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Summer Checklist
Most state legislatures are out for the summer. That makes July and August the ideal time to focus on out-of-the-capitol activities that are critical to state government advocacy success. Here is a handful to consider:
- Invite an elected official to visit your practice. Your Congressman may have some time at home in your district, and your state representative and senator are almost certainly close by. Health care is hot. Give your legislator a reason to understand PAs. The state government advocacy Web site has a step-by-step guide on "how to host a legislator at your practice." Put it to work.
- Run an article on a political topic in your chapter newsletter. Heads up newsletter editors: Academy State Government Advocacy & Outreach staff has three articles written for constituent organization newsletters that are yours to use. David Ashner, AAPA state government analyst, is the author of all three. For a list of article topics, along with other ways that our staff can assist your chapter, visit our "How We Can Help" page.
- Meet with the staff from the state medical society to talk about plans for next year. That's what Utah PAs are doing, and they are finding support for changing the current ratio requirement. It's a great time to see what the medical society's plans are for the upcoming year, and to see if there's an opportunity for a joint advocacy project.
- Make a presentation on PAs at a meeting of the medical board. The Montana, New York, and Oregon state PA societies have done that in the past few months. Take a look at the New York presentation to see how you might prepare (Academy staff can help).
- Create a five year plan. It can be hard to think long term when the legislature is in session and your hair is on fire. Summer is the ideal time to look at the PA laws and regs to plan for future upgrades. State government staff is happy to help. Twenty PA state societies have requested a comprehensive review and draft revision of their state's PA law and regs. Make your state next!
- Take a self-guided or staff-guided tour of the State Advocacy section of the new Academy Web site. Tons of helpful tools are only a click away.
- Sit on the porch and drink lemonade. Because, well, it's summer!
New Tools
Four new resources have arrived on the scene:
"Are PAs America's Health Care Heroes? In this brave new world of health care reform they just might help to save the day." That's the title of the cover story in the Spring '09 edition of A.T. Still Magazine, the alumni magazine of the nation's founding school of osteopathic medicine.
A study on "Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in Specialty Care" done by the University of California at San Francisco Center for the Health Professions, and funded by the California Healthcare Foundation, highlights PAs as team members in dermatology, gastroenterology, and orthopedics.
A ReachMD program on Regulating PAs through State Law features the Six Key Elements of a state law that maximize efficiency and effectiveness of physician-PA teams. Academy staff and Beth Grivett,
PA-C, chair of the California chapter's government affairs committee, talk about regulation of the profession and the keys to legislative success.
The newly revised Guidelines for State Regulation of Physician Assistant Practice is available for review and distribution.
And about Distribution
New resources provide a ready opportunity to start or continue a conversation about the role of PAs in the health care system. Do your contacts in the state medical society, legislature, hospital association, or educational institutions need a refresher on the role PAs play in your state? Consider sending one of the resources above, along with your contact information, as part of your continued network-building program.
Friends in High Places
Dan McNeill, PhD, PA-C, long time Legislative Chair for the Oklahoma Academy of Physician Assistants, is currently Vice-Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). The Medical Advisory Committee advises the OHCA on policies governing the state's Medicaid program and its enrollees. Recent changes to SoonerCare rules implementing the "medical home" increased the number of SoonerCare patients a practice may enroll when a PA is a member of the staff. As one of the designated primary care providers under the SoonerCare program, PAs will assure the delivery of medically-necessary preventive and primary care medical services, including assisting patients with gaining access to the health care system.
At its annual meeting in May, the Administrators in Medicine (AIM), the national organization of medical board executive directors, awarded Meg Hansen, PA-C, Executive Director of the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners, the inaugural John Ulwelling Special Recognition Award. Meg also serves on the AIM board of directors.
Legislative Watch is a monthly state government newsletter written for PA national and state leaders, and for PA leaders in education and regulation. Newsletter editors are welcome to re-print articles; please credit the source as "The American Academy of Physician Assistants' Legislative Watch." Academy state government advocacy and outreach staff are a ready resource for your state government information and assistance. Contact Ann Davis, PA-C, director and western region contact ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; AAPA extension 3201), Stephanie Radix, assistant director and southeast region contact ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; AAPA extension 3216), Liz Roe, assistant director and contact for the north central and south central regions ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; extension 3504) or David Ashner, analyst and contact for the northeast region ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; extension 3212).
