Meet New AAPA11 Blogger Jason Hussey: We cannot move the profession forward without patients who understand our roles.

PAs??

During AAPA HOD Reference Committees A and C, the topic of AAPA's role in the education of the public and physicians will be discussed at the HOD. I wrote two resolutions that encourage PAs to educate physicians and the public individually and the formal formation of a physician and public education workgroup. There will be debate coming up to consider these and I am anxious to hear testimony. It is my contention that the AAPA has done an outstanding job at advocating for PAs to our government and getting us into the latest health care reform legislation but has fallen short on public and physician education. The Today Show's Dr. Synderman revealed the 800 pound gorilla in the room. She and many other physicians do not understand PAs, their roles, or responsibilities. The public is even less educated about PAs. We cannot move the profession forward without patients who understand our roles. Our patients love us and will advocate for us it they understand us as a whole. It falls to the AAPA, and its constituent organizations, to educate the public and the time to start is now. I invite everyone reading this to discuss the AAPA's role in educating the public and physicians.

Whew! Trying to Catch My Breath!

Golly good golly as we say in our PA oriented house.

This baby is running full steam ahead, and "as we get older," it seems to get a little rougher. Still fun, but rough. Let's look at today for example. I was working on HOD last night, and texting some PAs I need to talk to right at bedtime. I got up at 5am, got a few texts back, and shot them a few back. Hit the shower, scrambled to the fruit room (Resort Club, fruit central!).

Off to the HOD delegates orientation, but I couldn't stick around because I needed to meet with a colleague with concerns about a res I helped write. We met, it was productive, then off with my wife Pat to the opening ceremony. Nice and showey event, lots of music, emotion, flags, laughter. Great event.

So then it's back to HOD to meet many about resolution concerns. I slammed down a sandwich from the sando stand (I am an HOD alternate, but we don't get food anymore), revised a resolution in conjunction with my awesome council chair (best editer ever!), and now it's off to see my wife Pat present her PubMed Pearls talk.

Keep it coming!

Caught by the Kleenex Police

Conversation at BWI after I went through the body scanner.

“Sir, is there something in your pocket”

“I forgot to take out my wallet”

“No, your other pocket. A napkin or something?”

“It is a Kleenex.”

“OK, you can go.”

@djbunnell

Welcome PA Eric Smith to the AAPA11 Blogging Family: The AAPA House of Delegates- A Reflection

As I finish packing my bags for Vegas and prepare for my Monday afternoon flight to the City of Lights, I have quite a bit of excitement fueling me for the week to come.  For one, of course, I am heading to Las Vegas… one of the most exciting places in all the world to be, and the city that my wife and I tied the knot in only 8 years ago (Little Chapel of the Flowers!!!).  This city brings back so many amazing memories for my wife and I, and I would be lying if I said that we haven’t been looking forward to this trip for at least the past couple years.  However, I’m also excited for my prime reason for being in Vegas this year… attending the AAPA House of Delegates for what will be my sixth year.  I have been a Delegate of Florida throughout these years, but this year will also be in attendance as Chair of the Constituent Relations Work Group (known by most as CRC… more recently dubbed CRWG).  There is a lot of work on the agenda, and little doubt in my mind that the resolutions going forward from our committee will spark considerable debate, however it is all still quite exciting to me after all these years.  The whole process makes me reflect on how this little 3-day meeting every year seems to bring me such anticipation. 

I remember my first HOD five years ago.  To say I felt in way over my head would be the understatement of the year.  Arguments were sizzling, counterpoints were flying, votes on the amended amendment to the amended resolution were being taken… it was organized chaos!  One of my esteemed veteran fellow delegates leaned over to me during one of the sessions, noticing the perplexed look on my face, and said “when this is all said and done, you will either love this whole thing or hate it.”  She was right.  Turns out, I loved it.  By my second HOD, I was completely aware of everything going on and felt far more prepared than my first.  By my third HOD, I was in the mix, standing behind the mic to make arguments and counterpoints of my own.  Before long, I was helping write resolutions of our delegation’s own.  And last year I had my first term on CRC, helping review policy that too would be debated before the House.  This year, as I again represent the great state of Florida, as well as the CRC that I have chaired for the past year, I feel my time with the HOD has come full circle.  The excitement is still there… the passion has never left.  While some may see this whole process as “boring” or “dull”, I see just the opposite.  I see PAs standing strong for what they believe in, what their vision of the PA Profession is, and what direction they believe our Academy should go in to make that vision a reality.  No viewpoints heard on the House Floor during these glorious three days are ever “wrong”… they are all unique and hold merit.  However it will be the majority of the great leaders of this Academy who decide which of these visions and policy statements are the ones that carry our profession into the future.  Sorry if some folks out there see that as boring or dull.  For me, it is quite the contrary. 

It is sure to be another great HOD this week.  For all you newbies out there… enjoy the ride!  You are either going to love it, or hate it.  Just be prepared though… if you love it, it will have a hold on you forever!

Eric S. Smith, MMS, PA-C

CRC Chair

Delegate-Florida

Showtime!

Calm Before the Storm: Showtime

All the hundreds hours of planning, labor, leg work, reservations, and the many other activities that go into planning for the conference all culminate in the start tomorrow. How much time goes into planning and preparing for one of these things? Think of the time AAPA staff puts in; the hours all the speakers use to prepare; the work of all the governance groups to prepare resolutions and review for HOD; the labor of all the delegates to read them all and prepare the solemn and serious business of creating and altering AAPA policy; all the time of every constituent org who meets, prepares, and contributes; related work by hotel and convention workers to meet our needs and keep us moving through the whole experience; it's mind-boggling.

I saw a speaker recently, who talked about an estimate he had seen of the number of hours that it has taken to create Wikipedia: 100 million! Wonder what the tally would be if you added up all the hours of every task done by anyone related to the annual conference. I bet it be a very big number. So thanks to everyone, anywhere, who has done anything to prepare for our visit. Let the three-ring circus begin!

Networking without Business Cards…(Welcome New AAPA11 Blogger Bianca Belcher!)

As a PA student, the opportunity to meet a future preceptor or co-worker is part of the appeal of attending the big show. Unfortunately, many PA programs do not provide their students with business cards.  So how can you still network effectively?

Well…You could try writing your email address on a napkin or scrap of paper and hope that it doesn’t get lost 15 minutes later, but there is a better way… The wireless business card.

First, add your own contact information to your cell phone’s contact list. Most smart phones have a very simple way to then share that contact information with someone else. With the iPhone for example, once you have clicked on a contact you can scroll to the bottom of the screen where you are given the option to “share contact”.

Second, simply ask your new network connection for their email address or their cell number, then you will be able to instantly share all of your information (email, phone numbers, website, blogs, etc).

Now, not only have you distributed your information to them, but you have also gotten their contact information as well. It is good practice to follow up after the conference with a brief thank you that will not only show appreciation for their time, but also serve as a little reminder of who you are and what you talked about. Happy networking!

Bianca Belcher, MPH, PA-S1

twitter. @B_Belcher

http://biancabelcherpa.blogspot.com/

A Cardiothoracic PA comes to Las Vegas

I have had the privilege to serve in Cardiothoracic Surgery and Critical Care for all of my PA career.  I have attended several AAPA conferences and have always found something in the world of surgery, cardiology, pulmonology, thoracic oncology, and critical care that has impacted my practice.   I am gaining a new perspective on conferences because I have spent the past year as the Speaker Chair for the upcoming APACVS Critical Care Conference in DC from June 22-25, 2011.  I now know the challenge of recruiting speakers for a four-day conference in one room.  It gives me a new respect for the complexity of what it must be like to put together something like AAPA’s conference.

 

I am coming to sit as an alternate in the HOD to represent APACVS.  I will have the honor to sit with Dana Gray.  Dana has a long history of service with APACVS.  He recently won the AAPA Paragon Physician/PA team award with Dr. Jonathan Hill.  The amazing thing about APACVS is the depth of our bench.  We have pioneers that have started the organization 30 years ago who continue to have a voice and talented new PAs that join the organization every year.  It is an amazing experience to be a part of that tradition. 

 

@djbunnell

 

www.apacvs.org

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