4640
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