PA Week Archives

This PA Week: Celebrate 117 Years of Progress

PA Week is almost here! Join us from October 6-12 as we celebrate 117 years of history, beginning with the man who started it all: Dr. Eugene Stead. From the first graduating PA class to a growing profession that’s now nearly 190,000 PAs strong, we have plenty to celebrate.

September 29, 2025

PA Jared Wallace Aims to Change the Trajectory of Diabetes in the Rural Community of Kenai, Alaska

Years after relocating to Alaska, Jared Wallace opened Odyssey Family Practice to offer more healthcare services to the rural community in Kenai. Through his practice, Wallace and a team of skilled PAs serve between 6,000 and 8,000 people annually, offering family medicine, urgent care, occupational health services, and a diabetes management program.

September 25, 2025

Early-Career PA William Lara Aims to Provide Care to the Underserved Community in Rural Nevada

In the early 2000s, eight-year-old William Lara was diagnosed with a tumor in his lower back. He grew up in Mesquite, Nevada, where healthcare access was a challenge. Lara had to travel about an hour away for surgery and follow-up care. Now, having recently graduated from PA school, he has a long-term goal of returning to Mesquite to open a much-needed family practice to care for the underserved.

September 19, 2025

AAPA Introduces New Interactive Map to Showcase the Physician Associate Impact Throughout the Country

During AAPA 2025, the PAs Go Beyond campaign released a new and exciting interactive feature: the Nationwide Physician Associate Impact Map! Hundreds of dots represent stories submitted by PAs, patients, colleagues, and family and friends – all showcasing PAs who go beyond.

September 8, 2025

PA Sutton Became the First Altruistic Living Kidney Donor in South Carolina, and Now Leads the South Carolina Transplant Foundation

As a PA student, Zachary Sutton became the first altruistic living kidney donor in South Carolina. Fifteen years later, he co-founded the South Carolina Transplant Foundation to provide education, financial assistance, and supportive services to organ transplant patients. In 2025, the foundation organized the inaugural National Kidney Donor Triathlon.

August 1, 2025

Providing Care to Communities in Need in Guatemala

Captain Bechara Rahbani, a physician associate with the U.S. Air Force, fulfilled a long-held dream when he was chosen for a 10-day medical mission in Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala. Rahbani provided much-needed care at the local hospital and in the villages and taught his specialized skills to Guatemalan providers.

July 14, 2025

This Day in History: October 6

PA Week is here! Join us as we celebrate 116 years of history, beginning with the man who started it all: Dr. Eugene Stead! From the first graduating PA class to a growing profession of more than 178,000 PAs strong, there is plenty to celebrate!

October 6, 2024

Honoring John J. McQueary, the Second President of AAPA

A pioneer PA, McQueary was one of the first students enrolled in the Duke University PA Program in 1965. After being an active part of the establishment of AAPA, he later served as the Academy’s second president.

August 20, 2024

Parent’s Perspective: PA Andy Herber Shares Insights as the Father of a Cancer Survivor

With all three of his children spending their childhoods in and out of hospitals, Andy Herber is able to bridge the gap between provider, parent, and patient. At the upcoming Adult Hospital Medicine Boot Camp hosted by AAPA and the Society of Hospital Medicine, Herber will highlight several seemingly insignificant aspects of care that can have a substantial impact on patients and their families.

August 13, 2024