AMA BOT Concludes on Resolution...

[physasst]

From the AAPA:

 

As previously posted, the original version of Report 16 to its House of Delegates, presented by the AMA Board of Trustees, sought to restrict “non-physicians” from performing an extensive list of “surgical” and “invasive” procedures. The report also asserted that “invasive procedures using radiologic guidance” should only be performed by p...hysicians (MDs and DOs.) As a result of AAPA coordinated opposition to the report from PAs and physicians, the AMA Board of Trustees revised its report, deleting the expanded definition of surgery and restricting the report to addressing “invasive procedures” on the day before its Reference Committee hearing.

 

Strong testimony in support of PA practice during the Reference Committee was presented by a long line of physicians including representatives from AAFP, ACS, American Urological Association, the Great Lakes Coalition of Medical Societies, the Pacific Rim Coalition, the AMA’s Young Physician Section, as well as the medical societies of California, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and New Mexico and many individual physicians. Mary Ettari, MPH, PA, AAPA liaison to the AMA, provided testimony opposing the resolution and provided a summary of articles documenting quality and outcomes of PA-provided-care. She also presented the results of a petition with more than 6,000 signatures from PAs around the country. Testimony in support of the report came from the AMA Board of Trustees, anesthesiologists, pain medicine physicians and individual delegates. Following the hearing, the Reference Committee significantly revised the recommendations, restricting their scope to “invasive pain management procedures.”

 

AAPA has been at the 2013 AMA House of Delegates Annual Meeting advocating for the PA profession. After the Reference Committee released its report, we convened conference calls with leaders in the AAPA's PAs in Pain Management Special Interest Group and other PAs practicing in pain management to fully understand the report’s implications in order to inform continued discussion with AMA delegates.

 

The revised Reference Committee B Report was adopted by the AMA House of Delegates on Tuesday afternoon, http://www.ama-assn.org/assets/meeting/2013a/a13-refcomm-b-item14-revised.pdf. The AMA House adjourns today, June 19, 2013.

 

Many thanks to all of the AAPA volunteers, constituent organizations and liaisons for a concerted, unanimous effort, and to all the PAs who worked with physicians to voice strong objection to each phase of Board of Trustees Report 16. AMA policy is just that, the policy of the American Medical Association, and not law or rule. It is significant that the PA voice was heard so strongly and that the report diminished in scope so dramatically over the course of three days.

 

This is not over. AAPA will continue to work with our constituent organizations and all members of the profession to advocate for full practice for all PAs in every specialty and setting. Watch for news of follow up here on Facebook, Twitter and Medical Watch. If you have any questions please contact Ann Davis, PA-C, MS, senior director of constituent organization outreach and advocacy, at ann@aapa.org.

 

[EMEDPA]

strong work to all those involved in amending this recommendation.

[SocialMedicine]

great job AAPA and family PA association

[ventana]

great job!

 

Nice to see the profession rally to protect ourselves - is an essential trait of hitting the big time!!