Psychiatric News November 1, 2002
Volume 37 Number 21
© 2002 American Psychiatric Association
p. 6
AMA Honors Sen. Domenici For Commitment to Better MH Care
Ken Hausman
The AMA awards one of the Senate’s most outspoken champions of better access to mental health care and improved research funding.
Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), one of Capitol Hill’s most forceful advocates for better mental health care, is being honored by the AMA for his contributions on behalf of patients with mental illness.
Domenici’s nomination for the prestigious Dr. Nathan Davis Awards was submitted by APA Medical Director Steven Mirin, M.D., and Marilyn Benoit, M.D., president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The Dr. Nathan Davis Awards for Outstanding Government Service are given annually by the AMA to acknowledge elected and career government officials whose contributions "have promoted the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health." The awards are given in three categories—U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, and Governor or Elected Statewide Official.
In nominating Domenici, Mirin pointed out that he "has worked vigorously for many years to end all forms of discrimination against the mentally ill. . . . His leadership has been critical in achieving significant increases for research funding for the National Institute of Mental Health and for funding to expand services to the homeless mentally ill."
Mirin also praised Domenici for his successful fight more than a decade ago against a proposal to deny people with mental illness the protections of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Most recently, Mirin noted, Domenici has been a leader, along with Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), in the effort to enact a law that would mandate health insurance parity for mental illnesses, including substance abuse. Domenici and Wellstone recently gained a crucial recruit to the parity cause when President George W. Bush announced that he is ready to sign a full mental health parity bill (Psychiatric News, May 17).
APA has honored Domenici on two occasions—in 1990 with its Jacob K. Javits Public Service Award and in 1997 with its Distinguished Service Award.
The AMA will present the Davis award to Domenici and the other winners at a Washington, D.C., banquet on February 11, 2003. 
Get information about faster international access.
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2002
American Psychiatric Association.
All rights reserved.
Home
| Search
| Current Issue
| Past Issues
| Subscribe
| All APPI Journals
| Help
| Contact Us
| 
