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Bad PA press. List here for PAFT to respond


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I want this thread to serve as a place that members can post links to articles, blogs, etc online which cast pa's in a poor light whether through poor representation of the facts or outright untruths. PAFT will respond to each with a list of facts and a request that these articles be fixed or removed.

Eric Holden, PA-C

Director at Large, PAFT

http://pasfortomorrow.org/

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I want this thread to serve as a place that members can post links to articles, blogs, etc online which cast pa's in a poor light whether through poor representation of the facts or outright untruths. PAFT will respond to each with a list of facts and a request that these articles be fixed or removed.

Eric Holden, PA-C

Director at Large, PAFT

http://pasfortomorrow.org/

 

Great work! I've always said that the AAPA should have had a gorilla in a suite with a file full of facts and studies . . . he just sat and lurked . . . waiting for mis-information to appear, then to pounce with facts and truths and to hold people accountable.

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  • 1 month later...

http://fortlee.patch.com/articles/physician-assistant-charged-with-sexual-assault-at-fort-lee-medical-office

 

Now obviously this guy is not good, but the article specifically states: "Both incidents are alleged to have occurred while Kim was alone with the women, according to authorities, who also said that Kim is not a licensed physician or nurse, but rather an assistant to the physicians at the Edison Kidney Center, Edison Nephrology, LLC in Edison and its affiliated office in Fort Lee."

 

Hence the article is essentially implying that PAs do not even have the legal ability to do physicals because they are "assistants."

 

Don't know if you want to touch this one anyway, since it's bad press in itself as this PA committed a crime, but that's at your digression.

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No action required but posted more so for informational content. Can't even escape bad press in fictional novels. The latest Baldacci book that I read (one of the older ones with the two former secret service agents) had a PA (addressed as such in the novel) assisting a PCP who was also the local ME and he was caught stealing/selling drugs from the practice pharmacy to an illicit character in the book. Not exactly a sterling character. State board didn't have to get involved however since he was later murdered. He did drive a Jeep so at least he had some good qualities.

Edited by Teasip
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Can't even escape bad press in fictional novels.

 

Ain't that the truth. Googling "Physician Assistant" and you seem to get a majority of articles on PA criminals or editorials blasting PAs. Google "Nurse Practitioner" and you get "NPs team up to push for advances in health care" and "NPs are the answer to the PCP shortage." And if there's any good coverage of a PA, it usually mentioned briefly in passing, and usually with the misnomer "physician's assistant" (which we're all familiar with). Other than that, all I ever see is "blah blah PA hired to blah family practice in HerpDerp Ohio" from clinic and practice websites, whereas the tone NPs receive on Google News suggests we should be seeing articles titled "NP flies up into space to save a cartload full of kittens; returns to enact world peace."

 

We need to start getting PAs to go out and write editorials or promotional articles on various sites. Since the AAPA ain't pushing much propaganda outside of its Youtube channel, from what I can see, seems individual PAs have got to pick up the slack.

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Every individual PA is responsible to respond to the bad press and to write our own promotional articles. PAFT is in the process of writing to correct bad articles, or write our own responses. BUT, you cannot depend on one group to do it all. So, if you see bad press, misunderstanding of the profession, NPs getting the glory, PAs being swept under the rug, write your own letter or article. Submit it to your local paper. I posted on the AAPA website about the dreaded word "supervision" and how it impacts PA practice negatively. They responded that collaboration is a better word and that we can use that word instead of supervision. They responded that Federal law doesn't reference the word "supervision" frequently,but it is in our state laws. So, I take it that using the word collaboration has the green light from AAPA (not that we need the green light from them, but it is recorded that way on AAPA Facebook page). The more we use the word collaboration and call our physician partners our collaborative physician,the better it will be. Go write your letter, editorial, column, write your legislators, etc. I have done this on my own and also as a part of PAFT. Lets all work together towards this. Lets stand up for the PA Profession.

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Ain't that the truth. Googling "Physician Assistant" and you seem to get a majority of articles on PA criminals or editorials blasting PAs. Google "Nurse Practitioner" and you get "NPs team up to push for advances in health care" and "NPs are the answer to the PCP shortage." And if there's any good coverage of a PA, it usually mentioned briefly in passing, and usually with the misnomer "physician's assistant" (which we're all familiar with). Other than that, all I ever see is "blah blah PA hired to blah family practice in HerpDerp Ohio" from clinic and practice websites, whereas the tone NPs receive on Google News suggests we should be seeing articles titled "NP flies up into space to save a cartload full of kittens; returns to enact world peace."

 

We need to start getting PAs to go out and write editorials or promotional articles on various sites. Since the AAPA ain't pushing much propaganda outside of its Youtube channel, from what I can see, seems individual PAs have got to pick up the slack.

 

Not meant to be argumentative, as I do agree that the PA profession can stand more positive press. However, I was curious about googling this. Not true. When googling "physician assistant", I don't see a "majority" of articles "bashing" PAs or discussing "PA criminals". For the first 5-6 pages at least, there are almost nill. Similarly, did not see the "Google News" love affair with NPs when googling "nurse practitoner".

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  • 2 weeks later...
Unbelievable. We need to go to FB and respond to that spelling. You'd think they would proof read the article before letting it be published.

 

I went to FB and commented on the 's. The response was that they would make a correction. I'm not sure if it was actually done.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm sure you all have read the latest Wall Street Journal article regarding PAs. It seemed like a good article...definitely highlighting some tough stuff about my new state of Kentucky. Anyways, the actual comments on the article were more discouraging than anything. I know "comments" are not the same as the article so it isn't considered "bad press". There were a lot of dumb things said. I thought about jumping in there but figured it wouldn't do any good since I would be only sane person talking about the physician assistant. Oh well. I hate when our profession is misunderstood. But you can't win them all. Just curious if any one felt the same.

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