ACCP/SCP History
(The early days, as related by the late Joseph E. Paris, MD, Past President)By Joseph E. Paris, MD
As one of the old-timers, I am frequently asked by newer members what it was it like when we began. With the SCP now counting 14 years of growth, this is a good time to tell the story for the younger generation. The SCP began as a dream of Armond Start, a visionary correctional physician who passed away unexpectedly in 2000. Armond had been the Medical Director of the Oklahoma DOC, a post that he also held later on in the Texas and the Wisconsin DOC. To prepare this review, I had the privilege of looking at a summary of SCP events Armond Start wrote in 1997.
The Beginning
I was present at that meeting, but I do not recall all the other participants. I know that that Armond Start, Ron Shansky, Steve Spencer, Joe Goldenson, Arthur Raines, Donald Potts and I were there. I apologize for not remembering all the charter members. With only a few members, incipient bylaws, no business site, and very little cash, the startup was rough. To get us going, Armond chipped in $1,000.00 of his own money. I think we eventually returned the seed money to him but I am not sure.
By March 12, 1993, at another national meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, the SCP had 81 dues-paying members. About half of these attended. A mail-in ballot was circulated on April 1, 1993 for the approval of the bylaws and constitution Armond had drafted and the election of the first slate of officers. Ron Shansky was elected first president. Arthur Raines was secretary, Armond Start was treasurer, and there was an editorial board consisting of Joe Goldenson, James Hipkens, and Donald Potts. By the next meeting, September 20, 1993, in Orlando, Florida, the SCP was well underway and offered both an educational program and a business meeting. During the formative years, some of the biggest challenges were instituting processes and government structures such as committees able to propel the Society forward. So much depended and still depends on the President and the Board. Where there was strong leadership, the Society made great leaps forward. At other times, it just maintained the status quo. This is why committees and member involvement are so important.
Evolution of the SCP
Managing the SCP
SCP Newsletters, Web site
The first issue of the Desmoteric News was distributed in the summer of 1994. It carried a President’s message by Ron Shansky and a couple of articles of interest to correctional doctors. Ron’s message included his pleasure in noting that “there were 175 members”, (this number may have been optimistic). He emphasized the correctional physician’s professional responsibility in ensuring delivery of quality health care to inmates. He noted that well run correctional health care services were distinguished by a clearly delineated health care authority and, preferably, a physician in charge. He said: “With member support, SCP promises to develop a strong voice in order that our opinions will be heard and our positions will be respected”. The second issue carried articles by Ron Shansky, Fred King, Terrence Flannery, Dianne Rechtine, and Armond Start. The newsletter name changed again to the more euphonic CorrDocs in the spring of 2002, with Volume 6, Issue 2. Three to four issues a year have been published since the beginning, edited by in succession by Joseph Paris, Dean Rieger, Michael Puisis, and Lynn Sander. In 2005 an SCP website evolved and was refined in 2006 and redesigned in 2012.
ACCP presidents
- Ronald M. Shansky – 1993-1995
- Peter Lamelas – 1995-1997
- Roderic Gottula – 1997-1999 (Jim Hipkens was elected president for this period, but never assumed the position. Rod Gottula, who had lost the election by just one vote, was appointed by the Board to fill his seat.)
- Joseph E. Paris – 1999-2001
- Anne C. Spaulding – 2001-2003
- Steven R. Shelton – 2003-2005
- Lynn F. Sander – 2005-2007
- Michelle Staples-Horne – 2007-2009
- Donald Kern – 2009-2011
- Michael Puerini – 2011 – 2013
- Rebecca Lubelczyk – 2013-2015
- Todd Wilcox – 2015-2017
- Keith Ivens - 2017-2019
- Juan (Rudy) Nunez - 2019-2021
Armond Start Award
Future challenges
The ACCP Today
The Society of Correctional Physicians (SCP) has now become the American College of Correctional Physician (ACCP), an identity that we believe better reflects our organization’s mission of promoting professional excellence as well as our vision to pursue and establish the highest ideals and ethical standards in the provision of health services to those who are incarcerated and advance research, education, and training in correctional medicine by academia and government.
Our new identity was formalized at the Annual Educational Conference, October 18, 2015 in Dallas, Tx.
By adopting this new identity, we envision that the ACCP will be perceived as the strong physician organization that supports and provides leadership to our colleagues struggling with the internal and external challenges facing correctional medicine. The ACCP will continue to advocate for our patients and become a nationally recognized voice to speak to non-correctional professional physician organizations.