House of Delegates to Hear Report on PA Title Change Investigation Nov. 20

Non-delegate AAPA Members Must Register to Participate

November 5, 2020

AAPA members are invited to attend the Virtual House of Delegates Meeting to hear the PA Title Change Investigation (TCI) final report from WPP/Landor and AAPA on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.  The report will be delivered during General Session 1, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST, followed by a question and answer segment from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The TCI presentation is CME-eligible and open to all PA and PA student members; registration is required for non-delegate AAPA members.

Registration is now closed. A recording of the Title Change Investigation presentation will be available in Learning Central for CME credit in December.

TCI process began in 2018
The process to investigate the PA title began at the May 2018 AAPA House of Delegates meeting, when a resolution passed requesting that the AAPA Board of Directors (BOD) “contract with an appropriate independent consulting/research firm(s) to investigate state/federal, financial, political, branding aspects, and alternatives to the creation of a new professional title for physician assistants that accurately reflects AAPA professional practice policies.”

In July 2018, the AAPA Board of Directors, based on a preliminary project plan developed by an external marketing expert, approved initial funding to support an independent investigation of the physician assistant title and potential alternatives. The BOD also approved the establishment of a Title Change Investigation Advisory Council, comprised of 12 PAs who would serve as a resource to the independent firm(s) conducting the investigation. Members of the Advisory Council represented a broad range of clinical specialties from different geographic areas and included individuals from PAEA, ARC-PA, and NCCPA.

In September 2018, AAPA hired WPP, a global marketing, communications, and research firm with expertise in healthcare, to conduct this comprehensive investigation. Read more about the process and timeline of the investigation since 2018 on the TCI webpage.

What to expect at the HOD
The reports from WPP/Landor and AAPA will complete the research component of the Title Change Investigation. This body of work, which responds to the initial HOD resolution, will inform delegates as they return to their respective constituent organizations to discuss the Title Change question. The HOD will not vote on a title during its Nov. 20 meeting.

Delegates: Access all the information and resources you will need to participate in the November 20 Virtual House of Delegates

For more information see Title Change Investigation.

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