Steve Koh, MD, MPH, MBA, DFAPA

Dear colleagues,

After spending more than 18 years as a member of the APA, it is with great sense of humility and honor to be considered for APA Board of Trustees, Treasurer position. My successes and evolution as a physician leader owe much to my time with the APA. I have learned more about what it means to be a professional and a standard bearer for psychiatry from my work within the APA than from anywhere else. I have truly found a professional home with the APA and it would be an honor to continue to serve.

From my time as the resident fellow membership chair to the Board, I am a physician leader in psychiatry today because of the APA. I have extensive experiences at the APA including the time spent on the Board, decade long service on the Assembly representing RFMs, ECPs and San Diego Psychiatric Society, serving on multiple Councils with notable work with Council on Advocacy and Government Relations and Quality Care, and multiple Board and President appointed work groups such as Social Determinants of Mental Health, Safe Prescribing, Investment, Audit and Finance committees. I have had the distinct honor of serving as the Annual Meeting Scientific Planning Committee Chair. Recently, I was appointed as the APA’s Advisor to the AMA RUC. I have been active within California and recently served as California State Association of Psychiatrists’ Government Relationship Committee Chair.

I have received my MD from UCSD and my MPH and MBA from The Johns Hopkins University. I have specific interest in the intersection between medicine, public/population health and medical business. Part of my role at UCSD is as a psychiatrist executive leader and I am responsible for our clinical compensation plan as well as our business strategic positioning in our region.

It is with this background that I believe I will be a productive Treasurer for the APA. As I reflect on where APA has been and where it needs to go, I believe that we need a Treasurer who will be an activist and an advocate to ensure our fiscal stability and strategic positioning. Healthcare environment is changing all around us. Our membership’s demographic, work setting, compensation and expectations are evolving at a rate that we have not seen. There is a public and political pressure to meet the high demands for mental health care. APA must be the active leader in this evolutionary process and be its compass. To achieve this, our financial standing must be strengthened and strategic investments must be made for our future state. We must become diversified in our financial positioning and make decisions to ensure future value to our younger colleagues. Treasurer cannot be a passive role but rather an activist and an advocate to push our organization forward.

Warmly and in appreciation,

 

_____________________________________

Steve Koh, MD, MPH, MBA, DFAPA