AAPA’s House of Delegates voted to change the profession’s title to physician associate in May. Since then, AAPA has been developing resources that demonstrate how title change provides clarity on PA value and the role of PAs in the delivery of healthcare.

Since AAPA’s House of Delegates voted to change the profession’s title to physician associate during its May 24 meeting, AAPA has been working on implementation. Here are a few of the notable milestones during the past few months.

AAPA sent a letter to several national medical organizations this week underscoring how the PA title change to physician associate affirms our commitment to team-based care and our shared goal to serve the needs of patients.

The AAPA House of Delegates (HOD) today passed a resolution affirming “physician associate” as the official title for the PA profession by a majority vote of 198 to 68. The vote followed deliberation by the HOD and study by an international marketing and communications firm.

AAPA’s House of Delegates heard final reports from WPP, the agency tasked with performing the PA Title Change Investigation, and AAPA. Next steps are now with delegates as they return to their respective constituencies to prepare for the May 2021 HOD meeting.

AAPA members are invited to attend the 2020 House of Delegates Virtual Meeting to hear the Title Change Investigation final reports from WPP/Landor and AAPA on Thursday, Nov. 20. Non-HOD delegate members must register to attend.

More than 27,000 PAs and PA students took the recent Title Change Investigation survey. Since the survey has closed, we want to address some of the questions and comments from PAs and PA students about the four options presented in the survey.

New research conducted by WPP, the agency selected to lead the independent Title Change Investigation, was presented today to AAPA’s House of Delegates.

Members of an Advisory Council have been selected to serve as a resource to the independent firm(s) conducting the Title Change Investigation, which was launched earlier this year by AAPA’s Board of Directors at the request of the House of Delegates. 

During our recent AAPA Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting, we took action on two important initiatives for the PA profession that I want to share with you.