Boatswain2PA Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I'm sure the AAPA is paying attention to this. But the HOD does not have the capacity to react to spur of the moment legislative developments. If they don't have the "capacity to react to spur of the moment legislative developments" then they need to shift some of their "capacity" from doing STUPID crap like this to monitoring IMPORTANT "spur of the moment legislative developments." If I want to support gun rights, I will join the NRA. If I want to strip people of their gun rights, I will joint he Brady Alliance for liberal's against Constitutional Rights. But I would like to have a professional association for Physician Assistants who stays on top of these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBanner Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Yes, god forbid the Academy attempt to address an issue that IS a public health concern. There has been substantial research and publication in public health journals, JAMA, HA, etc.etc.etc. Please feel free to read the attached. You'll note that they are all (with the exception of one) published in peer reviewed journals. It's somewhat amazing to me, that otherwise intelligent professionals get so worked up over something like this. Heuristic processing indeed. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/160/10/929.full http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301409 http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/8/4/313.full http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2759797/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22072043 http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1661390 http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/26/2/575.full http://www.uwplatt.edu/~wiegmake/Intro_Files/CJ%20-%20paper%20example.pdf http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/12/6/365.short A bunch of epidemiological correlation studies that do not address causality. Great references there chief. Kind of like doing a study on alcohol availability and DUI fatalities. Or automobile density per population area and fatal MVAs. Or Per capita consumption of cheese (US) correlates with Number of people who died by becoming tangled in their bedsheets. Yeah that's right there's a correlation there too. So why doesn't the Academy address ALL these potential public health concerns? Ohhh, that's right, because gun control/gun rights is a hot-button topic that they can save political face on. The AAPA is a political organization. And like most political organizations, they only stick their necks out for the constituents when it benefits the organization itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SocialMedicine Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 bruce you have to keep in mind the AAPA hierarchy did not gather one day and decide this policy was a strategic move. A member of the AAPA (could have been you or me) pushed this agenda through the HOD. For all we know the paid staff of the AAPA and majority of HOD feel this is not a priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBanner Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I hear ya, I was mostly just raging as usual. There may very well be HOD members who ARE pushing more pertinent issues for PAs, but for reasons unknown to us it doesn't get through or get the organizational attention it deserves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinntsp Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Edited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
physasst Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 A bunch of epidemiological correlation studies that do not address causality. Great references there chief. Kind of like doing a study on alcohol availability and DUI fatalities. Or automobile density per population area and fatal MVAs. Or Per capita consumption of cheese (US) correlates with Number of people who died by becoming tangled in their bedsheets. Yeah that's right there's a correlation there too. So why doesn't the Academy address ALL these potential public health concerns? Ohhh, that's right, because gun control/gun rights is a hot-button topic that they can save political face on. The AAPA is a political organization. And like most political organizations, they only stick their necks out for the constituents when it benefits the organization itself. You're missing the point. The point is, there is enough discussion about this, and enough published about this to warrant this as a public health concern. Is it the most pressing concern? Probably not, but being completely dismissive of it is just as ridiculous and only shows an emotional response framed within cognitive dissonance. Also, to address the AAPA, this was a motion raised through the HOD which can only occur from either the BOD or a constituent chapter. Some, I don't know which, constituent chapter raised this as a motion to be discussed. The simple fact that it is in Ref Comm C demonstrates that it is a controversial topic. I would caution everyone to calm down. This I'm sure, will receive a lively discussion in the HOD this year. There is nothing settled, but rather discussed. You guys seem to continue to conflate advocacy with policy. They are NOT the same thing. The AAPA is the primary advocacy voice for the PA profession, others like PAFT contribute as well. The HOD, is an essential part of the Academy which helps to define policies for the Academy. So, in this case, when legislature might arise......let's put it this way... Say, a bill is proposed that mandates "that all MD, DO, NP, CNM, and PA providers providing care to children receiving Medicaid/Medicare benefits and billing both state and federal agencies will document household firearm possession, and will provide documented counseling to the patient and/or parents/custodians regarding firearm safety an the possible risks associated with said possession, or will sustain a reduced payment." Think that won't happen? Think again. I know of one Congressman who has talked about something like this in the past. All that the HOD resolution does, is, foster discussion, and if passed, provide policy language for the AAPA to use when confronting an issue such as the one I just raised. The HOD does not provide the direct advocacy, but rather the policy that helps guide AAPA advocacy. Heuristics man...heuristics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnpac Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 The HOD has a long history as serving as the representative body responsible for setting the mission, vision, philosophy, etc., of the Academy. Delegates are elected from state chapters and specialty organizations, by their members. Resolutions are presented to the House by constituent organizations, House Officers, the BOD, the SAAAPA, and the appointed commissions of the Academy. The only litmus test of a resolution is that it is "in order," and "germane" to an area under the purview of the HOD. Resolutions are starting points for discussion, and many times look very different at the end of the deliberative process, if they pass at all. The reason that any resolution is presented to the House is because a group of your peers, who are members, and have standing in the House, deem an issue to be worthy of discussion and deliberation. The AAPA HOD has a long history of public health policy. This is what a true medical profession does. It is impossible to call ourselves "healers", and professionals, and ignore the real and complex public health issues of the communities and societies in which we live and work. To not have statements of policy in areas of public health says as much or more about us as a profession, as having policy statements. The AAPA's HOD has chosen, over many decades, to have public health policy in a wide variety of areas, as a guide for advocacy on behalf of our profession and the patients that we serve. It is important for PAs to be seen as advocates for their patients, and take their role at the table in shaping the future of medicine in the US and the world. Or, we can constrain our thinking to the confines of the four walls of our examination room, and be irrelevant. The bottom line? If you don't like the direction, then be a part of the change and get involved with you state or specialty organization delegations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 AAPA HOD has passed first round collaboration resolution and final vote and discussion coming up soon. I will keep the forum posted as I learn of the proceedings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paula Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Email from Dave Mittman: The HOD passes resolution defining PAs as collaborative: "PAs are health professions licensed, or in the case of the Federal government credentialed to practice medicine collaborating with physicians". They did it!!! Thanks to AFPPA for sticking with it and submitting the resolution. A job well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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