AAPA Kicks off National PA Week during Profession's 50th Anniversary

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This PA Week, Friday, Oct. 6 through Thursday, Oct. 12, more than 115,500 PAs (physician assistants) will celebrate their contributions to healthcare. As the discussion surrounding healthcare access and delivery continues, the American Academy of PAs' (AAPA) mission of transforming health through patient-centered, team-based medical practice is more critical than ever.

PAs are licensed medical providers who conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, write prescriptions, and perform medical procedures in nearly every practice setting and medical specialty.

"This week is a chance for us to raise awareness and celebrate the significant contributions that PAs make to healthcare," said L. Gail Curtis, PA-C, MPAS, DFAAPA, president and chair of AAPA's Board of Directors. "It's also a time for PAs to pause and remember why we became PAs in the first place?to give back."

PA Week, which takes place this year during the profession's 50^th anniversary, serves as a time to reflect on progress to date and look ahead to the profession's priorities for the near future, including:

• Modernizing PA laws and policies: AAPA is working with state PA chapters and at the federal level to modernize current PA practice laws and policies so that PAs can fully contribute to healthcare delivery.
• Documenting and measuring PA value: AAPA believes it is vital to capture the work of PAs in billing and other records to more accurately measure PAs' impact.
• Advocating for evidenced-based maintenance of certification (MOC): AAPA supports evidence-based MOC in place of a high-stakes test that may jeopardize a PA's ability to practice.
• Improving employer policies and workplace cultures: AAPA is focused on improving employer policies and workplace cultures to allow PAs to maximize their impact and give them enhanced access to the leadership ladder.

Throughout the week, current and future PAs will participate in a variety of special events and activities, including community health events. On Oct. 9, more than 200 PA students will participate in a PA Week tradition by attending PAs on the Plaza, a gathering on the set of NBC's The Today Show.

To learn more about PA Week and the PA profession, go to aapa.org/pa-week or search #PAweek on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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 115,500 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.

SOURCE American Academy of PAs