Behavioral health is a major public health issue in the District of Columbia. Sadly, many of the legislative and regulatory initiatives around behavioral health are tied to other public health concerns, such as opioid addiction, maternal mortality, and health equity.

In partnership with the Washington Psychiatric Society, AMA, and American Psychiatric Association (APA), MSDC works to ensure that patients receive appropriate support for behavioral health issues, that the practice of psychiatry is supported in the District, and that psychiatrists are available to patients in the District.

MSDC was a proud supporter of the Behavioral Health Parity Act of 2017, which enshrined into law that all health plans offered by an insurance carrier meet federal requirements of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

MSDC Statements and Testimony of Behavioral Health Issues

25th Council period information coming soon

MSDC Board of Directors Discusses Equitable Pay in Medicine, Unconscious Bias

Feb 23, 2021, 08:02 AM by MSDC Staff

The Board reviewed recommendations and reports on key initiatives including health equity in the medical profession.

The MSDC Board of Directors held wide-ranging discussing on major equity issues in medicine at its first Board meeting of 2021.

The Board welcomed new member Matthew Lecuyer, MD, an emergency pediatric medicine physician at Children's National Hospital. Dr. Lecuyer is an alternate delegate for the MSDC American Medical Association delegation and join EW Emanuel, MD as one of MSDC's two new alternates.

Board meeting 2.22.21 The Board heard a presentation by the American Medical Women's Association on "Addressing Gender Based Pay Disparities in the Medical Community". DC native Medha Reddy, a first year medical student and AMWA volunteer, discussed how MSDC could be involved in the movement for equitable pay in the medical community. The Board engaged in the discussion and asked Ms. Reddy to work with the Women in Medicine Section to plan next steps and recommendations on this ask.

The Board also heard updates on two of its major initiatives. Unconscious Bias in DC Medicine Task Force Chair Dr. Lecuyer shared the executive summary of the Task Force's paper and walked through high-level analysis of their data [n.b. receive a summary at the March 10 webinar on the task force's work]. Dr. Emanuel also shared analysis of the Membership Task Force's survey data and implications for a potential new membership model.

The Board also took the following actions, among others:

Renamed the PLAN Committee as the Advocacy Committee
Adopted the Investment Policy Statement for 2021
Approved the Awards Committee's recommendation for 2020 MSDC award winners
Approved the creation of an Industry Committee

The next MSDC Board meeting is April 19, 2021.

Sample of Legislation MSDC is Tracking in Behavioral Health

(see the whole list of bills here)

Suicide Prevention Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2019 (B23-543)

What does it do? The bill requires licensed health providers to complete 2 hours of CME on suicide prevention, assessment, and screening.

MSDC position: MSDC opposes the bill as written as the language does not encourage physician wellbeing or sufficient awareness of suicide prevention.

Current status: The bill had a hearing with the Committee on Health on June 10.