Puente's video statement
Biography
I was born in Cuba and earned degrees from the University of Florida (BA) and the University of Georgia (MS, PhD). I was a clinical psychologist at a teaching psychiatric hospital and a professor of neuroanatomy at a medical school before becoming a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I am a visiting professor at the Universidad de Granada in Spain and the University of California, Los Angeles. Since 1982, I've maintained a private practice in clinical neuropsychology. In 2002, I founded and now co-direct (with a PharmD) Cape Fear Clinic, a bilingual mental health clinic for the poor and uninsured in our region.
I have authored and edited eight books, 78 book chapters and 102 journal articles in English, Spanish and Russian. My research focus has largely been on the interface between culture and clinical neuropsychology. I founded and edited Neuropsychology Review, the Journal of Interprofessional Healthcare and a 33-book series in clinical neuropsychology. I have lectured in over a dozen countries and supervised fellows or visiting scientists from Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Spain. I have taught over 7,500 undergraduate students, supervised 30 graduate students and six postdoctoral fellows.
I am past president of the North Carolina Psychological Association, the North Carolina Psychological Foundation, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, Div. 40 (Society for Clinical Neuropsychology) and the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society. I served two terms as a council representative for Div. 40. My other leadership positions include chair of the Psychology Academy of the National Academies of Practice and of several APA Boards and Committees, ranging from the Board of Convention Affairs to the Committee for Psychological Tests and Assessments. I have served on several others, including the Policy and Planning Board. I recently served on the Joint Committee for Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Between 1993 and 2008, I was APA's representative to the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology panel and was then elected to the Editorial Panel of the CPT as a voting member. I also was on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid's Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee.
I have received several awards, including: Fulbright Scholar Award (1983, Argentina); University of North Carolina Wilmington's Distinguished Faculty Scholarship Award (2009); North Carolina Psychological Association's Lifetime Achievement Award (2008); APA's Karl Heiser Award (996); Presidential Award (2006); State Leadership Award (2009); and Distinguished Professional Contributions to Independent Practice award (2011).
My wife, Linda, and I have three children. Krista is a clinical psychologist at a psychiatric hospital in Florida. Antonio Nicolas is a clinical psychology PhD student at the University of Georgia and completing his internship at Duke. Lucas is a PhD student in political economics at Stanford.
I have vigorously served psychology as an advocate and leader, the public in my clinical practice, the scientific community in the United States and abroad, and generations of students as a professor of psychology. I understand, live and have led in all aspects of our diverse psychological community.
Puente's candidate statement
I am sick and tired of being considered a "second-class" citizen. When I emigrated from Cuba at age 8, I first understood what it meant to be second-class. I did not know English or American culture. Now that I have learned English and am a psychologist, I still find myself, like psychology, being perceived incorrectly. I have grown impatient with this situation and I am not going to take it anymore. Neither should psychology.
Many years ago I was faced with two options: Accept the status quo or do something about it. For the last 25 years, I have devoted myself to eradicating this unfortunate situation. As an example, as president of the North Carolina Psychological Association, I worked to change the restricted system of payment for psychological services. When the American Medical Association's CPT Panel opened up the process for establishing coding and payment policy in 1992, APA appointed me as our representative to the advisory panel. After 15 years of fighting in the trenches for psychology, I was elected to the 17-member voting CPT panel. This means that I now have the same vote as Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Hospital Association of America in helping shape America's health-care system. Change is occurring from the top down.
I believe in the ability to change systems and a dream of placing psychology in its rightful place — a leader. In this time of significant health-care change, psychology is in the best position to lead. Interprofessional integration and increased effectiveness in health care can be best achieved by emphasizing behavior, vigorous advocacy and visionary leadership. In this manner, all of psychology can be integrated and unified to show the world our true value and potential. It's time for psychology. Let us make this dream come true, together.