Past President’s Message (2021-2022)

Dear Friends,

Dear IAPA members and friends,

It is my honor and pleasure to serve as President of our Indo-American Psychiatric Association (IAPA) for the term 2021-2023.

As you may know, IAPA was established in 1979 by six psychiatrists of Indian origin and has now grown to a membership of over one thousand. Today, psychiatrists of Indian origin comprise almost twenty percent of close to thirty thousand psychiatrists in the United States, and we continue to make remarkable contributions to the behavioral health field. It is my privilege to be part of such an outstanding group and to serve as President of IAPA.

With your ongoing support, I intend to continue working towards ensuring that IAPA’s mission and goals are maintained and accomplished. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected communities and individuals in unimaginable ways, and many chapters have become dormant. I will work to revitalize chapters, support the creation of new IAPA chapters, expand IAPA membership, and increase member involvement in the organization. I hope to initiate dialogue about disparities in behavioral health care and to raise awareness of the inequalities that many racial and ethnic groups face. Through our mentorship program, IAPA will strive to support our younger colleagues towards accomplishing their goals. As one of the largest affinity groups, IAPA will continue to maintain and strengthen our alliances with the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), and other professional groups.

With the help of our highly accomplished team of leaders and with the guidance of our Board of Trustees, I am confident that we can accomplish a great deal. I also look forward to hearing about any suggestions, concerns, and new ideas that can make our organization stronger and greater. It has been a long time since we have been able to meet in person, and I hope to see you all at our annual meeting in New Orleans in May 2022!

Sincerely,

Bhagi Sahasranaman, MD, DLFAPA, DFAACAP

President, IAPA

President, IAPA