Candidates for President Elect

Richard W. Dehn Assistant Director University of Iowa PA Program Iowa City, Iowa Dehn CV

Platform Statement, Candidate Responses

Since 1972 APAP has served as the one and only organization representing PA educational programs. Over the years APAP has had a positive impact on all of us — PA faculty, PA programs, PA students, the PA profession, and our health care system.

I have been a PA educator for 17 years, and over the last decade I have been involved in numerous APAP activities. My early APAP service includes development of the current process for managing the APAP Student Writing Competition and creation and maintenance of the closed pafaculty usergroup. Additionally I have served as Research and Review Committee chair and Research Institute co-chair, and have also performed service for other PA organizations including AAPA, ARC-PA, NCCPA, and several PA journal editorial boards as well. PA education and the PA profession are my passions, and I seek your support in applying that passion to the office of president elect.

In my opinion, APAP’s primary responsibilities are twofold: (1) internal responsibility to PA programs, faculty, and students, and (2) external responsibility to represent and promote PA education outside of APAP. APAP’s internal responsibilities are critical to providing faculty development resources and fostering a supportive PA faculty community. I recall during my first APAP conference discovering there were faculty from other programs with jobs like mine and that by working together we could be more effective. APAP is uniquely qualified to provide the best quality PA faculty development tools, and I believe this should be one of APAP’s top priorities.

Specifically, my priorities for APAP are:

I would welcome the opportunity to serve as APAP president elect, and if elected I will serve with enthusiasm and passion. Please feel free to contact me at 319/335-8925 or richard-dehn@uiowa.edu.

PA program faculty repeatedly identify faculty development as a top priority. Therefore, my first priority is to concentrate additional energy and expertise on making APAP conferences and workshops highly valued faculty development resources for all programs and faculty. Due to strong demand for clinical PAs and increased PA enrollment, there is a national shortage of qualified PA educators. We often recruit faculty from the clinical ranks who require substantial faculty development. Because the PA faculty role is, in my opinion, unique, I believe that faculty development resources can best be provided by APAP and that APAP should make educational resources aimed at faculty development the highest quality possible. Additionally, APAP conferences can provide faculty substantial emotional, social, and professional support. I believe that APAP would benefit from the appointment of a task force to create a faculty development blueprint, using a combination of competitive processes and expert opinion to address our faculty’s development needs.

I would also seek to develop mechanisms that would encourage participation in APAP leadership activities by faculty who have not previously participated. I believe we need to intentionally cultivate our future leaders while diversifying our leadership. I have actively recruited such individuals to committees that I have had the privilege to chair, and I would encourage this throughout APAP.

I have long supported the growth and development of our research community. I will continue to support research within PA education as well as the coordination of research, within and outside APAP.

I bring nine years of active participation in APAP activities. In 1995 I joined the APAP Research and Review Committee, and in 1996 I volunteered to coordinate the student writing award process. During my management of the writing contest, submissions increased twenty-fold and new funding was solicited and obtained. Through this process I had the opportunity to interact with hundreds of students and many of my faculty peers. As a result, I gained valuable management skills as well as important insights into the lives of both PA faculty and students. In 1997 I established and have since managed a private closed Internet usergroup available to all core PA faculty (the PA Faculty Forum).

From 2000-02, I served as APAP Research and Review Committee chair. During this time the committee’s responsibilities substantially increased with the addition of a second research grant process, a six-fold increase in the number of original presentations of faculty work at our conference, addition of a poster presentation process, and development of research-oriented workshops at our conference. Last year the Research and Review Committee merged with the Research Institute, and I currently co-chair the RI. In recent years I have served on the AAPA Research Workforce Committee and represented APAP on the NCCPA Research Committee. These experiences have given me many opportunities to interact with the APAP board and to gain an appreciation of how APAP functions administratively and in relationship to other PA organizations. I believe these experiences will help me be an effective president elect.

What is your vision for APAP in five years?

• A relatively untapped potential of prospective applicants exists among the student advisees of the National Association of Advisors to the Health Professions (NAAHP). We should strengthen our ties to the advisors and educators who comprise the NAAHP and learn ways to approach students interested in becoming health professionals.
• CASPA has the opportunity to make our Association, as well as APAP’s institutional members, much stronger. We should investigate and demonstrate the ways that CASPA benefits programs, so that applicants see a unified group of educational programs taking part in CASPA when they explore the application process.
• As APAP has grown, it is aligning itself and finding increasing influence with other important groups such as the AAPA and the AAMC. APAP’s leaders should cultivate these important relationships and look for ways to initiate collaborative projects with them.
• APAP is very fortunate to have such a wealth of experienced and talented educators at the same time that we are seeing an influx of new, young faculty. Faculty development needs to remain at the forefront of APAP’s activities.
• In the near future, we will have the opportunity to initiate independent management for APAP. We need to take the necessary present steps that will prepare our organization to move smoothly into full independence.

Two years ago the board was asked this same question as we developed the five-year business plan for the Association, and it’s exciting to see us well on our way to meeting our goals. If I were to revise those goals now, I would like to see us continue to expand our financial resources so that we can sustain all the important work of the Association without relying so heavily on membership dues. With stronger revenues we will be able to initiate independent management of the organization, which will allow us to be on equal footing with the other important PA organizations, and allow us to develop our organizational identity more clearly. Stronger financial stability will also help us provide low-cost, continuing education and faculty development for our members, especially during years like this one when many state schools are cutting their budgets.

But in addition to financial strength, we need to focus on marketing our image as experts in PA education to our many constituents. The Academy is well known for its expertise in PA legislation and PA employment. The NCCPA is well known for its expertise in testing, and the ARC-PA for its assessment of programs. APAP is too often overlooked for its incredible strength and expertise in many educational issues, and we need to work to change that.

In a recent book called The HR Scorecard (Brian Becker, Mark Huselid, and Dave Ulrich), the authors argue that in an organization the most valuable financial asset isn’t in the bank accounts or in equipment or brick and mortar; it is in the human resources of the organization. Without the people and ideas and motivation within an organization, it is lost. This is demonstrated time and again when a facility burns down or is destroyed by a disaster, and an organization loses “everything,” yet continues to be strong and successful because they still have the people that made them what they were.

This concept is particularly true for a university and for our Association. We can’t lose site of the individual members who make us so strong, and we need to celebrate this more often. With this strength in mind, our challenges are not that difficult. We need to increase our stature and awareness among other important organizations, but with the human resources within our group, we have everything we need to overcome this challenge.

Serving as a board member of a national organization can be a career-building experience. What would you expect to gain from your board service?

The best part of being on the APAP board during the last three years was the chance to meet and work with so many talented PA educators. I am a people person, and I am in this to build relationships with my peers, network and create opportunities among them, and continue to meet new colleagues and friends. Our big national meetings, as well as my small group interactions, have been very rewarding in this regard, and I look forward to being able to continue to work with all of you.

Candidates for Secretary/Treasurer

APAP has been the sole Association advocating exclusively for PA education since the inception of the profession. A number of dynamics in recent years, however, has put the Association on a course that is very exciting. Within five years, APAP will have the sustainable resources to become an independent entity, while maintaining vital ties with the AAPA to support common agendas and issues. This is largely dependent on the resources which will allow that transition, but after careful assessment for several years, this is attainable in a five-year window.

The Association’s greatest strength is its record of consistently representing a widely varying membership in a manner that has allowed APAP to be a credible force in speaking for PA education. Whether members be certificate- , associate- , baccalaureate- or graduate-level programs; whether based at community colleges, colleges, universities or academic medical centers, all have consistently worked together effectively with a common voice.

The greatest challenge to APAP may well be the many recent changes in both the membership and the Association, coupled with those changes which will alter the way APAP conducts its business in the future. The significant proliferation of programs in the last decade may have leveled out, but many of the new programs started with experienced faculty who moved from existing programs. Coupled with an “aging” of the profession which will see many of the long-term faculty retiring in the near future, recruitment of new faculty and appropriate faculty development will never be more important. The same will apply to the Association, as a new generation of leadership will be required to guide the Association in its independence with the attendant management changes.

Serving as a board member of a national organization can be a career-building experience. What would you expect to gain from your board service?

I don’t look upon this opportunity to return to the APAP board as an opportunity for personal career-building. Rather, I look at it as an opportunity to return to the Association a part of the knowledge gained through prior experience and service. All of these opportunities to serve were personally enriching and satisfying, but not with the intent to be career enhancing.

Dana Sayre-Stanhope Program Director Saint Louis University School of Allied Health Professions PA Program Saint Louis, Missouri Sayre-Stanhope CV

Platform Statement, Candidate Responses

Over the past seven years I have had the honor of being one of the two longest serving members of the APAP Finance Committee. I joined it because I was thoroughly confused about the organization’s fiscal direction and financial health. It was a new committee and, over the next several years, the committee learned its job well. Ultimately, I believe that our work has made a significant difference in the fiscal stability of our organization and its continuing growth. Initially there was limited funding for research, limited reserves, and a deficit budget. This year we anticipate continuing APAP funded research projects and getting our first revenue from CASPA, which will allow us to continue to build our reserves and a balanced budget for the fifth year in a row.

However, there is a great deal yet to be done in advancing our business plan, enhancing CASPA services, supporting and expanding Perspective on Physician Assistant Education, and ensuring funding for other member-directed initiatives. Perhaps most importantly, it is imperative that APAP continue its advance toward fiscal autonomy. We are a young, vibrant organization with talented members, and we are ready to stand on our own feet.

All of these things will require someone with experience in budgeting, as well as knowledge of APAP and our goals. Regarding the former, over the course of my career I have created and managed a variety of budgets ranging from a $5,000,000 HRSA consortia grant for pediatric trauma services to the considerably smaller, but no less challenging, budget of a PA department. As a program director for the past 10 years I have been faced with the daily demands for parsimonious management of shrinking university funds, and I fully appreciate the need for APAP to deliver significant value for membership dues.

I am proud of APAP’s continuing achievements and believe that our fiscal health is paramount if we are to continue to address the needs of our membership. I believe that my experience and knowledge provide a framework for continuing that growth, and it is for that reason that I seek the position of secretary/treasurer.

My goals for my term of office would be to:

The Association’s business plan provides an excellent blueprint for our continued growth, in combination with fiscal responsibility. But just as anyone who has used blueprints knows, they require adjustment along the way as new information emerges. I would like to see an open discussion of strategic directions, including the ongoing issue of administrative autonomy, so that appropriate adjustments and refinements can be made to the business plan. We must also continue to identify new streams of non-dues revenue through the cooperative efforts of the Development and the Finance committees and expand our work with the many external agencies with which we have relationships. I would also encourage increased collaboration with the AAPA, the NCCPA, and the ARC-PA to further refine our understanding of graduate roles and responsibilities. In the same context, our nascent relationship with the AAMC must be supported to grow to its full potential and showcase the many innovations that PA educators bring to the learning environment.

I have been privileged to be a program director for eleven years and, as the founding director of two, I understand the challenges which our younger programs face within their own institutions in helping administrators understand this animal called PA education. Now as the director of an old, established program where many of those questions have been answered, we face new challenges as we expand in new directions. I appreciate the importance of consensus building and the free flow of information to adjust our responses to those challenges. Working with creative faculty has challenged and further refined those skills as has my work with the ARC-PA. My experience as a site visitor, commissioner, and now chair has helped me prepare to work with a diverse, energetic, thoughtful, and occasionally contentious group. Finally and perhaps equally importantly, I fully understand the complex nature of the fiduciary relationship a board member has to APAP.

What is your vision for APAP in five years?

My vision for APAP is fairly simple. I want to see the Association take its rightful place as the preeminent authority for PA education both here and abroad. I believe that the PA practice and educational models have even greater global implications than are now apparent, and that this educational model will become increasingly recognized by health care policy makers looking for ways to meet patient needs. By the same token, the development of programs outside the United States will have profound implications for our practice here, and it is imperative that APAP’s voice be heard.

In my view, APAP has two great strengths. First is the educational model that it promotes, which is, of course, our reason for being. Over the past thirty-five years we have established a model that generates excellent providers, builds creative and thoughtful faculty, and promotes professional research and a means of publishing our findings. I am not aware of any other profession which has made such extraordinary strides in such a short time. Secondly, we have within the Association membership a wealth of talented people who have been the progenitors of amazingly creative methods of delivering the curriculum, responding to changing health care needs, and fostering new innovations. With so many creative minds, our challenge lies in sorting out that which will fully realize our potential.

Serving as a board member of a national organization can be a career-building experience. What would you expect to gain from your board service?

If I had it to begin with, I was disabused of the notion of career building shortly after assuming the position of chair for the ARC-PA. What I have learned from that experience is that, regardless of the time and effort I invest, I have gained far more than I give. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by people who care deeply about what they are doing. On a personal level, I hope to strengthen old relationships and forge new ones with people I have not had the chance to work with and who are as committed to PA education as I am.

Candidates for Director at Large

In five years I envision an APAP that has realized its dream of organizational self-reliance. Through adherence to its strategic plan, development of innovative revenue generating programs, and expansion of services, APAP can realize this goal. Financial and organizational independence will not come without added burdens but, as any maturing organization, they are welcomed as part of its growth. In this new independent environment, APAP will continue to work closely with AAPA, but will also develop ties to other similar organizations representing our counterparts in medicine, nursing, and other allied health professions. Organizational self-reliance will be a culmination of the efforts of all who have come before us and will lead to a new chapter in the life of APAP.

The greatest strength of APAP is the people who make up its administrative and professional staff. Our administrative personnel have ensured continuity in the development of our organization. They provide competent support to all APAP endeavors and ensure our day-to-day success. This success, however, would not be possible without the efforts of our diverse PA faculty who volunteer their time, talents, and treasures to keep our organization ever moving forward. Our PA educators are second to none and their continued innovation and prodding of the board keep our organization alive, vibrant, and resourceful.

Our current challenge is to continue to foster an environment of collegiality. Rapid PA program expansion has taxed faculty resources, clinical sites, and the student pool we all clamor for. In this increasing environment of competition we must develop strategies that will ensure continued collegiality between programs and foster new collegial alignments, as this is key to the growth of our profession. The sharing of ideas and issues has made each program better in one way or another. Should we ever lose the ability to share, we would surely lose much more.

Serving as a board member of a national organization can be a career-building experience. What would you expect to gain from your board service?

As a PA for twenty years I have been fortunate to be involved in many local and state organizations. Each experience has left me richer for it through the acquisition of new skills and new contacts. APAP has for 31 years served as the face and voice of PA education. My involvement with the organization as a committee member and constituent member has left me with an indelible impression of the selflessness of its members and devotion to mission. After 20 years of benefiting from the existence of APAP, I now look to be able to give back my experiences and knowledge to our future faculty. In return I would look for no more gain than the knowledge that I helped make a difference in PA education for now and the future.

Justine Strand Faculty and Chief of the Physician Assistant Division Duke University Medical Center PA Program Durham, North Carolina Strand CV

Platform Statement, Candidate Responses

PA faculty are among the most innovative in health professions education. The APAP network provides opportunities for “cross-pollination,” allowing us to learn from each other and devise solutions to common problems. PAs are projected to be one of the fastest growing professions in the next decade and beyond, and PA educators deserve greater recognition for rapidly responding to a changing health care environment.

• APAP has made great strides in strengthening ties with other health professional education organizations, and I would add my energy and ideas to these efforts.
• I support APAP’s move to further develop our unique identity among the national PA organizations. To achieve this goal, we must build on the excellent work that has increased APAP’s financial viability through fiscal responsibility and development of ideas for generating more revenue.
• We must think creatively together about ways to enhance our applicant pool and share strategies that have worked on the local level. Better characterization of the actual applicant pool is critical, and every possible effort must be made to capture this data. CASPA has been extremely successful, achieving financial viability ahead of its projected timetable. There remain programs, however, that are unable to participate due to institutional or other considerations, and we must devise solutions for collection of this missing data.
• Successful strategies for recruiting, retaining, and graduating underrepresented minority and disadvantaged candidates to PA programs should be more widely shared and will demonstrate that diversity is valued by the organization. Diversity not only increases the PA profession’s ability to impact health disparities, it has potential to increase our applicant pool.
• PA curricula evolve in response to national need, and our graduates can be leaders in making health care safer and more user-friendly. We must continue to share curriculum innovation and take lessons learned to a wider health professions audience, making teams not just a mantra, but a reality.
• As the only federal funding for PA education (Title VII, Section 747 primary care training grants) is increasingly threatened, we must advocate for new funding sources at the national level, in concert with AAPA leadership.

What is your vision for APAP in five years?

In 2008, APAP will have gained national recognition by medical educators outside the profession for its innovative contributions to the education of health care providers. APAP will be seen as a unique and vibrant organization by our colleagues in AAPA, NCCPA, and ARC-PA. APAP will be on sound financial footing, and its meetings will be avidly attended by all PA educators.

APAP’s greatest strength is the talent and dedication of PA educators. Its greatest challenge is to harness the energy of diverse and geographically distant PA programs, to achieve greater recognition and financial viability as an organization.

Serving as a board member of a national organization can be a career-building experience. What would you expect to gain from your board service?

APAP board service will provide an opportunity to learn from other PA educators, to network with colleagues through board service and communication with other PA educators, and to experience the satisfaction of helping move the organization forward by contributing to its improvement and growth.