If you have not already read the Commentary in the October issue of JAAPA, you should. You might be surprised to find it is not from the editor in chief, it is not from a PA, it is not even from a clinician. It is a commentary on our profession by Donna Shalala, doctor of political science, president of the University of Miami and former US Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In her commentary, Dr. Shalala recognizes PAs' instrumental role in the future of the health care system. Within our profession, we recognize that we have essential skill sets to meet the many challenges of our current health care system, but it is inspiring to hear this message duplicated from someone outside of our profession.

Among her many accolades, Dr. Shalala chaired the Institute of Medicine's Committee that authored the 2010 report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.

This landmark report examined the nursing workforce and identified four key areas for the nursing profession to respond effectively to our rapidly evolving health care system. The areas identified are practice, education, leadership, and workforce. The recommendations in each area are in close alignment with the goals of the PA profession.

  • Practice to the full extent of their education and training.
  • Achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system.
  • Be full partners, with physicians and other health care professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.
  • Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and information infrastructure.

The report really acts as a call to action for nurses at all levels to take more responsibility for an active role in the interprofessional effort to transform of health care. Transforming the health care system is not going to occur with the efforts of nurses alone. It is going to occur in imperceptibly small increments as health care professionals step out of the confines of the traditional silos of medicine and begin to work together as partners for change.

Thank you to our editor in chief for inviting the author of a report on the future of nursing to share her thoughts with the PA community in this issue of JAAPA. Publishing the vision for the future of nursing to a broad PA audience is a baby step towards interprofessional understanding and health care reform, but a celebrated step in the right direction.

Kris Himmerick is on the faculty of the FNP/PA program at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento. This blog post expresses her personal views and does not express or represent the views or policies of AAPA.