Does the AAPA deserve our support in 2012?

[burnpac]

I understand that the AAPA has been doing this kind of thing for years. However, if the AAPA does change course on the title change, this could easily be included in letters to editors, which would provide more lasting impact in the minds of the readers in relation to general understanding of PAs. I am of the persuasion that unless the connotative definition of “assistant" changes, the issue of educating the general public about PAs will be everlasting (generational).

 

I understand where you are coming from, but this is where we are going to have to agree to disagree. Switching titles after marketing "physician assistant" for more than 40 years will do nothing but further confuse the public and those that report the news in my opinion. I don't see "assistant" as a negative or pejorative label, although I acknowledge that this is an important issue to many.

 

BTW - The AAPA Communications folks had already seen this NYT editorial and will respond, as appropriate.

[EMEDPA]

Switching titles after marketing "physician assistant" for more than 40 years will do nothing but further confuse the public and those that report the news in my opinion.

I would argue that the aapa has yet to market our CURRENT title to the american public.....I would be happy with them just marketing "P.A." as the title whatever those letters might end up standing for in a few years.....

[Contrarian]

Rephrased, I was asking you (and implying to others on these threads) what can you or have you done for the Academy to better the profession rather than continually attacking the Academy for what you perceive as non-action on their part. This is OUR profession, we all need to take responsibility and do our part to make sure we ALL promote and secure the future of our profession. As we are still a relatively young and small profession compared to others within the healthcare fields, it is in our best interest work with rather than against the Academy.

 

Again... as has been suggested by others in this thread...

Why is it a forgone conclusion that the only/best way to support and/or advance this profession is to do it through the academy...??? Kind of a "narrow" view... don't ya think...???

 

Had you stopped with the "party line" long enough to consider that supporting and advancing the profession isn't the sole providence of the "academy" and that there are hundreds of PAs doing things in their community and in the clinic and in academia that support and/or advance this profession...? Has it been considered that... MOST of this is done without ever getting on the phone with the "academy."

 

You ask what we/I have done for the "academy"... had you considered that many/most current non-members sent them (the academy) some of our discretionary "Starbucks" money for years while they bickered about abortion and Ghey Marriage. Then for example.... when some pioneers in PA owned practices sought help/support from the academy.... all they heard were crickets. [chirp...chirp...chirp]

Yes, I was on the Academy's Board of Directors as our membership declined. The board, our committees and the Academy staff had and have been working very hard to try to determine not only why we are not getting new graduates to join but also addressing renewals of fellow members. There are many factors contributing to this decline in membership and not just simply because our constituents were disenchanted with their professional title or any perceived non-action on that particular issue. If you may recall, the biggest decline in the Academy's membership was the result of the NCCPA taking the logging of CME away from the Academy.

 

Great....!!!

Glad you said it...!!!

So now you can STOP with repeatedly attempting to minimize the problem of membership renewal to just those two issues... and attempting to castigate those who find those issues important and therefore the leading (not the only) and current issues they point to.

 

Fact seems to be that the name change and advertising issues have been brought up... and suppressed a multitude of times. Now it seems that some of the key persons (?former president & former treasurer?) who were last at the academy suppressing positive movement/momentum of these issues are now coming here to again tell us littlings how silly we are being and to set us straight.

 

Its actually pretty comical. Watching the classic appeal to authority fallacy get uncorked and spread liberally here amoungst the "sheeple."

 

Its funny to me because no one seems to realize that our esteemed and learned vocal soldiers of the "academy" didn't seem to be interested in this community at all until we started making noise about things they apparently oppose. Click on their profiles... go to their first posts... then read through them up to now. Its seems that aside from a couple instances... their ONLY real contribution here... to this forum has been to tell us why we are wrong about things they find important. Its classic...

 

Re-read JmJ11's account of his personal experiences attempting to seek academy assistance... then note that aside from a few platitudes... he is basically being told that HE has it all wrong and what 'the real deal is."

 

Thing is... this forum has been here for quite some time... it seems that neither of these esteemed gentlemen were interested in offering advice to pre-PAs on getting into PA school, or to new grads on contract negotiations, or to practicing PA-Cs on dealing with untenable employment situations. All things many of us here have been doing daily for over a decade... but these guys somehow have the un-mitigated gall to question what WE have been doing for this profession and 30k+ of its future and current members.

 

Its really laughable. But these dudes are soooo full of themselves that they haven't even considered that the PA-Cs here who have for YEARS guided the pre-PAs, mentored, proctored and precepted the PA students, and advised the new grads to clinical maturity have contributed just as much to this profession as those who sit in the meetings and stay in the fancy hotels as members of the HOD and/other facets of the "Academy."

 

Beware of "Poli-tricks" and the "Poli-Trick-tions"...

 

And to address the question on this thread - YES I am, as I continually have for almost 40 years, supporting the Academy in 2012. Any chance you might reconsider?

 

I stated that I would consider it and the conditions required for me to on page one of this thread.

But again... as is evident by the declining membership roster... the whole 'send me your cash so I can do as I please' schitick hasn't worked in the academy's favor in quite a while.

 

 

Gen X & Y is here and its time for a changing of the guard...!!!!

 

"A Change gon Come"...

 

 

To the other readers here trying to determine if this post is on topic... I offer that it is because it just illuminates the underlying attitudes of the folks from the "academy" and demonstrates why the roster is sooo thin....

[burnpac]

I would argue that the aapa has yet to market our CURRENT title to the american public.....I would be happy with them just marketing "P.A." as the title whatever those letters might end up standing for in a few years.....

 

I would honestly be interested in your ideas about how you would effectively increase the public's awareness of PAs.

[EMEDPA]

I would honestly be interested in your ideas about how you would effectively increase the public's awareness of PAs.

see post #41 above.

AAPA solicits money from members specifically for PR campaign(and maybe "finds" some money in their current budget since the membership places such a high importance on a PR campaign) then buys late night radio spots, newspaper ads, cable channel public service announcements, maybe get a PA on "survivor " or "american idol" or get a team of pa's to volunteer their services at nascar events in exchange for free ads in their race pamphlets....the options are limitless. I know we won't have an ad in the superbowl but we don't need one.

The DO ad campaign of a decde ago done by the bozell ad group who did the "GOT MILK?" and "PORK, The other white meat" ads was so successful with a few ads that DO's went from "what's that" to "the future of primary care medicine" within a year. now everyone knows what a DO is and many think they offer more than MD's do. I remember seeing their ads in major magazines. very well done and informative. there are more PA's than DO's last time I checked . if they can do it on a limited budget so can we.

I would love to see a PA of the month ad in a major magazine every month with a little story about a rural, military, federal service, etc PA making a difference and a little blurb about what PA's are and what we do. maybe 1/3 of a page once/mo.

something like this:

(picture of john doe , pa doing pt care. wearing a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck and a script pad in his pocket and looking like a medical professional....not like a medical assisatnt taking a bp)

John doe is the only medical provider in backalley, alabama, population 1000. the nearest hospital is a 6 hr drive from his clinic. he delivers babies, keeps regular clinic hours as well covering emergencies 24/7/365. He recommends treatments for his pts including prescribing medications and lifestyle modifications that will fit within their tight budgets. John promotes preventative health care for all of his patients. John is not a doctor, however. he is a PA, a licensed health care practitioner who works collaboratively with a sponsoring physician hours away who is available by phone should John ever require consultation. John was a paramedic in denver for 10 years before returning to graduate school at the university of colorado health center. He has over 7 years of formal education and 25 years of experience in health care. If not for John, the people of backalley would have to drive an entire day to see a medical provider.

PA's, playing a role in the future of America's health for almost half a century. for more information or to nominate a PA hero see www.aapa.org/paheroes

 

 

[burnpac]

see post #41 above.

AAPA solicits money from members specifically for PR campaign(and maybe "finds" some money in their current budget since the membership places such a high importance on a PR campaign) then buys late night radio spots, newspaper ads, cable channel public service announcements, maybe get a PA on "survivor " or "american idol" or get a team of pa's to volunteer their services at nascar events in exchange for free ads in their race pamphlets....the options are limitless. I know we won't have an ad in the superbowl but we don't need one.

The DO ad campaign of a decde ago done by the bozell ad group who did the "GOT MILK?" and "PORK, The other white meat" ads was so successful with a few ads that DO's went from "what's that" to "the future of primary care medicine" within a year. now everyone knows what a DO is and many think they offer more than MD's do. I remember seeing their ads in major magazines. very well done and informative. there are more PA's than DO's last time I checked . if they can do it on a limited budget so can we.

I would love to see a PA of the month ad in a major magazine every month with a little story about a rural, military, federal service, etc PA making a difference and a little blurb about what PA's are and what we do. maybe 1/3 of a page once/mo.

something like this:

(picture of john doe , pa doing pt care. wearing a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck and a script pad in his pocket and looking like a medical professional....not like a medical assisatnt taking a bp)

John doe is the only medical provider in backalley, alabama, population 1000. the nearest hospital is a 6 hr drive from his clinic. he delivers babies, keeps regular clinic hours as well covering emergencies 24/7/365. He recommends treatments for his pts including prescribing medications and lifestyle modifications that will fit within their tight budgets. John promotes preventative health care for all of his patients. John is not a doctor, however. he is a PA, a licensed health care practitioner who works collaboratively with a sponsoring physician hours away who is available by phone should John ever require consultation. John was a paramedic in denver for 10 years before returning to graduate school at the university of colorado health center. He has over 7 years of formal education and 25 years of experience in health care. If not for John, the people of backalley would have to drive an entire day to see a medical provider.

PA's, playing a role in the future of America's health for almost half a century. for more information or to nominate a PA hero see www.aapa.org/paheroes

 

 

 

EMEDPA -

 

A lot of good ideas and grass roots oriented. Any ideas how much the DOs spent on their campaign? I wasn't aware that they had done this, and I never saw any of their PR.

[EMEDPA]

EMEDPA -

 

A lot of good ideas and grass roots oriented. Any ideas how much the DOs spent on their campaign? I wasn't aware that they had done this, and I never saw any of their PR.

I don't know what their campaign cost but it was worth every penny. no one thinks DO's are chiropractors any more....

[burnpac]

I don't know what their campaign cost but it was worth every penny. no one thinks DO's are chiropractors any more....

 

I'm sure it was worth every penny, but how much it costs, in a world of finite resources and cost / benefit analysis, is also a factor.

[blueridge]

[h=1]burnpac -

Back to the NYT times for a moment, an article appeared about a week ago, “The Miracle of Digital Heath Records, 50 Years Ago” in which it appears that when writing physician assistant, the author didn't really mean PA given the time frame addressed in the article. I see this as a continuous problem since all media sources will be hiring young recruits already having a firm and transferrable connotative definition of the word assistant. Maybe the AAPA communications group could ask the author about this too? [/h]

"There were no nifty iPad or tablet computers back then. Patients gave their information to a nurse or physician assistant, who logged it into a hefty I.B.M. Ramac 305."

 

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/the-miracle-of-digital-health-records-50-years-ago/?scp=1&sq=“physician assistant"&st=cse

[blueridge]

burnpac - so sorry, I didn’t realize that a portion of my post was in bold.

[burnpac]

burnpac -

Back to the NYT times for a moment, an article appeared about a week ago, “The Miracle of Digital Heath Records, 50 Years Ago” in which it appears that when writing physician assistant, the author didn't really mean PA given the time frame addressed in the article. I see this as a continuous problem since all media sources will be hiring young recruits already having a firm and transferrable connotative definition of the word assistant. Maybe the AAPA communications group could ask the author about this too?

 

 

"There were no nifty iPad or tablet computers back then. Patients gave their information to a nurse or physician assistant, who logged it into a hefty I.B.M. Ramac 305."

 

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/the-miracle-of-digital-health-records-50-years-ago/?scp=1&sq=“physician assistant"&st=cse

 

Done. It is confusing. I loved the picture though. My iPhone is a much more powerful computer. I remember the punch card days well!

[burnpac]

I would argue that the aapa has yet to market our CURRENT title to the american public.....I would be happy with them just marketing "P.A." as the title whatever those letters might end up standing for in a few years.....

 

Do you not agree that the continual education of the the health care journalists in America about PAs and their contribution to the health care system (as I described in a previous post), who write the stories that the American public read, can also be considered educating the American public?

 

It has resulted in positive press and feel good stories in magazines about PAs and positive portrayals. Certainly more needs to be done, but I think that some credit is due our communications staff.

[EMEDPA]

Do you not agree that the continual education of the the health care journalists in America about PAs and their contribution to the health care system (as I described in a previous post), who write the stories that the American public read, can also be considered educating the American public?

 

It has resulted in positive press and feel good stories in magazines about PAs and positive portrayals. Certainly more needs to be done, but I think that some credit is due our communications staff.

 

fair enough. it is a good start for which they deserve kudos. their current efforts are essentially indirect marketing but not a true dedicated PR campaign, which is what many of us have been asking for as described above.

[jdtpac]

Its really laughable. But these dudes are soooo full of themselves that they haven't even considered that the PA-Cs here who have for YEARS guided the pre-PAs, mentored, proctored and precepted the PA students, and advised the new grads to clinical maturity have contributed just as much to this profession as those who sit in the meetings and stay in the fancy hotels as members of the HOD and/other facets of the "Academy."

 

Contrarian,

These conjectures as to what role and responsibilities or involvement this “dude” has had with perspective and fellow PAs both within and outside of the Academy is purely speculation on your part. As I do not know you personally, nor you I, your suppositions are far from correct. I never discussed, discounted or took lightly any individual PA’s on this forum contributions to our profession. Our interpretations of each other's remarks could appear to some observers on this forum to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that we most likely will not be able to arrive at a place of agreeing to disagree. With that aside, I hope, no I know that members of the profession with differing opinions on this issue of title change will ultimately address this issue in a manner that is in the best interest of and not detrimental to the future of our profession. And if the title is changed, in no way will this alone decrease the obstacles we will have to overcome to solidify our position in the healthcare system or gain the respect and understanding of our profession by physicians, nurses and more importantly our patients.

 

I’ll end my posts on this to thread, as many people do, with a philosophical statement:

 

Confusus said, ”Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood carry water”.

[rsqdvr]

At the moment, I vote yes. But it is conditional. I think the AAPA has done some pretty good work over the years but I increasingly feel that they aren't listening to their members. I have two issues that concern me. One is the title change issue. I am for it and I would like the AAPA to embrace a solid debate on the subject. I would prefer that they don't try to sway the argument with emotional language regarding costs of the change. In my mind, the first question to answer is "Is the title change necessary?" then, "Do the majority of PAs want the title change?" If the answer to both questions is yes, then we can get down to the long hard job of making the change, paying for it, and ensuring that there are no negative legislative changes occurring at the same time.

My second issue is with the marketing and name recognition of the PA Profession as a whole. I believe that the AAPA in particular has done a very poor job on this front. After being around for almost 50 years, we should not still have to explain to both patients and physicians who we are and what we do.

If the AAPA does not address or begin to address both of these issues within the next year, I do not plan on renewing next year. I don't expect both items to be resolved but there should be some significant work done. I've given them support for a few years and I'd like to see something more tangible, but that's just my opinion.

[jdtpac]

I encourage you all to go to this post:

(Don't) Vote (for AAPA elections)! A video pledge to all PAs

These young students reminds us of how excited we were back in the day. Maybe it is time we take a less than from this post and get back together again to achieve a common goal of securing the future of our profession.

[KCMA79]

I have been a member of AAPA since 1979 and I will not renew my membership this yr. For yrs I was an enthusiastic member but over the yrs the AAPA became more complacent. In the past they led the fight for enabling legislation and prescriptive rights that new grads take for granted. The HOD delegates dealt with real issues not the fluff they do now. They have done a poor job of marketing the profession and seem to take the membership for granted. I write e-mails to the AAPA and never get a reply. I guess I just feel they don't care about my needs or desires as a member any longer. It is sad really becase it is like ending an old friendship.

[Gonadometrics]

I encourage you all to go to this post:

(Don't) Vote (for AAPA elections)! A video pledge to all PAs

These young students reminds us of how excited we were back in the day. Maybe it is time we take a less than from this post and get back together again to achieve a common goal of securing the future of our profession.

 

A few quick points. The video is a contrivance. The AAPA works at the PA Program level to inculcate new adherents. Students are savvy. They know that participation in a program supported idea will help them with letters of reference, a job referral, a recommendation for a residency from faculty or the PD. Perhaps their "enthusiasm", if genuine, is just a reflection of their naivete. I may have been more impressed with a video from students that spoke out against the AAPA. There would be real news. This video is an AAPA instigated, PA program produced puff piece. I am not dissuaded.

[burnpac]

I have been a member of AAPA since 1979 and I will not renew my membership this yr. For yrs I was an enthusiastic member but over the yrs the AAPA became more complacent. In the past they led the fight for enabling legislation and prescriptive rights that new grads take for granted. The HOD delegates dealt with real issues not the fluff they do now. They have done a poor job of marketing the profession and seem to take the membership for granted. I write e-mails to the AAPA and never get a reply. I guess I just feel they don't care about my needs or desires as a member any longer. It is sad really becase it is like ending an old friendship.

 

It is interesting to me that a few comments ago, a member of this forum was complaining about what the House presently dealt with (i.e., that the AAPA shouldn't be debating the issues that it does). Here is a listing of the issues /position papers just from Ref Comm C at the 2011 HOD (adopted or adopted as amended):

 

Strategic Goals and Disparities in Health

Anti-smoking Package Program and Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Nicotine

Child Abuse

Family Violence as a Public Health Issue

Immunizations in Children and Adults - Position Paper

AAPA Supports prevention of Venous Thromboembolism

Gender Equity

Genetic Testing in Clinical Practice - Position Paper

Health Disparities - Position Paper

Health Literacy - Position Paper

Guidelines for PAs Working Internationally

Optimal Health

Responsibility of PAs Maintain Health and Wellness

PA Practice in Underserved Areas

Patients with a Variety of Cultural Attributes

Peer Review Process

Preventing the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Profession – Reimbursement Compensation Category

Biologic, Radiologic and Nuclear Weapon Ban

Support for Recognition of, and Direct Payment to, PAs by Third Party Payers and Health Care Organizations

Support for State Legislation to Ban the Use of Hand-Held Telecommunication Devices While Driving

Guidelines for State Regulation of the Physician Assistant Profession -Title Protection Provisions

Prescription Drug Benefit Plan

Advocating for Physician Assistants as Providers of Quality, Cost-Effective and Accessible Health Care

Oral Health as a Public Health Issue

PAs and Eliminating Health Care Disparities

 

I don't think that it is accurate to portray the above as "fluff." The complete Summary of Actions can be viewed here:

 

http://www.aapa.org/uploadedFiles/content/About_AAPA/Governance/Resource_Items/2011-SOA-Final.pdf

 

I'm sorry about your other bad customer experiences.

 

The AAPA still takes a lead role in state affairs, with strong departmental support, and two legislative affairs PAs Ann Davis and Liz Roe, who tirelessly criss cross the country in support of state legislative affairs. There are still a lot of battles to fight in eliminating the barriers to PA practice at the state level.

[burnpac]

A few quick points. The video is a contrivance. The AAPA works at the PA Program level to inculcate new adherents.

 

The more than 6000 PAs who will graduate from PA programs this year represent a critical resource in dealing with the human resource needs of the health care system. The AAPA's mission is:

 

To ensure the professional growth, personal excellence, and recognition of physician assistants, and to support their efforts to enable them to improve the quality, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered health care.

 

As a person who has personally visited and spoke to many PA programs over the years, the goal of state and national PA organization leaders visiting programs is to provide a broader, global perspective as to the profession they are about to enter, and not brainwash them.

 

Students are savvy. They know that participation in a program supported idea will help them with letters of reference, a job referral, a recommendation for a residency from faculty or the PD. Perhaps their "enthusiasm", if genuine, is just a reflection of their naivete.

 

First they are "savvy", and next they are "naive"? Having met and worked with many, many students over the years, I will stick with savvy. There is something about the enthusiasm of youth that personally I could use an extra shot of. Give students a little more credit for intelligence and don't second guess their motivation with cynical speculation.

 

I may have been more impressed with a video from students that spoke out against the AAPA. There would be real news. This video is an AAPA instigated, PA program produced puff piece. I am not dissuaded.

 

I'm really sorry you feel this way, but this is the crux of your post. Anything negative about the AAPA is good; anything positive is bad. Give these young PA students a little credit. They took a matter that they believe is important and they used their free speech to effectively make their point, without the big bad AAPA looking over their shoulder. The only proof that you have that the AAPA had a hand in it is that it can be construed to be pro-AAPA (it is actually pro-participation in the election process). I received my first link to this video from a current member of the BOD, who was surprised and happy to see it.

 

These students should be praised for their participation and concern about the issues confronting the profession and organized medicine, not criticized.

[burnpac]

Nuclear weapon ban? Broad platform. Does it need to be that broad, or are things like that meant to bring the ideology of the aapa in line with some of the pet activist projects of a few folks. The more a group takes on and spreads issues out, the more beholden they become to factors outside their original mission. Example: now there are folks that can't support kommen because of its involvemtent in planned parenthood. It politicized a group needlessly. One of the reasons im going into the NP field was because I was an affiliate member of aapa for a while as a Pre pa, and read the opinions of folks like you in the magazines. Couple that with what I see here, and its clear that the biggest association representing the profession was driven by folks that wanted the Platform for their own purposes. The ANA does the same thing, no doubt, but they have set the groundwork by aggressively looking out for number one first, before they took on the fatty stuff that they hope to improve their cred. Aapa shouldn't do all the "fun" stuff before they advocate for the PA foremost. All I hear is "we already did the hard stuff 20-30 years ago.... Thank us for it and get with the program".The powers in the aapa office seem fixated on maintaining it as a blue blooded excercise. Meanwhile, the gritty nurse street fighters are out doing what they do... PrOmoting NPs and passing laws. A full slate of projects like what's above listed demonstrates a disconnect when only a few of those things speak to direct advancement of PAs.... And more so when a frequent meme to counter complaints here is "wheres the money and participation?".

 

I'm not a pa, but the aapa made an impression on me. I witnessed a trade group that was as impressive as the lab science organizations of my own field, only more political. Hardly compelling.

 

Before you make the leap, you might want to take a closer look at the political agenda of organized nursing.

 

Social and public health policies of the AAPA are determined by the 249 delegates to the House of Delegates. These delegates are elected by the members of state chapters, speciality organizations, etc. and represent a broad, diverse cross-section of the profession.

 

Resolutions for consideration represent the work of the AAPA's various commissions and work groups, and the BOD, and also come from various delegations at the request of the chapters, specialty organizations, etc. resolutions are amended, adopted, or rejected my majority vote of the delegates and ratified by the BOD.

 

There is no way that than any individual in the AAPA can push any agenda without 50% plus one of either the HOD or BOD.

[EMEDPA]

I know not everyone will agree with me but I see many of these as outside the purview of the aapa or better served by other groups(oral health=dentists, etc).

those marked below with an X I would not support the aapa focusing on IF THEY EVER ASKED WHAT I CARED ABOUT

 

Strategic Goals and Disparities in Health

Anti-smoking Package Program and Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Nicotine

Child Abuse

Family Violence as a Public Health Issue

Immunizations in Children and Adults - Position Paper

AAPA Supports prevention of Venous Thromboembolism

Gender Equity (x)

Genetic Testing in Clinical Practice - Position Paper

Health Disparities - Position Paper

Health Literacy - Position Paper

Guidelines for PAs Working Internationally

Optimal Health

Responsibility of PAs Maintain Health and Wellness

PA Practice in Underserved Areas

Patients with a Variety of Cultural Attributes

Peer Review Process

Preventing the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Profession – Reimbursement Compensation Category

Biologic, Radiologic and Nuclear Weapon Ban..(x)

Support for Recognition of, and Direct Payment to, PAs by Third Party Payers and Health Care Organizations

Support for State Legislation to Ban the Use of Hand-Held Telecommunication Devices While Driving (x)

Guidelines for State Regulation of the Physician Assistant Profession -Title Protection Provisions

Prescription Drug Benefit Plan

Advocating for Physician Assistants as Providers of Quality, Cost-Effective and Accessible Health Care

Oral Health as a Public Health Issue (x)

PAs and Eliminating Health Care Disparities

 

 

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR PA PRACTICE OWNERS" ?

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR DEA 2-5 IN ALL STATES"?

[ventana]

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR PA PRACTICE OWNERS" ?

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR DEA 2-5 IN ALL STATES"?

 

 

 

ding ding ding we have a winner!

[burnpac]

I know not everyone will agree with me but I see many of these as outside the purview of the aapa or better served by other groups(oral health=dentists, etc).

those marked below with an X I would not support the aapa focusing on IF THEY EVER ASKED WHAT I CARED ABOUT

...

 

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR PA PRACTICE OWNERS" ?

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR DEA 2-5 IN ALL STATES"?

 

Oral health and nutrition is a medical issue, is it not?

 

Let put this in the ER perspective. A patient arrives in the ER in extremis after a head on collision secondary to distracted driving while talking on a cell phone. This is not an important issue to community health that should concern us as health professionals?

 

The question you should be asking is why the delegation of your state and or speciality organization hasn't asked your opinion. They are the one's elected by you under the governance structure to represent you interests in the House and AAPA. Like it or not, that is the way the governance structure of the AAPA was established. It has changed a lot since the 1970's, but the fact remains that it is the HOD that has defined the governance structure of the AAPA since its inception, and this is firmly in the hands of the delegates that you elect. You can attend any reference committee hearing of the HOD, and express your opinion as a fellow member, at any time. the resolutions are published on aapa.org well before the House.

 

Prescribing privileges has been on the agenda of the AAPA since its inception. We have come a long way since I became a PA. Support for Schedules II-V in all jurisdictions is a priority of the AAPA and always has been. However, it is up to the state to change the state's regulations that govern PA medical practice and prescribing. AAPA has a long history of strong financial and other support for states to effect positive change in their practice acts. The AAPA can't just waive a wand and change things on the state level. You should be asking your state about their legislative priorities in this area. AAPA stands ready to help.

 

The same is true for PA practice ownership. There are some federal issues, but this issue is mostly governed by state corporation law, on a state by state basis. Again, you expect the AAPA to be all things to all people, but the reality is that they cannot given budget and human resource constraints. Let me put this in perspective. PA practice ownership is an issue that is important to me, and we need to remove the barriers to this, so don't misconstrue my comment. Let's say this affects 1 out of 100 PAs (I think that I'm being very generous in my hypothetical assumption). How would you prioritize the national and state legislative agendas given the reality of budget and resource constraints at every level?

[Joelseff]

I know not everyone will agree with me but I see many of these as outside the purview of the aapa or better served by other groups(oral health=dentists, etc).

those marked below with an X I would not support the aapa focusing on IF THEY EVER ASKED WHAT I CARED ABOUT....

 

 

 

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR PA PRACTICE OWNERS" ?

WHERE IS "SUPPORT FOR DEA 2-5 IN ALL STATES"?

 

Nail on head E!

 

 

 

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