February 2009 - Posts

Granola Birthday Cake?
February 27, 2009 1:43 PM by Stephen Cornell

The New York Times has a story about parents who may be overzealous about their kids' healthy eating habits. SODIUM — that’s what worries Greye Dunn. He thinks about calories, too, and whether he’s getting enough vitamins. But it’s the sodium that really Read More...

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The Recession Hits Health Care?
February 25, 2009 9:57 AM by Stephen Cornell

Not long ago, I spoke to a number of prominent PAs about the effects of the recession on the physician assistant profession. The word I've been getting from all over the country is that the market for PAs is still solid--or better. But there's a thread Read More...

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Physician Assistant Doctorate Survey
February 25, 2009 9:28 AM by Stephen Cornell

The American Academy of Physician Assistants and Physician Assistant Education Association are conducting an online survey about clinical doctorate degrees and the PA profession. The survey also asks about PA-to-physician bridge programs. Is the clinical Read More...

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Will Nurses Use 'Doctor'?
February 24, 2009 4:37 PM by Stephen Cornell

Interesting poll results from the ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners Web site. If you had a doctoral degree, would you use the title "doctor"? - Yes, I earned it. (22%) - Yes, but not with patients. (17%) - No. (60%) Link Read More...

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Physician Assistant Doctorate Degree Debate
February 24, 2009 4:03 PM by Stephen Cornell

There's a very active debate about physician assistant doctorate degrees going on at the Physician Assistant Education Association Web site. I like this comment from one PA educator. There is no clear answer. We MUST acknowledge the degree creep in our Read More...

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NPR on 'Doctor Nurses'
February 24, 2009 1:01 PM by Stephen Cornell

National Public Radio did a piece on the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree on All Things Considered on Feb. 22. No one wants to badmouth Florence Nightingale, but a new degree for nurses is causing bad blood between doctors and their longtime colleagues. Read More...

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AAPA Leaders Wanted
February 23, 2009 1:29 PM by Stephen Cornell

The AAPA put out a call for PA leaders on its Web site. Apply for committee or council service. AAPA has several committee and council leadership opportunities for AAPA members in the upcoming 2009-2010 leadership year that begins June 10. More information Read More...

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Physician Assistants and the Underserved in Texas
February 23, 2009 1:21 PM by Stephen Cornell

An article from The Herald newspaper of Brownsville, Texas, talks about the positive effects of the University of Texas-Pan American's physician assistant program on health care in an underserved region of the state. The Valley's shortage of healthcare Read More...

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PA Students Partner with Girl Scouts to Address Teen Pregnancy
February 20, 2009 2:09 PM by Terri Schaefer

Six PA students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have partnered with the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas to create a pregnancy prevention program called Get R.E.A.L. (Reality Education for Adolescent Life). According to a Read More...

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American Academy of Physician Assistants Conference IMPACT 2009
February 19, 2009 4:05 PM by Stephen Cornell

The American Academy of Physician Assistants put together a nice preliminary program for its May 2009 conference in San Diego. This passage is from AAPA president Cindy Lord's front-page conference preview. ... For so many years, we have fought for recognition Read More...

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New SEMPA Web Site
February 19, 2009 11:09 AM by Stephen Cornell

The Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants has redesigned its Web site. www.sempa.org Read More...

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Letters About the Physician Assistant Profession
February 19, 2009 10:41 AM by Stephen Cornell

There are some interesting letters in the most recent issue of JAAPA . One concerns the profession's name. Physician assistant is a lousy moniker but we are forever stuck with it (I hope). The other is about the lack of knowledge about the profession. Read More...

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NCCPA Will Develop Specialty Credential Program for Physician Assistants
February 16, 2009 1:57 PM by Stephen Cornell

The NCCPA will develop a voluntary specialty credential program for physician assistants. The NCCPA has posted a statement on its Web site at www.nccpa.net/News_A_SpecialtyCredential.aspx . After several years of thoughtful consideration of how to best Read More...

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Physician Assistants and Adolescent Health
February 16, 2009 10:23 AM by Stephen Cornell

Pennsylvania physician assistant Rebecca "Joey" Soward and North Carolina physician assistant Charlene Morris are featured in an article about adolescent health in the Feb. 15 issue of AAPA News . According to the report, adolescents are more likely than Read More...

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Video: Physician Assistants and Health Care Reform
February 12, 2009 10:37 AM by Stephen Cornell

Take a look at the American Academy of Physician Assistants' video on health care reform. Link to AAPA Web site Here's the link straight to YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhs3zPttJ68 Read More...

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New West Virginia Physician Assistant Program
February 11, 2009 4:46 PM by Stephen Cornell

West Liberty State College in West Liberty, W. Va., is advertising for a physician assistant program director. This is the first new program I've noticed in a while. Below is a list of schools developing PA programs. There are currently 142 accredited Read More...

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Have Nurse Practitioners "Gone Off the Deep End"?
February 11, 2009 3:39 PM by Stephen Cornell

Physician assistant blogger physasst questions the nurse practitioner profession's move to the DNP degree . OKEY DOKEY. I like NP's, I consider them colleagues, but I think that they have gone off the deep end with this one. First, mandating that all Read More...

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Physician Assistant Clinical Doctorate Update
February 11, 2009 1:50 PM by Stephen Cornell

The American Academy of Physician Assistants posted on its Web site an update about its investigation of a possible physician assistant clinical doctorate degree . Is the clinical doctorate appropriate to the profession as an entry-level degree, as a Read More...

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Physician Assistants Should Not Be A 'Silent Partner'
February 10, 2009 5:03 PM by Stephen Cornell

Physician Assistant Education Association executive director Timi Agar Barwick and associate executive director Steven Lane published an article in the Jan. 2009 issue of the Association of America Medical College's AAMC Reporter, titled, "PAs Not a Silent Read More...

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Another Pre-Physician Assistant Discovers the Name Change Debate
February 10, 2009 10:59 AM by Stephen Cornell

On the online PA Forum a future physician assistant student poses a familiar question about the profession's name. I'm a pre-pa student, but I was wondering what you guys think about the renaming of the title Physician Assistant. Many have proposed Physician Read More...

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AAPA Responds to CHIP Approval
February 9, 2009 1:18 PM by Terri Schaefer

The AAPA last week sent a response to Congress to applaud its approval of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. Our nation’s current economic situation reinforces the urgent need to strengthen the health care safety net Read More...

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Physician Assistants Get No Respect
February 5, 2009 1:07 PM by Stephen Cornell

Physician assistant Mike Jones originally wrote this on the online PA Forum, but gave permission to republish it here. It's a take on the lack of respect for the PA profession. PAs in the Social Setting--The Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome (RDS) I think one Read More...

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Medicare Audits
February 5, 2009 11:51 AM by Stephen Cornell

American Academy of Physician Assistants vice president for health systems and reimbursement policy Michael Powe wrote an article about Medicare audits for overpayments and underpayments for the Jan. 30 AAPA News . The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Read More...

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Some Support for a Physician Assistant-to-Physician Bridge Program
February 4, 2009 5:14 PM by Stephen Cornell

There's some support for a physician assistant-to-physician bridge program on the Physician Assistant Educaiton Association's Web site. The ongoing discussion is in the comments section below PAEA's resources about PA doctorate degrees. From PA educator Read More...

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Call Me 'Dr. Nurse Practitioner'
February 4, 2009 3:13 PM by Stephen Cornell

Interesting poll on the ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners Web site: If you had a doctoral degree, would you use the title "doctor"? Results Read More...

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The Physician Assistant and the Volcano
February 4, 2009 1:35 PM by Stephen Cornell

The Tundra PA lives in Kenai, Alaska, which is about 50 miles from Mt. Redoubt, an active volcano. Experts are predicting an eruption. To an untrained observer like myself, Redoubt looks just as it always has. But volcanologists are watching it closely, Read More...

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Compagnone Elected as Physician Assistant Foundation President
February 4, 2009 12:20 PM by Stephen Cornell

New York physician assistant Agnes Compagnone will be the next president of the PA Foundation. Compagnone is the founder and president of An Ounce of Prevention, a company that health education and health care services to businesses. AAPA News has an Read More...

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Air Force Physician Assistant Earns Bronze Star
February 3, 2009 1:46 PM by Stephen Cornell

Air Force PA Capt. Timothy Harrelson received a Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan. This article is from the Pacific Air Forces Web site: by Senior Airman Jamal Sutter 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs 2/3/2009 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Stories Read More...

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Meet Dermatology Physician Assistant Abby Jacobson
February 3, 2009 11:30 AM by Stephen Cornell

The American Academy of Physician Assistants recently posted a leadership profile of Pennsylvania dermatology PA Abby Jacobson . Jacobson is involved with the Pennsylvania Society of PAs and the Society of Dermatology PAs and is also a frequent contributor Read More...

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