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AAPA News Conference Daily
2005

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Sunday, May 29

Strength Coach Teaches PAs to Tap into Their Inner Strength

By Christopher Doscher

 

After hearing about his life, which has been marked by numerous challenges such as muscular dystrophy, racism, discrimination, and countless other difficulties, people are often surprised to find Greg Smith with a smile on his face, said Smith, the “Strength Coach,” who gave the keynote address yesterday at the opening General Session of AAPA’s Annual Physician Assistant Conference.

Smith, who for years served as host of the radio show “On a Roll: Talk Radio on Life and Disability,” told PAs that they need to focus on diet, exercise, and discipline if they want to overcome challenges and accomplish goals. But Smith was not speaking of the rules of diet and exercise that PAs usually discuss with their patients.

“You are PAs, and you know that you need the right nutrition to build strong bodies,” said Smith. “You also need the proper nutrition for inner strength.” He encouraged PAs to seek out something positive, such as a written passage or piece of music, every day that inspires them. “If you seek out a paragraph every single day, you will be amazed at what you get.”

Everyone, Smith said, in the back of their mind, has a “dusty barbell” that represents a goal or dream that they have put off pursuing. Attacking those goals and dreams is behind Smith’s concept of exercise. “I don’t mean lifting weights, I mean lifting the weights of life’s challenges. You need to lift that weight to get stronger.”

Smith entertained the audience with stories of overcoming his own challenges. His life in a wheelchair began during his teenage years after spinal surgery took away his limited ability to walk. He dreamed of one day playing football, but since that was not possible, he instead applied for a job as a broadcaster at his high school radio station, and was accepted. In college, he spent four years doing play-by-play for the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team. But when he graduated, he applied to 36 local radio stations and was rejected by all 36.

“They all said the same thing,” Smith said. “We don’t think you can do it. How can you travel?” After more than a year in a telemarketing job, Smith obtained a van that made traveling easier, and was hired as research director at KTAR 620 AM in Arizona . Eventually, a broadcast job opened up at the station, and Smith was hired as host of “Cardinal Talk,” a call-in show that aired following Arizona Cardinals games. While he loved the job, he eventually tried to make the move to radio advertising sales. But, a manager told him “You’re not a sales rep.”

Those words stuck with Smith and have served as motivation to overcome many challenges.

“In my life, I’ve always been underestimated, always de-valued,” Smith said. “I thought ‘How many times do I have to prove myself?’” After being rejected for the advertising job, Smith told the audience, he set out to start his own radio show about living with a disability. The first show began slowly, and Smith was nervous at first when he did not receive any phone calls. But then the first call came in, from the mother of a child with a disability. Smith never looked back, and his show was eventually broadcast on more than 70 stations around the country. In 2003, the show was renamed “The Strength Coach,” and the focus was changed to address all people, not just those with disabilities.

“To live your dream is an amazing experience, but sometimes we let fear stop us,” Smith said. “In life, when you run across a speed bump, don’t let it become a road block. Roll on.”

Saturday’s General Session opened with words from AAPA President Julie Theriault, who capped off her yearlong presidency with a reminder of the importance that PAs think of patients as members of the health care team. She frequently returned to the topic of health literacy, which has been a main focus of the Academy during her leadership year and reminded PAs that they are in an ideal position to help their patients make informed treatment decisions. “Nearly half of all adults have trouble processing basic health information,” she said. “Limited health literacy can add billions of dollars to the nation’s health care costs. Helping patients to process basic information should be our goal.”

AAPA President Elect Rick Rohrs, who takes over as president next month, announced that he will focus on overcoming health disparities during his leadership year. “Improvement is possible…this is where PAs can make a difference,” Rohrs said after citing several statistics as evidence of growing health disparities along racial, economic, and gender lines. “We can start making a difference today, right now, at this conference.”

Looking inward, AAPA must not lose sight of its mission to serve as one collective voice for the PA profession, Rohrs said, and that is why it is essential to strengthen constituent groups, which he called the “bedrock of the profession.”

“We need to make sure that AAPA represents all PAs,” Rohrs said. “Our strength comes from our unity.”

AAPA Executive Vice President/CEO Steve Crane took the stage, pausing at first to pick up a magic wand. “I wish I could use this wand to solve some of the problems in the health care system,” he said. He cited the growing number of uninsured, uncertain reliability of care, equal access to health care, disparities, and rising costs as issues that AAPA will continue to address in the upcoming year.

“PAs today, and all of you here, are working in a very real way to address these problems,” Crane said. “The PA profession doesn’t need a magic wand, but the health care profession does need more of you.”

Yesterday’s General Session included a moment of silence for PA Capt. Sean Grimes, the Army PA who was killed in combat in Iraq earlier this year, and all PAs who are serving abroad.

The winner of the 2005 Cliff Parish Award, Carla Duryee, and the winners of the 2005 PAragon Awards were also honored during the session.

 

U.S. Virgin Islands Passes PA Licensing Bill 

By Ann Davis, PA-C

 

On May 5, the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands passed Legislative Bill 26-002, the Physician Assistant Licensing Act of 2005, by unanimous vote. Virgin Islands Gov. Charles Turnbull (D) was expected to sign the legislation within a few weeks.

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Usie Richards (ICM-St. Croix), chair of the Health Hospitals and Human Services Committee. Sen. Richards, educated as a hospital administrator in Tennessee, believed that the addition of PAs to health care teams in the Virgin Islands was overdue. The legislation had strong support from the medical board, medical society, and many influential physicians. Kendall Griffith, M.D., an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center on St. Croix, gave compelling testimony to the Health, Hospitals, and Human Services Committee, and worked with physician groups to gather support for the legislation.

The bill is based on AAPA’s model law. Once signed, the bill will authorize the medical board to license PAs who meet standard qualifications. PAs will be authorized to practice medicine with physician supervision and to perform medical services that are delegated by the supervising physician. The medical board may authorize supervision via telecommunication. PAs will be able to order and administer medications as delegated; the legislation does not authorize prescribing for PAs.

Passage of this historic legislation is the culmination of work by a wide network of supporters. Donna Christianson (D-VI), the congressional delegate from the territory and the first woman physician to serve in Congress, has long spoken in favor of PA licensure. Several PAs have worked in the Virgin Islands, elevating the understanding and appreciation for the profession. PA program directors have made trips, supported students, and helped advance the cause of licensure. PA students who want to return home to the Virgin Islands on graduation have assisted with finding support for PA licensure. All deserve credit and appreciation for this landmark for the profession.

Once the legislation is signed, there will be laws to license PAs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

House of Delegates: Welcome to Delegates, Special Guests

By Jane Howard

 

The 29th Annual Meeting of the AAPA House of Delegates opened with a moment of silence for PAs in the military, the traditional posting of the colors by the AAPA Color Guard, and a beautiful rendition of the national anthem by Alyssa Hanson, daughter of Steve Hanson, Speaker of the House of Delegates and AAPA vice president.

Jack Foard, president of the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants, welcomed PAs to Orlando , gave them some geographic and historical highlights of the state, and offered to share a bushel of grapefruits he had picked from his tree the day before. Florida is the #1 producer of grapefruits in the world. “It is my honor to welcome you to my home state,” Foard said.

Speaker Hanson welcomed special guests, including Mary Frank, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians; Nancy Nielsen, M.D., Speaker of the House of the American Medical Association (AMA); and Richard Frankenstein, M.D., Speaker of the House of the California Medical Association.

Frank, who said she trained alongside people in the MEDEX PA program, said “Our two organizations, two groups of clinicians, have been colleagues in care and advocacy dating back to the 1960s. We work for access to health care, health literacy, and Title VII funding as part of our future for those coming after us.

“I salute you. I thank you — for your dedication to your patients, your emphasis on quality care, and your maintenance of discipline. Thank you for the hard work you do for all of us.”

In introducing Nielsen, Hanson reminded delegates of the gift he gave her at last year’s House, a box of glass shards — to symbolize breaking the glass ceiling at the AMA House of Delegates. Following that, at the June AMA meeting, Nielsen told her colleagues about the gift and declared that it said more about the organization than about the individual who broke the glass ceiling. “I was very proud of that tribute,” she recalled.

The AMA is relaunching its brand, she said, with a new seal that will look very much like AAPA’s, with a single snake wrapped around a staff — except, she said, it will be “tilted in the other direction.” “We like the way you look at life,” she added.

“Health literacy,” she said, “is at the forefront of what AMA has been doing for the last few years. It is very important to us as health care workers for our patients to understand what we’re talking about. But they also have to be able to afford the medications that we prescribe. It is unconscionable that 45 million Americans are without health insurance. Again, without deliberately doing so, the alignment of our two organizations is clearly there.”

“Also, there is a national concern on the part of employers about double-digit increases in health care premiums every year. We want publicly reported report cards for providers to show how the care is being provided. The buzzwords are quality and efficiency, with efficiency meaning low cost. This move toward transparency in health care is important, and we will begin to see changes along this line from Medicare and Medicaid in January.

“It is also critical that we get over our concerns about following guidelines, that that is ‘cookbook medicine,’” she added.

“We have a new tag line at AMA: Together, we are stronger,” she concluded. “And that is never more valuable than standing here before the American Academy of Physician Assistants.”

Following Nielsen were Mary Ettari, president of the PA Foundation and recently elected president elect of the Academy, and Rick Kilgore, representing the AAPA Political Action Commit-tee (PAC)’s Board of Trustees, who made an appeal for contributions to the PAC, which is selling awareness bracelets as a fundraising incentive.

The AAPA PAC’s fundraising efforts are part of its campaign, “PAs Contribute!” Funds raised through the campaign will be contributed to federal candidates to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who support AAPA’s policy goals. During the 2003-2004 congressional campaign cycle, the AAPA PAC contributed $37,000 to federal candidates: 18 Republicans and 20 Democrats. The AAPA PAC does not endorse or contribute to presidential candidates, political parties, or other PACs.

Outgoing AAPA President Julie Theriault reminded delegates of her focus over the past year: a need to get back to basics by addressing the issue of health literacy and strengthening AAPA’s constituent organizations, which, she said, she was glad to see her successor as president, Rick Rohrs, would be emphasizing as well.

Rohrs added that to have strong constituent organizations, the profession needed strong leaders. He also promised that AAPA board members will be “out there asking you for the concerns of your memberships.”

Pam Scott, outgoing AAPA immediate past president, had a present for Theriault as she departed her presidency. “Bruce [Fichandler, AAPA treasurer] challenged each BOD member to bring a book to conference [for the Student Academy book drive in support of Theriault’s health literacy campaign],” Scott said. “I couldn’t find one I liked,” she said, “so I wrote and illustrated Mikie Meets the Physician Assistant.” Scott presented Theriault with a copy of her book, which is also being made available to HOD delegates, board members, and for the SAAAPA Disaster Kits.

 

Candidates Announced for HOD Offices, Nominating Committee

The AAPA House of Delegates will elect its officers and two members of the Nominating Committee tomorrow.

Two current House of Delegates (HOD) officers predeclared their candidacies for positions in the 2005-2006 leadership year. First Vice Speaker Paul Robinson, from River Falls, Wisconsin, announced prior to the conference his intention to run for Speaker of the House. Second Vice Speaker William Fenn, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, is running for the first vice speaker position.

No other candidates were nominated from the House floor on Saturday for the positions of Speaker or first vice speaker.

There are three predeclared candidates for the second vice speaker position: Alan Hull, from Portland, Maine; Sandra Keavey, from Alpena, Michigan ; and Don Flinn, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Again, no additional candidates were nominated from the floor.

The House will elect two people to serve on the AAPA Nominating Committee. Joe Varano, from Hartford, Connecticut, is the only predeclared candidate. Lydia Ong, from Sugar Land, Texas, was nominated from the floor.

House delegates will have an opportunity to formally meet the candidates today between noon and 1:30 p.m. in the Plaza International Ballroom of the Peabody Orlando. Elections will be held tomorrow from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the same location. Election results will be announced that afternoon, just prior to the adjournment of the House.