California article in the L.A. Times about Provider shortage...Guess who is left out of the discussion?

[Cideous]

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-california-doctor-shortage-medical-debt-20190716-story.html

 

"As California’s doctor shortage has grown, the state’s residents are growing older, with an aging baby boomer population increasing the need for healthcare workers. And one-third of the state’s doctors and nurse practitioners are baby boomers who are reaching retirement age, further depleting the workforce....."

 

 

"But some costly and politically fraught recommendations by the commission will not be tackled this year, which could slow the state’s efforts to fix gaps in healthcare access. Among the commission’s recommendations was legislation to allow nurse practitioners, who undergo more training than registered nurses, to care for patients on their own without a physician’s supervision.

Commission member Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) authored the bill that would have allowed nurse practitioners more autonomy. But it stalled in May amid pushback from the California Medical Assn., the lobbying arm of doctors in the state. Wood said he would revive the bill next year.

The commission’s report said the state would have seen an immediate, substantial increase of nurse practitioners working in rural areas in 2020 had the bill moved forward and, over time, would have saved hundreds of millions of dollars by treating conditions that otherwise result in trips to the emergency room.

“California is facing a perfect storm — elderly who will need care and a lack of healthcare providers,” said Karen Bradley, president of the California Assn. for Nurse Practitioners. “This bill would have allowed nurse practitioners to be part of the solution.”

 

 

 

 

 

I've said it before and I will say it again. If California breaks for NP's to full autonomy which I absolutely believe it will next legislative session and PA's are not included...that will be the dam break we have all feared (and predicted).  Reading this article with no mention of PA's in the state's biggest newspaper made me sick to my stomach.  Not for me....but for the next generation of PA's.  One day very soon we are going to have to answer to them why our so called leaders decided not to take on fights with doctors when NP's did and were successful in doing so.  

The breaking point is here folks.  If you can't see it, I am not sure what to say other than how is the view with your head buried in the sand. 

[camoman1234]

Oh we are all fine. We can sit back and just relax as we have for 50 years and get ran over by NPs. Remember we are looking into changing our name and are slowly talking about OTP. We are just fine....:)

I agree we are going to get screwed over again and again. We are losing jobs to NPs in most states and look at the AAPA about this. I was just at a talk that was put on by the AAPA that stated we are losing jobs to NPs. It is time to stand up and move mountains are WE (PAs) will not be around in 15+ years (and if we are we will be glorified MAs). This makes me sick as well and I hope we can have more PAs join their STATE chapters to support change!

[sas5814]

The grunt work gets done at the state level. AAPA is doing what it can but the legislative changes have to be made state by state by state.

[Cideous]

1 hour ago, sas5814 said:

The grunt work gets done at the state level. AAPA is doing what it can but the legislative changes have to be made state by state by state.

The final work does get done at the state level, but we have no national guidance or unity.  The national nurse practitioner organization is 1000% behind their state chapters and they are all on the same page....Autonomy, or as close to it as possible....now.   While we are spending a million bucks to study dropping "assistant" from our name???????   It's just heartbreaking.

Edited July 16, 2019 by Cideous

[camoman1234]

21 hours ago, sas5814 said:

The grunt work gets done at the state level. AAPA is doing what it can but the legislative changes have to be made state by state by state.

I agree 100%! Only about 10% of PAs are in my state chapter and it makes me sick. It is less than $150 to join. Give me a freaking break. I spend more on starbucks in 2 months. I do not understand, but I am trying to get other PAs to join. Hopefully they will follow suit. 

[camoman1234]

20 hours ago, Cideous said:

The final work does get done at the state level, but we have no national guidance or unity.  The national nurse practitioner organization is 1000% behind their state chapters and they are all on the same page....Autonomy, or as close to it as possible....now.   While we are spending a million bucks to study dropping "assistant" from our name???????   It's just heartbreaking.

Yes, but dropping assistant will advance our career and how the public view PAs. I agree, but you also have to look at the glass have full as well. They are trying to move our profession in the right direction (for now). 

[Cideous]

37 minutes ago, Lightspeed said:

....Looks like California is the big prize here, so that’s where the money is at. If we get California and you don’t, then yes, it is all over for PAs.....

....They will have the entire nursing union apparatus engaged at that point. They won’t be asking PAs for help, and won’t be inviting PAs to join them.

 

Every PA here needs to read this a few times because that is what we are up against and I don't blame NP's one bit.  If they pass full autonomy in CA next year, and every indication is that they will, we are toast.

[SoCal_PA]

2 hours ago, Cideous said:

 

Every PA here needs to read this a few times because that is what we are up against and I don't blame NP's one bit.  If they pass full autonomy in CA next year, and every indication is that they will, we are toast.

Is any PA organization in CA aware of this? CAPA?

[Guest Paula]

Wisconsin is in year 4 with our legislation for OTP.  It is hard grueling work and very frustrating.  Politicians are weenies who are afraid to do what is right for the people of the state and wait to make decisions until they hear what the God Almighty Powerful Hospital Association (GAPHA) has to say.  We are pulling our hair out but keep plodding forward.  The GAPHA is dragging it's feet with getting together with us once again but we will prevail.   AAPA is funding us to get OTP.  So at least they are behind us and working with us.

They have grants available for states who are pursuing OTP.  Give them a call.  Call your CO liaison. 

 

[Joelseff]

but some old PA's around here and the real world thinks it is okay to stand pat.  
CAPA is failing California PA's big time. CAPA - please Get PA's into that CA legislation at all cost ASAP.No time to act nice with doctors. Soon or later they will have PA's on leash with collars over  our necks, as they would be pissed about letting NP's get away. We will suffer and be treated as their punching bags. Lets join NP's and get our independence or whatever and go from there. We need to be at equal to or better than NP's in privileges at every level, city or state. Do it now!~

There was a previous article written leaving us out a few mos ago in California. I sent it to CAPA and they gave he a half baked answer. I am attending the CAPA conference in 2 weeks and will definitely be bringing this up to some of the board members. One of my classmates sits on the PA board of California so I will be talking with him as well.

This is a travesty, a sham and a mockery...its a traveshamockery!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Kaepora]

On 7/17/2019 at 1:34 PM, Lightspeed said:

First sentence.... ok.... maybe NPs can throw you a bone.... wait, what’s that you say next? Yeah, never mind. NPs will hand you a big ole “GFY” on that. 

Its all up to you guys. Nobody is going to pull you across the finish line. The reason why PAs aren’t mentioned in the article is because PAs didn’t insert YOURSELVES into the conversation by producing some legislation and finding a champion. 

It was best said when the subject of $1,000,000 paid for consultation came up. That would have been more effectively spent on one single state to get independence. That’s where you’d get the ball rolling. Yes, NPs have a 26 state strategy (that’s how many states are left to become NP independent), but where do you think the national org is funneling most of their money right now? To all 26 states, or to a couple at a time like they’ve been doing for 30 years?  Looks like California is the big prize here, so that’s where the money is at. If we get California and you don’t, then yes, it is all over for PAs.

Change your name to “Practitioner, Advanced” to keep the “PA” moniker that everyone knows you by, and have your state chapters do the cheap and easy work of getting legislation to codify that in place of “pwned assistant” like it is now. Then have your national org do the full court press on a small state and get them independent. A million dollars of lobbying and advertising in a cheap media market like Montana will get you what you want. From there you pick a new state the next year, it gains momentum quickly, and things come cheaper. 

Thats what you all, along with PAFT, should be talking about non stop.

Next year, nurses will be back in California with this, and they will have learned from this years work. They will have the entire nursing union apparatus engaged at that point. They won’t be asking PAs for help, and won’t be inviting PAs to join them.

Well said.

Also, PAekgdude seems awfully familiar...