In this issue:
President’s Message: Don Metzger, PA-C
NCAPA Announces Results of BOD Election
Strengthening Our Collective Voice
Registration is Open: NCAPA Recertification Exam Review Conference
Save the Date: Commercial Driver Medical Examiner Training
Why Wait? Now’s the Time to Renew for 2014
Tell Your Friends About NCAPA
In Memory of Mandy Dozier
PA Leadership Boot Camp
Evidence-Based Practice
Now Accepting Applications for HIV Clinician Mentoring
Students, Mark Your Calendars Now for November 2
President’s Message
By Don Metzger, PA-C
I hope you all had a wonderful PA week!!!! If you have not done so already, go to the AAPA web site and view the testimonials from some very prominent people on the value of PAs. We need to continue to demonstrate our value to our patients, physicians, and insurers. The Affordable Health Care Act has gotten off to a rough start, but it is here and it will be important for us to have a seat at the table going forward. Your NCAPA is actively engaged and has participated in conferences and advisory councils to try and protect your right to practice. We need you and your colleagues to continue to support the NCAPA so that we can support YOU! Please share/forward your copy of the PULSE with other PAs and encourage them to become involved, too.
I have been nominated to become the Chair of the PA Section of the North Carolina Medical Society, and look forward to working closely with the NCMS as we advocate for patients and providers. The NCAPA will continue to partner with other organizations so that we can remain at the forefront of this monumental change in healthcare. If you would like to make a difference and get involved, contact our central office and see how you can help. There is strength in numbers, so call today!
NCAPA Announces Results of BOD Election
Results are in from this fall’s election for NCAPA Board of Directors’ positions. Congratulations to those chosen to serve!
Marc Katz, PA-C, will serve as President-Elect. His term is January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014. Paul Hendrix, MHS, PA-C, was re-elected as Treasurer for the term January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2015.
Three NCAPA fellows were elected to fill Director-At-Large positions on the Board. All will serve from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015. They are: Alisha DeTroye, PA-C; Stacey Lee , PA-C; and Joshua Smith, PA-C.
Also, congratulations to Jane Girskis, MPAS, PA-C, who was elected to a two-year term as a Member-At-Large on the Nominating Committee.
Thank you to the following Board members—who have served NCAPA diligently and with distinction—whose terms are ending this year:
Wanda Hancock, PA-C, Director-At-Large; Bud Shelton, PA, Director-At-Large; and Ryan Vann, MHS, PA-C, Immediate Past President. We know they will continue to use their talents to further the mission of NCAPA in other capacities.
Strengthening Our Collective Voice
By Christian Schulz, MS, PA-C
Government Affairs Committee Member and PAEC Treasurer
Summer is over and a new season is approaching—the election season! Although it may be a mid-term election, who is elected will have a significant impact on the issues local and state governments will address in coming years. This will be true across the country as well as in North Carolina for one of the most significant domestic issues of our time—health care reform. Whether it’s the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, policy changes in the Division of Medical Assistance, or new regulations enacted by our state representatives, the PA profession will certainly be affected.
In order to be aware of policy changes and new regulations, first and foremost, we each need to be active participants in the political process. Not only must we understand pertinent issues, but we must have access to our key legislators to provide them education about issues in PA practice as well as to protect and expand the role of PAs in North Carolina. Individually, we can advocate for professional issues and contact our representatives to voice concerns. Ultimately, of course, we have a voice in our constitutional right to vote, but we also have a collective voice in the NCAPA Political Action and Education Committee (PAEC).
The PAEC was established as an adjunct to engage our state representatives on issues pertinent to the PA profession. Its goal is to develop strong legislative partners to promote the PA/physician team concept and advocate for the delivery of high-quality healthcare in North Carolina. A Board of Trustees oversees the PAEC to identify and engage candidates who are committed to the principles and values of the PA profession. It is our hope that through the actions of the PAEC we are able to educate our leaders on the immense contributions of PAs in the delivery of health care and improve our ability overall to provide care. The PAEC is not affiliated with any one political party, but rather represents our interests to legislators in order to enhance the profession on behalf of all PAs practicing in North Carolina.
Did you know that there are hundreds of Political Action Committees (PACs) in North Carolina? These PACs represent ideologies or have specific missions that cross a myriad of landscapes. Some, however, have related advocacy goals like the North Carolina Medical Society PAC, which raised $87,990 in the 2012 election cycle. There are more than 5000 practicing PAs in North Carolina. Imagine if each of us contributed the equivalent of 1 hour of salary to the PAEC—that’s only 0.0005 % of income—but we would be in an excellent position to extend our ability to engage our legislators and further advocate for the PA profession and for you!
A well-funded PAEC helps us show strength in numbers and validates our commitment to the process. Further, it ensures that our message will carry more weight as it is heard from our collective voice. Please help us make a difference by contributing to your PAEC and challenge your colleagues to do the same. Feel free to contact any of the PAEC Trustees for more information, but most importantly please help us ensure that your professional interests are protected. Help us advocate for you—DONATE NOW!
Registration is open!
28th Annual NCAPA Recertification Exam Review Conference
Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center
February 24-28, 2014
Durham, NC
This conference agenda will mirror the PANRE Exam blueprint, and will also be an excellent review of all organ systems for any medical professional. Registration is now open! Please visit https://ncapa.org/index.php/conferences/ for more information.
The Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center is offering NCAPA conference attendees an Early Bird Special. Book your hotel before January 1, 2014 and receive a special room rate. Click here for hotel information and reservations
Save the Date!
Commercial Driver Medical Examiner Training
Sheraton Imperial Hotel
Friday, February 28, 2014
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ready to get certified? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all medical examiners who wish to provide DOT/CDL exams to be trained and certified by May 21, 2014. The NCAPA training course is designed to follow FMCSA training guidelines and will prepare the medical examiner to pass the national certification exam. This course will offer 6 hours of Category 1 CME.* Registration will open soon on www.ncapa.org.
*The NCAPA plans to request 6 hours of AAPA Category I CME credit from the PA Review Panel. The total number of approved credits is yet to be determined.
Why Wait? Now’s the Time to Renew for 2014
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today—activate your 2014 NCAPA membership now! Save yourself time and skip the hard-copy renewal form (which will be going out in the mail in the next few weeks) by renewing online.
Tell Your Friends about NCAPA—and Drink More Coffee
Now through November 30, the “Each One Reach One” campaign is offering current NCAPA members the incentive of a $10 Starbucks gift card when you convince a colleague or friend to join NCAPA as a 2014 new member.
There is a one-per-member limit on the Starbucks gift cards, but we certainly encourage you to recruit multiple new members! Come 2014, all “Each One Reach One” recruiters will be acknowledged in The Pulse.
HOW-TO FOR MEMBERSHIP RECRUITERS (that’s you!):
- Tell colleagues about the benefits you find in NCAPA membership, and convince them to join for 2014.
- Ask them to join online via the NCAPA website (ncapa.org).
- Tell them that when they are routed to the Demographics screen as part of the registration process, they should list your name in the “Referred By” field.
- As incoming new memberships are processed at the NCAPA office, we will note that you are a star recruiter for NCAPA, and mail you a $10 Starbucks gift card!
- Your recruitment prowess will be recognized in the January issue of The Pulse.
Questions? Contact any member of the Membership Committee, or Lee Busselman, Member Services Coordinator.
In Memory of Mandy Dozier
By Alisha DeTroye, PA-C
On October 3, 2013 the PA profession lost one of our dear colleagues and friends, Mandy Dozier. Mandy graduated from the Bowman Gray PA Program in 1999 after an earlier career in research. She was motivated to pursue the physician assistant profession after her diagnosis of breast cancer at a young age. Following graduation she worked for several years in a family practice office in Kernersville before moving into her calling of interventional radiology. She was known throughout Forsyth Medical Center for her warm personality and beautiful smile as she circulated the hospital to perform procedures such as lumbar punctures, thoracentesis, paracentesis, PICC line and portacath placements. She never met a stranger and made everyone feel as if they were her best friend. She used her own personal experiences as a cancer patient to reassure and calm patients she encountered. Her caring demeanor also carried into the community where she volunteered for her church, Hospice, Pink Broomsticks, and was involved with the local volunteer fire department. She truly represented the spirit of the PA profession.
In addition to her accomplishments at work, she was very active in the Piedmont Association of Physician Assistants, where she served in various capacities including three terms as president (2007, 2010 and 2011). During her tenure, she was a founding member of the CME committee with fellow PA-Cs Mark Sizemore and Alisha DeTroye, who helped to develop the process of grant writing to find resources to support the monthly PAPA Category 1 CME meetings and the annual free PAPA Fall Seminar. She shared her knowledge with future generations of leaders to continue these important efforts. In fact, at the recent NCAPA regional chapter workshop, a lecture previously prepared by Mandy was used to educate regional chapter presidents on Grant Writing 101. Mandy was passionate about the importance of providing educational opportunities for her PA colleagues. In 2010, after the early passing of our friend Mark Sizemore, PA-C, the NCAPA Endowment established a grant to support PA continuing education in his honor. During recent conversations Mandy indicated that it would be an honor to her legacy to continue this tradition of supporting the NCAPA Endowment CME Grant in honor of Mark Sizemore and Mandy Dozier.
It was quite appropriate that the celebration of Mandy’s life was held on PA day, October 6. We honored our friend and colleague then. I hope you will also join me in supporting the memory, life, and works of Mandy Dozier, PA-C, by making a contribution to the NCAPA Endowment. Even if you didn’t know her personally, you have likely benefited from her knowledge of PA continuing education. Tax-deductible donations can be made to NCAPA Endowment CME Grant in Honor of Mandy Dozier. Please mail donations to NCAPA, 1121 Slater Road, Durham, NC 27703.
Estes Conference Center Hosts PA Leadership Boot Camp
On Saturday, September 7, a PA Leadership Boot Camp for practicing physician assistants and students was held at the Estes Conference Center in Durham. This event was the culmination of Alisha DeTroye’s North Carolina Medical Society’s Leadership College project.
Attendees enjoyed learning more about themselves and their leadership type through a self-assessment process called DISC training. These skills were then put to work during a team-building exercise involving spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow. Who knew that physician assistant leaders could be extra resourceful, as seen in the photos of their masterpieces?
Dr. Reamer Bushardt, department chair of the Wake Forest PA program, encouraged the PAs to recognize their character attributes and flaws while continually working on self-development to improve leadership skills.
The physician assistants were challenged to get more involved in local and state government to advocate for our profession by State Senator Andrew Brock (who is married to Andrea Gentry Brock, a physician assistant). The day ended with a media and public speaking training session.
Overall the day was a complete success. The physician assistants enjoyed networking with their colleagues as well as enhancing their leadership development, while earning 5 hours of Category 1 CME. This is an event which may be repeated next year, so please stay tuned and don’t miss out on a future opportunity to get involved!
Evidence-Based Practice
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, has developed evidence-based resources for clinicians. AHRQ’s Effective Health Care (EHC) Program provides free research summaries that support clinicians in the practice of evidence-based medicine. The summaries are concise, unbiased, and practical, providing reliable comparisons on the benefits and risks of treatments for many chronic conditions. To access the available summaries, follow this link: ahrq.gov/professionals/bottomline.
Now Accepting Applications for HIV Clinician Mentoring
The Southeast AIDS Training and Education Center (SEATEC) is accepting applications for an intensive 12-month HIV Clinician Mentoring Program. The goal of the mentoring program is to increase the Southeast’s capacity to provide high quality, accessible care to people living with HIV by training a diverse cadre of clinicians who are qualified, competent, and poised to provide excellence in HIV specialty care.
Mentee Eligibility Criteria: The program is open to actively licensed physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses providing or interested in providing HIV clinical care to at least 20 patients within Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee. Clinicians must be providing direct clinical care to racial and/or ethnic minorities, incarcerated individuals, or the medically underserved. Please see http://www.seatec.emory.edu/clinician_mentoring_program/index.html for a more comprehensive description of the eligibility requirements.
Program Benefits: Clinicians accepted into the program will benefit from developing a working relationship with a leader in HIV medicine, intensive HIV trainings (CME credit may be available), individualized learning plans, capacity building, clinical interaction, and the cohort experience. SEATEC is offering the program FREE OF CHARGE thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA, HIV/AIDS Bureau.
How to Apply: To obtain an application or to find out more about the program, please contact Brittney Copeland, the regional clinician mentoring coordinator.
Timeline:
Applications Accepted: August 15-October 31, 2013
Mentee Selection: November 2013
Program Start Date: January 2014
Students, Mark Your Calendar for Saturday, November 2!
That’s the date for the NCAPA Student Leadership Retreat at the Stead Center in Durham. Registration is at no cost to students. Please see any NCAPA Student Director for more details, or contact Lee Busselman, NCAPA Member Services Coordinator.