Dear PA Colleagues,
I am writing to you with a heavy heart as we continue to endure the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in extraordinary times for our PA workforce. My sadness and concern have been further exacerbated by the events of the past 10 days as I witness the outpouring of pain and frustration due to the death of George Floyd. These events remind me how much pain, inequity, intolerance, and racism exist in our nation today.
As demonstrated by our vision statement, NCAPA is committed to North Carolina PAs providing equitable delivery of patient-centered care. It is time to put those words into further action. Earlier this year, I charged a task force to make recommendations around improving diversity and inclusion among PAs and PA students. This was the beginning of the conversation but certainly not the end. I join my colleague, the President of the North Carolina Medical Society Dr. Palmer Edwards, and his call to action by making health equity a priority and raising this discussion with the NCAPA Board of Directors. Please read Dr. Edwards’ compelling message.
As PAs, we must dig deep into evidence-based medicine to further explore social drivers of health and their impact on health disparities. We need to listen to our patients to understand their barriers to care rather than label them as non-compliant. We need to understand our individual implicit biases and be humble enough to admit our deficits in knowledge, experience, and our fears. We need to collaborate through dialogue, inviting new and diverse voices to the table, for meaningful discussions. I look forward to hearing your ideas as we strive to be PAs (and Passionate Advocates) for change.
Sincerely,
Alisha DeTroye, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA
NCAPA President
