Three PA programs receive provisional accreditation
By Christopher Doscher, news editor, AAPA News
At its September meting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) granted provisional accreditation to PA programs at the South College in Knoxville, Tennessee; the Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia; and the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. ARC-PA awards provisional accreditation for a limited, defined period of time to programs that, at the time of a site visit, demonstrate preparedness to operate a PA program in accordance with the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards.
ARC-PA also chose PA Hank Lemke to serve as a commissioner to succeed PA Richard Davis, who completed 6 years of service on the commission. Lemke, whose nomination was submitted by AAPA, is director of PA studies, assistant professor, and vice chair of the Department of Medical Education at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He has extensive clinical and academic experience, which includes service as director of the US Air Force PA Program. He has been an active member of the Society of Air Force PAs, the Texas Academy of PAs, the Physician Assistant Education Association, and AAPA.
PA Patrick Auth, who began serving as a commissioner in 2004 after being nominated by AAPA, has been elected to serve as chair of ARC-PA, beginning in 2008. Auth is program director and assistant professor at the Drexel University PA Program.
2008 PAragon and Stead Awards — now accepting applications
Their actions have touched the lives of thousands of patients. Their devotion to the men, women, and children they serve is inspiring to those with whom they work and the people in their communities. Each year, AAPA honors the best of the PA profession with its PAragon Awards. The AAPA Awards Committee is now accepting applications for the 2008 PAragon Awards, to be presented at AAPA's 36th Annual PA Conference in San Antonio in May. As always, nominations can be made for the following categories:
• Outstanding PA of the Year
• Humanitarian PA of the Year
• Service to the Underserved
• Physician-PA Partnership
• AAPA Publishing
In addition, AAPA is accepting nominations for a new award: the Eugene A. Stead Award of Achievement. Named for the founder of the PA profession, the Stead Award will honor someone who has had a broad and significant impact on the PA profession. Nominees do not have to be PAs or AAPA members, and the award will not necessarily be given every year. Any AAPA member may submit a nomination to the Awards Committee. Nomination materials must include a written rationale or biographical abstract detailing why the nominee is deserving of the award, along with a one-sentence citation summarizing the nominee's overall achievements.
Submissions for all PAragon Award categories (with the exception of the Publishing Award) and for the Stead Award should be sent to the AAPA Awards Committee, 950 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1552. Electronic copies should be sent to awards@aapa.org and include the name of the award in the e-mail subject line. For details on submitting entries to the Publishing Award competition, go to www.aapa.org/membership/awards.html#publish. The deadline for all submissions is January 15, 2008, but don't wait. Nominate a deserving PA today! For more details and nomination forms, visit the AAPA Web site at www.aapa.org/membership/awards.html.
Adventures in Lobbying 2008
Join your PA colleagues at Adventures in Lobbying: A Day on Capitol Hill, February 25-26, 2008. Hear National Public Radio's Mara Liasson talk about the outlook for health care reform and get the latest news on Medicare, federal support for PA education, and PAs in the VA health system from other experts. Before visiting your members of Congress, learn how to frame your message for maximum effectiveness. There is no registration fee for this event. To register for Adventures in Lobbying and reserve a seat, visit the AAPA Web site at www.aapa.org/gandp/ail/index.html.