Introducing Senator Daniel Akaka
to Jeremy Lazarus, MD

"Working with Dr. Akaka for over 2 decades, both in the APA Assembly, and in the AMA (and training with him for Triathalons), through his superb political instincts and skill, Dr. Akaka played a huge role in elevating the stature of the APA in the AMA and enlisting them, his Uncle U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka and others to get Parity for our patients. Vote Akaka for APA Secretary!"

The Hon. Congressman and later
Governor Neil Abercrombie

"I had the pleasure of working with Jeff on a number of projects over the years. He is a master of bringing people together to solve problems, whether getting rid of discrimination against people with psychiatric illness, keeping them safe, or preventing burnout among you by bringing you to Hawaii for respite and restoration. You couldn't ask for a better Secretary to represent you and your organization, the American Psychiatric Association, than my good friend Jeff Akaka."

"Jeff was the Recorder of our Assembly during my tenure as Secretary-Treasurer—an important time in APA's redeveloping fiscal stability as well as strengthening our advocacy efforts. Even more important, Jeff was Speaker during my APA presidency, and we worked closely and seamlessly for the three years of our joint tenure, from the “elect” year through the “past” year, and after that together as members of APA's delegation to the AMA for an additional decade.
 
He never missed a meeting, does his homework, was always prepared and has continued his strong advocacy in government affairs, his leadership in our PAC, and his effective mentorship of residents and ECPs, never losing sight of our goals. He is thoughtful, focused, energetic, effective, and a strong team player. One of those “men of conscience”, Jeff attended the Women's Caucus meetings of the Assembly for decades, became a formal member of it when bylaws changed to allow it, and supported both of his daughters going to Wellesley College for Women in Boston, my alma mater, after he discovered that while 3% of women college graduates become CEOs, Wellesley graduates go on to become CEOs at 20%. Committed to our profession and our Association, he has spent decades advocating for our patients as well as our members. He always displays the highest ethical standards.
Vote Jeff Akaka for APA Secretary 2019"

"I've known Jeff for over 20 years, from when he testified in Congress for better mental health care for First Peoples (Native Americans), to when we worked together on the APA Board planning the purchase of our new building. He is a man of extraordinary dedication to our organization, profession and patients."

"I have known Jeff to be a steadfast advocate working tirelessly to improve the lives of individuals with mental illness and to promote the profession of psychiatry. He has been generous with his time and expertise, serving as educator and mentor for colleagues at every stage of professional development. He has demonstrated his commitment to the mission of the APA through service and leadership for more than two decades. Please join me in voting for Dr. Jeff Akaka for Secretary of the American Psychiatric Association."

"I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing and working with Dr. Akaka for many years, in his administrative work in the Assembly (Recorder, Speaker-Elect, Speaker and Parliamentarian), on the Board of Trustees, on APA Committees, and as a valued colleague. He has tirelessly worked for good causes, mentoring others, and ceaselessly bringing good cheer when he is not running marathons and Iron Man competitions. There is little in the APA that he has not been intimately involved with, and I believe he will be the most valuable asset if elected to serve as APA Secretary."

"Jeff is a faithful friend to our New Jersey District Branch and greatly helped us in our advocacy efforts. When Jeff was Speaker of the Assembly and flew in at my invitation, I had the pleasure of introducing him to members of the New Jersey Assembly and Senate during our annual Trenton Advocacy Day as we were fighting for Parity.

Each legislator asked, 'Akaka! You wouldn't be related to Senator Akaka from Hawaii?' Jeff answered, 'He's my uncle.' This did the trick. We went from polite interest to difficulty peeling ourselves away from the engaging conversations that included not only parity and other bills on the NJPA advocacy agenda but also the legislators' personal agendas. On parting to meet our next legislator, we heard, 'Say hello to your Uncle for me.'

What’s the moral of this story? Relationships and 'Being in the room' are essential. Jeff has a track record of being there and engaging others on the local, state and national levels to advance agendas that have benefited our members, our profession, our patients and our society.

Whenever I have called upon him for help and/or advice, he has wholeheartedly been there for me.  His being Senator Akaka's nephew and coming all the way from Hawaii to help our District Branch on Trenton Advocacy Day, is only one example. Vote Akaka for APA Secretary!"

"I have known and worked with Jeff for many years, first meeting in Washington, D.C., during our work on Capitol Hill for APA advocating for those with mental illness, (back then I too was one of those people who experienced this ambassador of Aloha whose first handshake left me with a palmful of chocolate-covered macademia nuts!) He works around the clock to stand up for others and give a voice to those who are challenged to find theirs due to struggles with mental illness... all of this behind the scenes with humility, spending countless hours and burning many late-night candles, preoccupied with how best to serve—not for the recognition or to shine light on himself [but] because he believes it is the right thing to do."

"I am a psychiatry resident at UCLA, an APA/APAF Leadership Fellow and the resident member of the APA's Delegation to the AMA House of Delegates. I worked with Dr. Akaka as part of the APA's AMA delegation for the past 3 years. From our discussions and the resources he sent me I've learned so much from his leadership about of scope of practice and collaborative care, and how to really function effectively as an advocate in state and national legislatures. His mentoring, welcoming and inclusive nature, and support are something else! While in Hawaii for the last AMA meeting, Dr. Akaka introduced our entire psychiatric delegation to over a half dozen Hawaii Legislators at a rooftop reception he organized, (one of whom was just elected Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii), and he even took my resident colleagues and I on a tour of Honolulu and surrounding areas (and of course to the Hawaii State Capital!). Dr Akaka has clearly demonstrated his passion, effectiveness and leadership within the American Psychiatric Association. We would be fortunate to have him serve as the Secretary of the American Psychiatric Association.
Vote AKAKA for Secretary of the APA 2019!"

"Based on my interactions with him over several years, Dr. Akaka is a superb and highly qualified psychiatrist who has done so much for our field. I hope everyone will vote for him to be APA Secretary."

"Jeff has a proven track record of service, leadership, and advocacy within APA. He understands the issues facing our profession and those in our state district branches. His passion for psychiatry, boundless energy, and endless positivity are assets to our organization. Elect him as Secretary!"

"Dear friends and colleagues: I am writing to suggest to you that you consider voting in this year APA Elections for Jeffrey Akaka for the position of Secretary of the APA. I have know well Dr. Akaka for several decades, and has also collaborate with him in many APA related projects. I sincerely think that Dr. Akaka has the commitment and expertise to do an outstanding job on behalf of all the members of the APA. When I was President of APA during the period of 2006-2007, Dr. Akaka provided me with valuable recommendations and insights on several occasions on very important APA matters related to the APA membership at large. Please let me know if you were to need any additional information on behalf of Dr. Akaka. Thanks and best regards."

"Having worked with Jeff Akaka for many years on the APA Delegation to the AMA and prior to that on the APA Assembly, I am always impressed by his high energy level and his devotion to improving the interests of our profession. He is a leader who helps find solutions while respecting divergent perspectives. He will serve us well."

"Fellow APA Members and Colleagues, Jeffrey Akaka represents a rare breed of deeply connected and helpful people. His genuine personal connectedness has benefitted the APA for years, as it has benefitted me and the causes of Integrated Care in 2018. Parity is just one of many direct influences he has had through political relationships of respect. In fact, Jeffrey's governmental relations muscle has been instrumental in powering through strong head winds and influences that would have been destructive to our profession and clinical autonomy. Jeffrey's relational interests reached beyond Hawaii, influenced positively critical discussions in my home state of Texas several years back. We are grateful for his kind, steady-handed influence. More than 2 decades of energized, centered, and focused advocacy are displayed on Dr.Akaka's curriculum vitae. I have never been taken on a cultural, historical, and deeply personal tour of the Hawaiian culture as when I visited Jeffrey this Fall (2018) at a University of Hawaii Grand Rounds presentation. For those who know 'Aloha' at the deepest level, you likely get the picture! I without reservation endorse Jeffrey Akaka, MD, for APA Secretary."

"From serving with Dr. Akaka on the APA's Board of Trustees, I observed firsthand his dedication to the APA and the field of psychiatry, his attention to detail, his passion and knack for advocacy, and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of psychiatrist leaders. He is a warm, compassionate, and effective advocate, leader, and mentor who will serve us well as Secretary of the APA."

Dr. Akaka testifying for APA at AMA House of Delegates in Hawaii

"Jeff was a valued team player when I was Speaker of the Assembly, a wise contributor to solving thorny problems when he chaired the Committee of Minority and Underrepresented Representatives on the Assembly Executive Committee. I have more recently worked with him during American Medical Association House of Delegates meetings where he significantly raised the positive stature of psychiatry through his unique combination of superb political instincts and hawaiian hospitality - especially his "Akaka Handshake" of chocolate covered macadamia nuts! Everybody tries to find out where he is so that they can get one, and with this small, kind gesture of aloha, not only to voting delegates but to everybody - staff, housekeepers, everybody - he facilitated everyone getting their jobs done with more fun, and moving our psychiatric agenda forward. You couldn't make a better choice, nor a more fun one, than to vote Jeff Akaka for APA Secretary. I'm voting Akaka and I hope you do too!"

"I have known Jeff for over 20 years, he is an energetic advocate for his patients and our profession. His dedication to the APA will serve us all well; he has my wholehearted support."

"I have known and worked with Jeff for more than 20 years. I have worked closely with him in the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association (HPMA) on issues of patient advocacy and scope of practice in Hawaii. I have also seen how effective he was in the Assembly. Jeff is a tireless, passionate and effective advocate for the psychiatric profession and for psychiatric patients of all ages. I believe that he will bring the same passion and commitment to his work as Secretary of the APA. "

"Starting from when I was an Early Career Psychiatrist, Dr. Akaka consistently offered salient pearls of wisdom, not only in clinical psychiatry, nor in effective advocacy, but on occasion via traveling to Arizona to visit our district branch in person. He is a man who will go anywhere in the country, including Canada for that matter, to help where needed if asked. He cares, but does so effectively. I'm voting for Dr. Akaka and I hope you do too."

"Jeff has been serving APA membership for years and it is time we had our advocate in leadership."

"Having worked with Dr. Akaka as part of the AMA Section Council on Psychiatry, I was impressed with his ability to advocate for the profession within the AMA House of Delegates. In addition, he was always willing to mentor the younger psychiatrists who were interested in achieving more visibility and leadership status within the AMA, routinely introducing them to AMA leadership, and providing quiet guidance throughout. Perhaps most noteworthy, since 1998, each time the AMA met in Hawaii, Dr. Akaka organized remarkable receptions between the Psychiatric Caucus, AMA Board of Trustees, and elected government officials which included over the years dozens of state legislators, a Lieutenant Governor, two Governors, and a Congresswoman. Through these receptions, providing us a chance to meet and educate lawmakers, we were able to stop a lot of bad prescriptive authority law from being passed, as well as promote psychiatry and Collaborative Care to improve access responsibly. Dr. Akaka gets it done with fun! Do join me in electing Dr. Akaka as Secretary of the APA."

Jay Scully, and Jazlyn, Jeffrey,
Keola and Gayln Akaka at
AMA/Hawaii Legislature reception
Dr. Akaka organized

"Jeff Akaka has done more to defend our profession and keep our patients safe over the past several decades than ANYONE at APA. I know this personally. He has tirelessly worked to stop non-physicians from fooling state officials into thinking they have adequate training from their "drive by" pharma courses. Jeff is a highly respected leader and clinician at home in Hawaii but we need him in DC as well. Please vote for him."

"I have worked with Dr. Akaka annually for several years as he is a regular attendee at our fall CME conference in Ashland, Oregon. He is highly respected by our members as he is personable, professional and passionate about our profession. He provided invaluable help in our district branch in getting Oregon governor Brown to veto the unsafe prescribing bill last year, including sending us the language used in his own state's veto, a battle he led and won 10 years before. He is also a regular contributor in our branch meetings helping us establish organizational goals, informing us of important APA national news, and mentoring those of us in leadership in how to effectively advocate for our patients and our profession. Please join me in voting for Dr. Akaka for APA Secretary!"

"As a new resident at the University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine, Dr. Akaka fostered my entry and involvement in the APA, introduced me to APA leaders, put me on the path to my APA Fellowship. He also tutored me on how to testify, so that even as a resident, I personally presented Dr. Saul Levin's prepared testimony on behalf of our APA opposing a bad prescribing bill - and we won! Dr. Akaka fights for us, not only professionally but personally, like no one I've ever met. We need him. Please vote Jeffrey Akaka for APA Secretary!"

"I encourage you to consider Dr. Jeffrey Akaka for the position of Secretary of the APA. I trained with Jeff in the 1980's at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York City, and I know first hand of his energy and enthusiasm for our profession. Since then he has been active on the local level, in his home state of Hawaii, and nationally, on behalf of our patients and colleagues."

"For the two years I served as an RFM on the APA Board of Trustees, Dr. Akaka took every opportunity to mentor me whenever seated next to me, explaining to me the dynamics at play instantly as issues were debated and voted upon. Dr. Akaka also routinely debriefed myself and other RFMs and ECPs following board meetings, teaching us how to be more effective advocates, as well as providing financial as well as professional perspectives that have proved immensely valuable in our transitions from RFMs to ECPs. Helping others is in his DNA. Vote Akaka for APA Secretary 2019!"

"I have worked with Dr. Akaka for years. As I have personally witnessed, in many arenas, we have no better advocate for us than Dr. Jeffrey Akaka, nor anyone who gets it done better with fun! When you get your email ballot on January 2, 2019, vote AKAKA for APA Secretary!"

"I first met Dr. Akaka at an APAPAC event in San Francisco during the 2013 Annual Meeting. I was impressed with his strong passion for advocating on behalf of our profession and patients. Dr. Akaka has truly been one of the great leaders of the APA and is really a pioneer in championing safe prescribing issues in his home state of Hawaii. As I have had the opportunity to work more closely with him on the APAPAC board, I have admired his ability to be diplomatic while giving an impassioned advance of his viewpoint. Yet, even if a decision goes contrary to his championed viewpoint, he dutifully, professionally does all that he can to advance the body's agenda. With his unique skills and interpersonal style, as well as long, meritorious service to the profession in our APA, I think he will make an outstanding secretary for the organization.
I give my full endorsement to Dr. Jeffrey Akaka for APA Secretary."

"Please vote for Jeffrey Akaka, MD for Secretary of the APA. Jeff has worked hard to represent organized psychiatry in Hawaii, for Area 7 and in the Assembly where he was elected Speaker from 2007-08. He received the 2018 APA Distinguished Service Award for his active, effective involvement. Jeff is a Clinical Professor of psychiatry at the Burns Medical School in Hawaii and has often testified before the Hawaii state legislature. His late uncle was a US Senator from Hawaii whom I once met in Washington through Jeff's efforts, so politics is in his blood. You know he can go the distance. He completed the Hawaii Ironman Triathalon five times."

"I have known Jeff for nearly 20 years. Over that time, I have seen Jeff work tirelessly on the issues that matter to all psychiatrists such as EHR, Burnout, and scope of practice. Jeff has worked diligently to make sure that psychiatrists have a legislative voice that is effective and listened to- both at his state level and the national level. Jeff has been representing psychiatry nationally for almost 20 years and he would represent us well as secretary. He is on faculty at University of Hawaii and served as the medical director of the Diamond Head Community Mental Health Center in Honolulu for 13 years."

"On January 2, 2019, please join me in voting for Jeffrey Akaka, MD, DLFAPA for APA Secretary 2019. Dr. Akaka has an incredibly distinguished record of service to the APA. Following are some highlights:

• Constant Mentor of RFMs and ECPs not only as an Associate Clinical Professor and now Clinical Professor at the University of Hawaii, but for the 8 years he served on the APA Board of Trustees.
• As a Chinese/Hawaiian/Caucasian Psychiatrist, he served two terms as Chair of the Assembly Committee of Minority and Underrepresented Representatives from which he went on to become the first Hawaiian/Chinese/Caucasian to serve as Speaker of the Assembly of District Branches of the APA.
• Helped garner support from the AMA and Members of Congress leading to our getting the national Parity law passed and signed into law, within months of completing his term as APA Speaker.
• Succeeded in his 13-year quest to bring the APA Annual Meeting to Hawaii in 2011, a meeting so successful in satisfaction ratings that it will return in 2021!
• Awarded in 2011 the Distinguished Service Award by the AGLP for his work toward getting one of the first Civil Union bills in the nation passed in Hawaii.
• Stopped inappropriate prescribing legislation in Hawaii for over 25 years.
• Awarded in 2018 the APA Distinguished Service Award.
• Attended the women’s caucus meetings for decades and chaired the Assembly Nominating Committee that nominated 2 women for the office of Recorder – insuring that a woman would be the next Assembly Officer.
• For fun he pedaled his bicycle across Canada after college in Cleveland, completed 5 Hawaii Ironman Triathlons and on December 9, 2018 completed with both his daughters their first Marathon, the Honolulu Marathon.