PA Foundation Announces Its Ninth Annual Innovations in Health Care Recognition Program

Francesca M. Rusk
Manager, Physician Assistant Foundation

The Physician Assistant (PA) Foundation, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), and Pfizer Incorporated, are pleased to announce the Ninth Annual Innovations in Health Care Recognition Program. The Innovations in Health Care Program was established to recognize unique and new interventions or enhancements in clinical practice and in PA educational programs.

Through this initiative, the PA Foundation, AAPA, and Pfizer continue their commitment to support physician assistants in developing innovations in clinical practice and in the programs.

Four PA programs will be recognized and awarded $5,000 each to support further development or implementation of the practice or curriculum enhancements. These programs must have been in existence for two years or more. In addition, two programs that are operational but in existence less than two years will be awarded $3,500 each. Both PA programs and clinical practices are eligible to apply for these awards. One special $3,500 grant will also be awarded to a project focusing on mental health.

Winners must demonstrate the use of an innovative approach in clinical practice or in a PA education program and show how the solutions have been successfully implemented. In other words, your group should have recognized a need, established goals to meet that need, and successfully implemented a program to attain those goals. The applicant must be a PA, a member of AAPA, and integrally involved in the PA program.

Last year’s recipients were either practicing PAs, students, and/or PAs involved in PA programs. The winners included

• Migrant Farm Worker Outreach Program in collaboration with the University of Utah PA Program
• Spanish Language and Cross Cultural Communications in collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine PA Program
• Community Oriented Primary Care Summer Assistantship Program in conjunction with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program
• The Jackman Region Community Association, created by a practicing PA
• District of Columbia Area Health Education Center in partnership with the DC Academy of Physician Assistants

The application is available online at http://www.aapa.org/paf/innovations-form.pdf, and the deadline is November, 1, 2003. Winners will be notified by December 29, 2003, and will be acknowledged throughout the year by both the PA Foundation and AAPA. If you have questions, you may contact me, Francesca Rusk, at frusk@aapa.org; 703/836-2272, ext. 3114.

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