Message from Robert M. Blumm....

Hi PA Forum Members:

Because of financial constraints the ACC has been careful to be good stewards of your money. Unlike many organizations, we cannot afford to send our board to three meetings per year therefore we have a board Teleconference every 6-8 weeks. The BOD remains active on many fronts discerning how a national Advocacy organization can best serve two professions that seriously care about their patients and their mission. We cannot nor ever will try to provide services of our national organizations that represent PA's and NP's. Our mission is different----we advocate for both groups and build bridges so that both Clinicians can walk across and help each o ther.
Recently , we thought how most of the activity of professional associations is to market, build strategic alliances, find membership perks, provide journals and CME meetings. these are al important and are some of the reasons that we choose to join. They represent us in Washington, present gifts to the underserved, etc. We have decided that our common mission is to help patients and we have seen a group of patients that have been victimized by their insurance carriers and they need our support. These individuals are the one in eight. They are the frightened , unfortunate women who have awakened to the fact that their lives are in peril as a mass has grown in their breast. Some of these pa tients are in their twenties, some like my wife were in their thirties when this occurred, many more are in their forties, fifties and above. We have read articles concerning the new gold standard for those who have risk factors and a familial history. This standard is MRI of the breast. Although a very neccessary modality in the discovery of a malignancy , the insurance companies discourage patients from having this test my not reimbursing for it. It's time that this changed. We in the ACC are taking this as our mission this year and we wish stand side by side with these unfortunate patients who deserve the best care available, not affordable.

I am going to ask that if you are not a member of our organization that you please consider joining us. We need your advice, your support and your passion for helping the sick in our society. Please look us up at WWW.AMCollege.org and fill out an application. Help us to help our patients.
Warmly,
Bob Blumm

Robert M. Blumm, MA, PA-C
President
American College of Clinicians
"The fearless are merely fearless. People who act in spite of their fear are
truly brave."

- James A. LaFond-Lewis, November 11, 1999