DAPA Secures Top Legislative Priority, Two Seats on State Medical Board

Five-Plus Years of Advocacy Pay Off for Delaware PAs With Passage of Legislation

April 15, 2021

On April 13, Delaware Gov. John Carney signed HB 33, An Act to Amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code Relating to Physician Assistants. The legislation, which was the top legislative priority for the Delaware Academy of PAs (DAPA), creates two PA seats on the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, one of the pillars of optimal team practice (OTP).

The legislation also modernizes PA practice in the First State by:

• Eliminating the use of the word supervision and replacing it with collaboration to describe the PA-physician team;
• Removing physician responsibility language;
• Eliminating PA to physician ratios in certain settings, including hospitals and large group practices; and
• Authorizing PAs licensed in Delaware to participate in healthcare volunteer work in public or community events and facilities.

This victory is the result of years of hard work and determination.

“DAPA has been working on achieving these improvements for PAs and their patients in Delaware for more than five years,” DAPA President Gwen Dalphon, PA-C said. “We were able to educate legislators and stakeholders about the important role of PAs in the healthcare team and the need to modernize PA laws. This ultimately led to the signing of HB 33.”

[Help further AAPA’s advocacy work – join or renew your membership today]

AAPA provided DAPA support throughout the process, including drafting and reviewing legislative language, conducting research, sending out advocacy alerts, submitting a letter of support to the legislature, and awarding OTP grant funding.

The bill became effective upon signing. For additional information on HB 33, the full version of the bill is available on the Delaware Legislature’s website.

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