American Academy of PAs Welcomes Jonathan Sobel as President and Chair
Contact: [email protected]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 31, 2018) – On July 1, Jonathan E. Sobel, PA-C, MBA, DFAAPA, FAPACVS, assumed leadership of the American Academy of PAs (AAPA). As President and Chair of the Board of Directors, Sobel will lead the national professional organization which represents more than 123,000 PAs (physician assistants) in the United States.
“The PA profession – which is one of the fastest growing healthcare professions in the country – is at an important crossroads,” said Sobel. “The marketplace is causing disruption to traditional models of healthcare delivery. More patients with increasingly complex conditions are seeking care every day, requiring greater access to quality healthcare for a larger population of people. PAs are trusted and valued members of the healthcare team delivering high-quality medical care to these patients, especially those in underserved populations. In order to continue to answer the demands of the marketplace, PAs must be unencumbered by the barriers imposed by antiquated laws and regulations at the state and federal level. We are committed to leading dynamic change, within our profession and within the healthcare arena, to ensure our patients receive the care they deserve and that they have the choice for that care to be delivered by a PA. I am honored and ready to serve my fellow PAs at such a pivotal time.”
Among Sobel’s key priorities are: supporting AAPA’s Constituent Organizations as they work to implement Optimal Team Practice and continue to advocate on behalf of PAs across the country to modernize PA-practice laws; shaping national healthcare solutions, specifically those associated with the pervasive opioid crisis plaguing the U.S.; and, amplifying the critical role PAs serve in delivering quality care, especially in rural and underserved communities.
Currently, Sobel is the senior administrative director of PA Services at Northwell Health, where he is responsible for PA operations at the system’s three Manhattan campuses. In his current position, Sobel works to ensure recognition of the value PAs bring to the healthcare landscape by integrating them into every service line of Northwell’s vast medical system, and ensuring their participation on critical medical staff committees and quality improvement initiatives.
Sobel was first elected to the AAPA Board of Directors in 2015, as secretary-treasurer. During that time, he represented the board on AAPA’s Commission on the Health of the Public and served as chair of AAPA’s Finance and Audit Committees. In 2017, he was elected AAPA’s president-elect and appointed to AAPA’s Government Relations and Practice Advancement Commission. He also served on the board’s Executive, Finance, Executive Compensation and Internal Affairs Committees. He is a past president of the Association of PAs in Cardiovascular Surgery and an active member of the New York State Society of PAs, as well as the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Sobel holds a Bachelor of Science in PA studies from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, earned a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University’s Zarb School of Business, and will receive his Doctor of Medical Science degree from the University of Lynchburg in August 2018.
To learn more about the AAPA’s leadership team, visit www.aapa.org/bod.
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About the American Academy of PAs
AAPA is the national organization that advocates for all PAs and provides tools to improve PA practice and patient care. Founded in 1968, AAPA represents a profession of more than 123,000 PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories and the uniformed services. Visit www.aapa.org to learn more.
