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What do you want PAFT to focus on in the next 3 years?


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* Public education campaigns about...

- What a PA is (masters' degree in medicine, collaboration, independent prescriptive authority)

- Why you should choose a PA as your next PCP.

- How seeing a PA in your specialist's office helps keep your costs low and improves access time.

- Why the medical model is superior to "the nursing model", 

 

* Pick a state with good practice laws, and...

- Push for a law that allows PAs to call themselves Physician Assistants, Physician Associates, or just PA's.

- Eliminate caps or prohibitions on clinic ownership

- Find a way for experienced PAs to have increased autonomy, with emphasis on physician collaboration as opposed to supervision or oversight.

 

Fix those, and I'll think up a few more for you.

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i second rev ronin 

* Public education campaigns about...

- What a PA is (masters' degree in medicine, collaboration, independent prescriptive authority)

- Why you should choose a PA as your next PCP.

- How seeing a PA in your specialist's office helps keep your costs low and improves access time.

- Why the medical model is superior to "the nursing model", 

 

Good stuff. Education campaign. 

 

Push not only AAPA and enhanced PA research 

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I do not want to see an ad saying why medical model is superior. That's a waste of money that anesthesiologist have proven doesn't work against CRNAs in multiple states that signed the opt out for supervision to bill Medicare, so I doubt it will work for us. I've seen the ads. They aren't very effective and they have 100x the money we do to make them.

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I do not want to see an ad saying why medical model is superior. That's a waste of money that anesthesiologist have proven doesn't work against CRNAs in multiple states that signed the opt out for supervision to bill Medicare, so I doubt it will work for us. I've seen the ads. They aren't very effective and they have 100x the money we do to make them.

Fair enough.  I'm actually looking for something that explains who we area without saying "Just like your NP"--something that compares us to MD/DO, not to APNs would be fine.

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pushing AAPA to 

 

1) get VNA reg's changed

2) ability to certify hospice and provide hospice

3) national guidelines on removal of barriers to practice at top of license that can be utilized by state chapters to  afford change at a state level

4) continue the great work!

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PA education is coming off the tracks and starting to cause problems.

 

#1:  Too many schools coming open, too fast.  Some areas are already overpopulated with PAs.

 

#2:  Too much focus on grades, and decreasing focus on pre-PA experience.  That's nice that you have a 4.0 GPA, but 6 months of wiping geriatric asses does not equate to real medical experience.  I just met a paramedic who works as a flight medic and she can't get into PA school with a 3.1 GPA.  This leads to too many 25 yo new grads who are unready to start practicing semi-autonomous medicine, so they are willing to take $45/hr jobs where they effectively operate as advanced scribes for busy specialists. 

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Hi all-

I'm the new President-Elect of PAFT. Over the next few years I will be working with the board of PAFT to pursue an agenda important to our members and potential members.

What would you like to see PAFT accomplish in the next 3 years and what long-term goals should we start working on?

Thanks

Congrats to you E.

 

* Public education campaigns about...

- What a PA is (masters' degree in medicine, collaboration, independent prescriptive authority)

- Why you should choose a PA as your next PCP.

- How seeing a PA in your specialist's office helps keep your costs low and improves access time.

- Why the medical model is superior to "the nursing model", 

 

 

The first 3 in a public education campaign is a no brainer.

The last is a shot across the bow that prolly is not needed.

I have NP colleagues and I have no agenda to make their practice seem inferior to ours. If so, that would be similar to physicians going after PAs. I think it falls on the negative side of the argument. Take the high road.

Better to follow the NP lead. They are pushing for autonomy and independent practice in order to expand primary care further and gain access. They have framed an argument that the lay public and decisionmakers will throw their weight behind. We should act similarly. Very hard to argue with when the ultimate goal is to properly provide health services to the public.

 

 

pushing AAPA to 

 

1) get VNA reg's changed

2) ability to certify hospice and provide hospice

3) national guidelines on removal of barriers to practice at top of license that can be utilized by state chapters to  afford change at a state level

4) continue the great work!

Removing practice barriers to include financial is key. Add to that prescriptive privileges and supervision requirements. 

This would include increasing reimbursement from medicaid and medicare to 100% as pointed out.

There. Is. No. Justification. For. 85%.

 

PA education is coming off the tracks and starting to cause problems.

 

#1:  Too many schools coming open, too fast.  Some areas are already overpopulated with PAs.

 

#2:  Too much focus on grades, and decreasing focus on pre-PA experience.  That's nice that you have a 4.0 GPA, but 6 months of wiping geriatric asses does not equate to real medical experience.  I just met a paramedic who works as a flight medic and she can't get into PA school with a 3.1 GPA.  This leads to too many 25 yo new grads who are unready to start practicing semi-autonomous medicine, so they are willing to take $45/hr jobs where they effectively operate as advanced scribes for busy specialists. 

I can understand the concern about this.

On the other hand, anecdotal experience may not translate to a nationwide pattern. But perceptions can be developed on less.

I dont think that there can be much done about starting programs. Even though the cost of education has exploded, there are many institutions that are financially struggling. They will look to these programs as a financial shot in the arm and also there is a certain prestige factor to hosting one. This will likely settle out over the long term, there have been expansions and contractions of PA training in the past. It will happen again.

There is also data that show students with a large helping of HCE dont necessarily do well in a program nor with practice after. They may be a great flight medic but that does not necessarily make them a great or even good PA. 

I think the overall concern should be the product that these institutions are producing. 

I think PAFT could weigh in on the education front with several thoughtful expectations that can be directed at programs and also the ARC-PA:

1. Improve academic salaries to compete with clinical pay.

2. Encourage lengthy clinical experience prior to academic involvement and employment. Academic faculty should have at least one clinical day per week.

3. Develop the clinical 'minor' during the 2nd year ie focus on EM, peds, surgery or extended FP/IM.

4. Reduce specialty rotations. Lengthen rotations, students dont benefit from 4-6 weeks on site. They do benefit from 8+ weeks on many levels.

5. Improve upon PA research and publishing esp in the areas of workforce needs and impact.

6. Explore and develop more post grad training especially by initial programs sponsored at medical centers and health care systems.

7. Develop a clear pathway for the PA interested in obtaining a doctorate. As the master's degree is terminal currently, while the doctorate does not need be, there should be a clearer path with either clinical applications, academic pursuits or leadership/admin focus as endpoints.

 

To sum up, I recently attended the advanced practice academy in Vegas hosted by SEMPA and ACEP. I had a lengthy conversation with the current SEMPA president there. We both agreed that our profession is currently still in it's infancy. Lot of decisions being made now and the trick is to continue to move forward constructively. Continued open dialog and also organizations such as PAFT to continue to bear political pressure to shape our profession in the years and decades to come are extremely worthwhile. That said, please consider joining PAFT along with state, national and specialty PA organizations. If you are an AAPA member, please donate a few sheckles to the AAPA PAC.

 

G Brothers PA-C

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1. Improve academic salaries to compete with clinical pay.

2. Encourage lengthy clinical experience prior to academic involvement and employment. Academic faculty should have at least one clinical day per week.

3. Develop the clinical 'minor' during the 2nd year ie focus on EM, peds, surgery or extended FP/IM.

4. Reduce specialty rotations. Lengthen rotations, students dont benefit from 4-6 weeks on site. They do benefit from 8+ weeks on many levels.

5. Improve upon PA research and publishing esp in the areas of workforce needs and impact.

6. Explore and develop more post grad training especially by initial programs sponsored at medical centers and health care systems.

7. Develop a clear pathway for the PA interested in obtaining a doctorate. As the master's degree is terminal currently, while the doctorate does not need be, there should be a clearer path with either clinical applications, academic pursuits or leadership/admin focus as endpoints.

Excellent points George!

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1. Public education about what specifically a PA is/does:

 

-Master's degree in medicine

-Trained like physicians

-Collaboration. We are not high-paid scribes or MA's

-Independent prescriptive authority

-PAs are a great choice for a PCP in most populations.

 

This could be accomplished with large posters in PCP offices, radio ads, TV, etc. Pamphlets don't work.

 

2. The "assistant" part of our title really needs to go. It's been long enough. This will take years to actualize, but I think it is essential to furthering our public perception and remaining competitive with NPs, who vastly outnumber us and have considerable socio-legal momentum.

 

3. I agree with Boatswain that there are some education issues spilling over into the working world. From my perspective the biggest problem I see is that many of us aren't out-of-the-box ready to practice immediately after school. This is partly a function of 1) short and inconsistent clinical education, and 2) the employment market.

 

Rotations will always vary and it is not practical to completely standardize them, but I think time is wasted on specialty/novelty rotations. 2 months of primary care is not enough. I think 6 months should be the minimum. 3/3 IM, FP, or EM. Many newer PAs I know feel the same. 

 

Major metro areas and desirable locations (i.e.Denver) are often saturated with providers and new grads are taking bottom-of-the-barrel jobs at places like weight loss clinics, "cold and flu" walk-ins, and low-T clinics. I don't mean to discourage rural medicine, but people tend to work where they want to live and these jobs are frankly beneath our profession. The "2 year minimum experience" catch-22 is a big part of the problem.

 

The solution is lengthier primary care clinical training combined with public advocacy, and/or encouraging residencies.

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1.  Public education on what a PA is

2.  With the above being said, a name change that is more reflective of what PA's actually do.

3.  More focus on health care experience than grades for PA school admission.

4.  Assist with passing laws that make PAs at least the equivalent to a NP (collaborative relationship with MD/DO, signing death certs, hospice care, public health jobs).

5.  Too many schools too fast. 

 

Thank you for visiting the site.  It is nice to see a "higher up" visit a forum. 

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I just wanted to say congratulations!! 

 

Maybe you have done this, but I would like to see what PAFT has done prior to your term.  I allowed my membership lapse after I never heard from anyone or saw anything. But I'm sure things are being done that I didn't hear about.

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you should have been getting regular newsletters, etc. let me forward your note to the board. maybe you got left off some list by accident.

in the meantime see the website for info on recent policy statements and accomplishments. PAFT was a major force behind AAPA coming out with PA>physician assistant and collaboration > supervision last year.

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Guest Paula

jmj11: you heard from me!   At least I think it was you who had an issue with AAPA not responding to your concerns regarding practice ownership.  I emailed AAPA and talked to one of the honchos (Michael Powell) there about your situation.  I believe they never really addressed your issue to your satisfaction.  We ahd several email exchanges.  I think you and I gave up on AAPA actually responding to you.....

 

PAFT was one loud voice that got the AAPA to change how PAs are described, from that came the communication guide.  PAFT supported the AFPPA resolution for collaboration and AFPPA did a great job in advocating for language change to describe as collaborators.   We published a position paper on PAs and professional responsibility.  Check our site and read the position papers.  There is lot's of other things we have done including writing Dr. Reid Blackwell from AAFP who was not supporting us and there were even personal meetings/conversations with him by other PAFT members at the AFPPA meeting last summer or fall.  

 

 

So many things we've done, TNTC.  (we are kind of like proliferative bacteria). 

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jmj11: you heard from me!   At least I think it was you who had an issue with AAPA not responding to your concerns regarding practice ownership.  I emailed AAPA and talked to one of the honchos (Michael Powell) there about your situation.  I believe they never really addressed your issue to your satisfaction.  We ahd several email exchanges.  I think you and I gave up on AAPA actually responding to you.....

 

PAFT was one loud voice that got the AAPA to change how PAs are described, from that came the communication guide.  PAFT supported the AFPPA resolution for collaboration and AFPPA did a great job in advocating for language change to describe as collaborators.   We published a position paper on PAs and professional responsibility.  Check our site and read the position papers.  There is lot's of other things we have done including writing Dr. Reid Blackwell from AAFP who was not supporting us and there were even personal meetings/conversations with him by other PAFT members at the AFPPA meeting last summer or fall.  

 

 

So many things we've done, TNTC.  (we are kind of like proliferative bacteri

 

 

 

You are right Paula. I guess I didn't put two and two together.  I was just thinking of you being nice person . . . which I'm sure you are too . . . and not PAFT.  I never did hear back from Michael despite several e-mails from me so I did give up, but that wasn't your fault and I'm grateful for the work you did. I didn't mean to imply that PAFT hadn't done anything. In the beginning I was part of the original group (charter member) and somehow got bumped off the mailing list and was too busy and tired to try and find them again or to keep track what they are doing.  So when I get the chance I will go to the sites you have listed and read through what has been going on.

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