In this issue:
President’s Letter
The Passing of the Gavel
Legislators Visit PA Programs Across the State
NCAPA Student Director Election Results
Make Your Voice Heard – Renew Your NCAPA Membership
2018 NCAPA Winter Conference
In Honor of Oswald H. Ganley, PhD, PA-C
NCAPA Student Leadership Retreat
NCAPA Endowment Student Scholarship: Wake Forest University Recipient
Leadership and Advocacy Grant Available
Regional Chapter Updates
Another Successful Free Fall CME Conference for FWNCPEA
2018 Summer Conference Hotel Room Block is Now Open
Upcoming Pain Management Meetings
Welcome Members!
President’s Letter
by Truett Smith , MPAS, PA-C
November is the month of Thanksgiving. And as Thanksgiving is celebrated in a variety of different ways throughout our diverse country, we all may find ourselves taking certain things for granted and forgetting to be thankful for that which means the most to us. My own loved ones have sacrificed time that could have been spent together over this last year as I fulfilled my duties as the NCAPA President. I am so very thankful for my family.
I am thankful to live in a country that allows me to worship and speak as I choose. I am thankful to all veterans, some who were early founders of our profession, who have fought to provide us these freedoms. I am thankful for the PA profession that grew from the work of three veterans as medics and was created 50 years ago.
I am thankful for the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants. The Academy protects and enhances PA practice in our great state and has done so for over 40 years. The NCAPA consists of a small staff and many many volunteer PAs who have a passion for our profession. NCAPA volunteers put in countless hours, of their own time, to safeguard and promote the PA profession both in North Carolina and nationally. I am so thankful for these individuals, as all PAs in North Carolina should be.
Of all our great NCAPA volunteers, there is a very special PA that I would like to specifically recognize for the countless hours that he has spent to promote and enhance PA practice in North Carolina. This individual was a Charter member of the NCAPA and has been a member of the NCAPA Board for the last 35+ years. He is a Past President of the NCAPA, and served many years as Treasurer with the majority of his responsibilities involving the financial solvency of our Academy. I had the distinct pleasure of presenting an incredible honor to this PA at our November Board meeting. At that meeting, in honor of his many years of service to NCAPA, the NCAPA Board named our Stead Center conference room the Paul Hendrix, MHS, PA-C Conference Room.
Paul, thank you so much for all you have done for all PAs in the state of North Carolina. We are so thankful for you and grateful for the continued dedication and support you have provided the PA profession in our state.
Truett Smith, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA
NCAPA President
The Passing of the Gavel
At the November 3rd meeting of the NCAPA Board of Directors, current President Truett Smith officially recognized and thanked the Board members who served in 2017. He then turned the gavel over to incoming President, Samantha Rogers, who presented a plaque to Truett in appreciation for his service.
While Board members’ terms of office are January 1 through December 31, the November meeting was the last in-person meeting of the Board in 2017 and is traditionally the time when this recognition takes place. Truett remains President until the end of 2017 and Samantha’s term begins on January 1st.
Legislators Visit PA Programs Across the State
by Sarah Wolfe, Assistant Vice-President, McGuire Woods Consulting
This month, continuing with the 50th anniversary PA program tours with legislators, visits were held at High Point University and Wake Forest University with the local legislative delegations. The purpose of the tours is to educate legislators on how PAs are educated and the PA profession in general. In December, a tour will be held at the Methodist University PA program, concluding the tours for 2017. NCAPA plans to schedule additional tours in 2018.
Wake Forest University students and program director Sue Reich discuss the PA profession with Rep. Julia Howard.
Rep. John Faircloth and Rep. Amos Quick learn about High Point University’s simulation labs.
NCAPA Student Director Election Results
The NCAPA election for Student Directors concluded on October 15th. Jasmine Morgan, PA-S, from Lenoir-Rhyne and Amanda Taylor, PA-S, from Campbell, were elected to one-year terms that begin on January 1, 2018.
NCAPA 2018 Board of Directors meeting dates will be:
- January 27, 2018 (Stead Center)
- April 21, 2018 (Stead Center)
- August 18, 2018 (Myrtle Beach, SC)
- November 3, 2018 (Stead Center)
Make Your Voice Heard – Renew Your NCAPA Membership
NCAPA is the only organization devoted exclusively to promoting and representing all PAs in North Carolina, and we work hard to make sure the public and our legislators fully understand the value of PAs. We strive to offer the best CME there is through our annual conferences, workshops, and soon-to-be online educational offerings. And we work to keep you connected with your fellow PAs so that you can take full advantage of the support and guidance your colleagues have to offer.
Our profession is stronger when PAs work together toward shared goals of quality service and optimal health care. Make sure your voice is heard when important issues arise affecting your profession. Activate your 2018 membership today!
2018 NCAPA Winter Conference | Core Medical Knowledge & PANRE Review
February 24-27, 2018
Sheraton Imperial
Durham, NC
The Winter Conference agenda is based on the NCCPA PANRE exam blueprint and will be geared toward a basic review of all organ systems. Even if you are not up for recertification or don’t take the PANRE, this conference is an excellent basic review of core medical knowledge for any health care provider. The full agenda with topics and speakers will be announced in mid-December 2017.
Accreditation
The NCAPA plans to request 30 AAPA Category 1 CME credits for the general sessions and additional hours in workshops from the PA Review Panel. The total number of CME credits is yet to be determined.
Credits awarded by the AAPA are accepted by the ANCC Certification Program and the AANP as Continuing Education (CE) credits for nurses and nurse practitioners.
NCAPA has reserved a block of rooms at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel for conference attendees. Rooms in the block rate are $118/night and are available until January 24, 2018 or until they are sold out. You can book your room using this link or by calling the hotel directly at 919-941-5050 and using the code NCAPA2018.
In Honor of Oswald H. Ganley, PhD, PA-C
by Daniel Mattingly, PA-C, NCAPA Health Committee Member
As the year 2017 draws to a close, and celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the PA Profession become part of history, I’d like to take a look at a snapshot from our past. Looking back in time, it is the year 2001. A headline in the NCAPA News, predecessor of The Pulse, proclaims, “The North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants kicked off our yearlong 25th Anniversary Celebration with an open house at the new central office in Durham.” It was an exciting time to be a PA. The profession was fast-growing in size and stature in the healthcare world and the world at-large. In the Spring 2001 issue of the NCAPA News, there appeared an article written by Oswald “Ossie” Ganley, PhD, PA-C, a now recently retired 20-year member of the Health Committee. Ganley’s perspective in the article is unique: he became a PA at the age of 67, after having 3 successful careers, including serving as Assistant Deputy Secretary of State. At the same time his experience is emblematic of the profession, in that it gave him a way to fulfill his lifelong calling to the practice of clinical medicine. Read the entire article here.
During his 20-year career as a PA, Ganley made numerous contributions to the profession and the field of medical education, as well as to his patients, and to his PA colleagues suffering from addictive diseases. As part of his work with the North Carolina Physicians Health Program (NCPHP), his landmark outcome study of PAs in the NCPHP monitoring program, was published and appeared in the Journal of Addictive Diseases (J Addict Dis 2005;24(1):1-12). This was the first study to document the long-term effectiveness of a professional health monitoring program for PAs. Ganley also gave a heartfelt gift of himself, demonstrated by his clinical acuity and caring for his patients. After proving himself to be an able and talented clinician in a demanding cardiology service at Duke, he spent the last 15 years of his career providing pro bono care for uninsured patients in primary care and addiction medicine.
To honor Ganley for his dedication and service, the NCAPA Board of Directors has approved a Health Committee initiative to purchase a brick at the Stead Center. Though the final wording of the inscription has not yet been decided, at the time this was submitted for publication, the draft language being considered is:
“Oswald H. “Ossie” Ganley, PhD, PA. In honor and appreciation of your love of people and practice of medicine.”
NCAPA Student Leadership Retreat
by Kat Nicholas, NCAPA Director of Membership & Marketing
North Carolina PA students gathered at the Stead Center in Durham on the chilliest morning of the season yet, on Saturday, November 11th. All eleven PA programs in the state were represented, with some students travelling over two hours to attend the NCAPA Student Leadership Retreat. The conference room was full, with a total of 50 PA students attending, as well as a variety of speakers, volunteers, and staff. NCAPA was even able to obtain a videographer to capture the day’s content for potential future use online.
Students were welcomed with hot coffee and bagels and an opportunity to mingle with their PA student peers before the morning session began, led with introductions and team building activities by NCAPA President-Elect, Samantha Rogers, PA-C. The room was buzzing with conversation and laughter as students got to know one another better and learned all the variety of ways a person can be part of a team, as well as all the variety of ways leadership is defined.
Sarah Wolfe, Contract NCAPA Government Affairs Manager and Lobbyist, led the next presentation, speaking on Advocating for the PA Profession. She talked of the importance of sharing your voice with legislators, how bills become law, and gave some examples of NCAPA’s past advocacy endeavors. Following Sarah, Katharine Kovacs, PA-C, of the North Carolina Medical Board went over some basics with regards to obtaining a NC License to practice as a PA and reviewed the new opioid prescribing rules and oversight initiative.
An hour was provided for lunch and further networking, followed by a great panel of representatives from three different institutions that hire PAs: Jeffrey Lamphere, PA-C, from WakeMed Health, Alisha DeTroye, PA-C, from Wake Baptist Health, and Peter Gunn, PA-C, from Duke Health. The panelists were there to share information on what companies are looking for when hiring PAs, best practices for job searches, and so much more. Students were very engaged, asking numerous questions. At the completion of the hour, it was apparent that this topic could be allotted more time in the future, as students were lined up to speak with the panelists personally during the short break afterwards.
NCAPA President, Truett Smith, PA-C, capped off the day with a presentation on the Future of the PA Profession. Continued advocacy for the profession, engagement from all PAs in the state, and continued recognition of the importance of PAs and PA practice were the messages of the day. Overall, the 2017 Student Leadership Retreat was a great success. We are very grateful for all the fantastic speakers and dedicated students who shared their Saturday with us at the Stead Center. The PA future is certainly bright!
NCAPA Endowment Student Scholarship: Wake Forest University Recipient
The NCAPA Endowment congratulates Mr. Ryan O’Hara as the 2017 recipient of the Thomas Benjamin Houck scholarship, which is earmarked for a PA student from Wake Forest University. Ryan graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he worked in the athletic training program with collegiate and high school sports teams. He also was a resident assistant and summer bridge counselor in a program that focused on minority, LGBTQ, underrepresented and educationally disadvantaged students. Studying abroad in London enabled Ryan to work with children who had been diagnosed with diseases such as muscular dystrophy, autism, epilepsy and cystic fibrosis. Not surprisingly, he also volunteered in his hometown to work with the Special Olympics and with the local YMCA. Within PA school, Ryan stepped into leadership as a student admissions ambassador; he consistently volunteers at a student-run indigent clinic and at the local hospitality house for family members of hospitalized patients. Ryan’s career goals include working in a rural community in NC and pursuing leadership as a PA graduate. We look forward to his further service to patients and to the PA profession.
Robert Wooten, PA-C, President of NCAPA Endowment; Ryan O’Hara, PA-S
The NCAPA Endowment awards annual scholarships to deserving clinical year students at each of the NC PA programs. It also makes grants to agencies where PAs help oversee care to underserved populations. Please consider making a donation today.
Leadership and Advocacy Grant Available
NCAPA PA and student members are encouraged to apply for the NCAPA Endowment Lanny Parker Memorial Fund grant to support leadership and advocacy opportunities. One opportunity you may want to consider applying for is funding to attend the upcoming AAPA Leadership and Advocacy Summit March 8th-10th. Details regarding applications are available on the NCAPA website. Deadline for application is January 15th, 2018.
Regional Chapter Updates
- The Metrolina Association of Physician Assistants (MAPA) hosted its 2017 PA Grand Rounds on Saturday October 14th at Charlotte Ear, Nose, & Throat Associates. MAPA partnered with CEENTA to provide 6 hours of free CME consisting of ENT cases and diseases. This was open to MAPA members and Charlotte area PAs.
- The Fayetteville Association of Physician Assistants has changed their name to the Sandhills Association of Physician Assistants (SAPA). Meetings currently take place in Fayetteville, as it is the center of the focused region. They are looking to grow and offer CME opportunities to PAs, as well as expand the knowledge of PAs and the PA profession to the surrounding communities. If you are interested in more information, you can find SAPA on Facebook or you can email Denise Busbin, current President, at dbusbin84@gmail.com to be added to the email list.
- Piedmont Association of Physician Assistants (PAPA) launched PAPA Fights Hunger, a community service initiative aimed at tackling the issue of food insecurity – a public health crisis affecting 1 out of every 6 residents and 1 out of every 4 children living in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. Through local food drives held by PAPA members during PA Week, donations of non-perishable food items collected during the 20th Annual PAPA Fall Seminar filled nearly six collection bins. In addition, cash donations from PAPA members and supporters will provide an additional 7840 meals to those in need. Proceeds of PAPA Fights Hunger will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.
- The Triangle Association of Physician Assistants (TAPA) hosted their first annual spring CME conference at the Stead Center in Durham, NC this past Spring on April 22, 2017. The event was sponsored by the NCAPA Endowment CME grant, which is a fund in memory of former PAPA presidents Mandy Dozier and Mark Sizemore use to support regional chapter Category 1 CME events. The event had 43 in attendance who learned about topics such as diabetes, heart failure, pain management, thyroid disease and epilepsy. It was an educational and fun event for all who attended.
Another Successful Free Fall CME Conference for FWNCPEA
by Jane Girskis, PA-C, FWNCPEA Founder and President
The Far West NC Physician’s Extender Associates (FWNCPEA) was born in 2011 in Sylva, North Carolina. At the time, there was an NCAPA regional chapter about 60 miles away in the Asheville area, but the drive could be long and potentially dangerous, dependent on the weather. My husband and I had just welcomed our second baby, and I wanted to stay active and relevant in my PA/NP community, but a bit closer to home. So with a vision of serving the counties southwest of Asheville, I started FWNCPEA.
During the initial year, I sought advice and input from NCAPA, as I wanted to establish FWNCPEA as a regional chapter of NCAPA. I received assistance from Harvey Krape, PA-C, who had been involved with NCAPA and has since retired. I also received great guidance from Alisha DeTroye, PA-C, who recommended that I organize an annual free conference to provide CME, similar to other regional chapter free offerings. I live in a small, rural community without a very large population of PAs, NPs, or students, so there have certainly been moments that I have felt I had bit off more than I can chew. But for the past four years,I have managed to offer a free Fall conference with CME and I continue to learn something new and implement improvements each year.
It has been a very busy autumn season as President and founder of the Far West North Carolina Physician Extender group. I’m not exactly sure why, but the conference this year was actually a little smaller than in the past with only 35 attendees. Lectures included EKG review, Diabetes, COPD, Hepatitis, Sports Medicine, Safe Opioid Prescribing, and Yoga therapy. There were 5 exhibitors. The venue, Lake Junaluska Conference Center, was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect. We all ate our lunch picnic style out by the lake. I believe every person involved learned something and enjoyed the networking opportunities as well.
I could not have done it without the help and support of NCAPA. From the generous support of the NCAPA Endowment through their Regional Chapter CME Grant to NCAPA President Truett Smith, PA-C, who came out to introduce each speaker. My thanks goes out to all NCAPA and NCAPA Endowment staff and volunteers.
Keep up the good work NCAPA, you have my gratitude.
2018 Summer Conference Hotel Room Block is Now Open
The room block for the 2018 Summer Conference is now open at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC. Rooms in our block fill up quickly, we recommend you book your room as soon as possible by going here.
Upcoming Pain Management Meetings
by Ms. Robin L. Hoyle JD, Executive Director, Pain Societies
Pain Management at the Crossroads – No Matter your Specialty, We Have Sessions for You! Come for the Weekend, Come for a Day!
- The Pain Society of the Carolinas Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions – Dec. 1-3, Belmond Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston SC
- The Pennsylvania Pain Society Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions – Dec. 8-10, Hershey Lodge, Hershey PA
Welcome Members!
Welcome to our renewing and our brand new members!
The following members have joined or renewed their membership since our last issue.
Thank you all for your support of NCAPA and all PAs in North Carolina!
Lovest Alexander Jr., Durham
D. Allred, Greensboro
Sayeh Araghi, Fayetteville
Carolyn Aros, Currituck
Corrina Baglia, Charlotte
Deanna Bath, Charlotte
Rosalind Becker, Charlotte
Robert Bibey, West End
Matthew Bogaert, Gastonia
Betsy Bradshaw, Fayetteville
Megan Branche, Troutman
Janet Britt, West End
Jonathan Brown, Charlotte
Greta Brunet, Apex
Ben Bullard, Granite Falls
Pamela Burleson, Bullock
Susan Capps, Gastonia
Ashton Carnes, Boiling Springs
James H Carter Jr, Hillsborough
John Chadwick, Southern Pines
Kevin Chung, Winston-Salem
Robert Cipriano, Weaverville
David Coniglio, Southern Pines
Paul Craft, Jamestown
Daniel Culbreth, Wilmington
Patricia Dieter, Durham
Emily Diggs, Granite Falls
Whitney Doiron, Greensboro
Gerald Erickson, Hickory
Elizabeth Evans, Chapel Hill
Wayne Freas, Leland
Mark Frieze, Greenville
Oma Gama, Raleigh
Laura Gerstner, Holly Springs
Karen Gimblet, Hickory
Ross Goldbaum, Hillsborough
Amy Gonzales, Fuquay Varina
Bianca Goo, Fayetteville
Chloe Greguska, Charlotte
Davida Griffin, Cary
Pete Gutierrez, Miami, FL
Catherine Haggart, Fletcher
Wanda Hancock, Farmville
Phyllis Harris, State Road
Cheryl Henson, Fletcher
Ashley Hicks, Charlotte
Jim Hill, Charlotte
Karen Hills, Chapel Hill
Audrey Hockeborn, Charlotte
Krysta Holterman, Wake Forest
Lori Hvozdovic, Kill Devil Hills
Angela Jackson, Fayetteville
Betty Lynne Johnson, Clayton
Andrew Jones, Charlotte
Jeffrey Katz, Hickory
Nancy Keeler, Winston Salem
Allie Kelly, Charlotte
Brendan Klitsch, Charlotte
Jeffrey LaFuria, Raleigh
Paul Layman, Rutherfordton
Jennifer Layton, Winston Salem
Tiffany Lee, Greenville
Ann Linn, Tega Cay, SC
Emily Little, Fayetteville
Michael Long, Huntersville
David Lowe, Raleigh
Dan Lynam, Elizabeth City
Henry Martensen, Burlington
Daniel Mattingly, Chapel Hill
Christine McBride, Star
Leslie McCutcheon, Apex
Michelle McMoon, Durham
Ashley Medina, Concord
Elsie Min, Greensboro
Brian Monroe, Leland
Luke Morrison, Holly Springs
John Murphy, Stanley
Julia Niemi, Lillington
Sarah Nowak, Baltimore, MD
Mellisa Nowak, Fuquay Varina
Holly O’Sullivan, Durham
Beth Parente, Durham
David Paulson, Benson
Daniel Pedersen, Hamptonville
Drew Perkins, Greensboro
Marian Peters, Boone
David Powell, Greenville
Cary Probst, Charlotte
Rich Rappaport, Morehead City
Lindsay Reese, Aberdeen
Emily Richey, Winterville
Katherine Roehm, Durham
Carla Rohena, Winnabow
Michelle Roman, Wilmington
Jason Romblad, Lexington
Lauren Salamino, Cary
Lyndsey Saunders, Winston Salem
Erin Schulhof, New Bern
Whitney Shamp, Fort Mill, SC
Daniel Shapiro, Wilmington
John Shoaf, Blowing Rock
Alicia Sigmon, Claremont
Glenn Sikes, New Bern
Elaine Smith, Charlotte
Joshua Smith, Morrisville
David Spainhour, Gastonia
Brittany Starnes, Matthews
Tiffany Stephens, Raleigh
April Stouder, Chapel Hill
Lindsey Taylor, Mount Holly
Kristin Teague, Hickory
Aaron Thomas, Cary
Bridget Thompson, Ellerbe
Stephen Todd, Durham
E. Gail Tracy, Pittsboro
Bowie Tran, Kernersville
Margaret Tyma, Raleigh
Richard Ulstad, Wilmington
Richard Wayne, Brevard
Shannon Whitaker, Wilmington
D. Terry Whitney, Fayetteville
Eric Wright, Rose Hill
Martine Wuist, Gastonia
Richard Young, Clayton
