Candidates Declare for President Elect and Director at Large

The PAEA Nominations and Awards Committee has established the eligibility of the following candidates who have declared for the positions of president elect and director at large: Frank Acevedo and Justine Strand, president elect; and Connie Goldgar, director at large. Candidates' platform statements (limited to 400 words and minimally edited), two-page CVs, and photos are featured in this issue of the Networker. Their responses to questions posed to them by the committee will be published in upcoming issues of the Networker, and candidates will present their positions in person at the Candidates Forum in Tucson. Voting will take place on Saturday, October 27, immediately preceding the PAEA Annual Business Meeting.

Candidates

President Elect

Frank A. Acevedo, PA-C, MS, Academic Coordinator/Associate Director
New York Institute of Technology Department of PA Studies
Old Westbury, New York

Justine Strand, MPH, PA-C, Chief
Duke University Medical Center Physician Assistant Division
Durham, North Carolina

Director at Large

Constance T. Goldgar, MS, PA-C, Associate Program Director
University of Utah Physician Assistant Program
Salt Lake City, Utah

Platform Statements and CVs

Frank Acevedo, President Elect

Over the past 24 years I have had the privilege to serve our profession in leadership positions at both the state and national level. These last two years while on the Association’s board of directors I have had the opportunity to directly participate on our Data and Research Workgroup, CASPA committee, International Affairs Committee, and NCCPA New Opportunities Exploratory Workgroup to name just a few. It is because of the development of these relationships that I seek to bring a continuity of our leadership at this crucial juncture for our organization.

Our transition smoothly to an independent entity as well as the development of a strategic initiative will continue to allow us to be the premier organization for physician assistant education. Increasing dialogue with the AAPA, ARC-PA, NCCPA, and now the Association of Postgraduate Physician Assistant Programs allows us to share in the diversity of opinions and ideas that make us stronger as an Association. If given the opportunity to represent you I will concentrate on the following issues that I feel are most pressing to our Association and the members it represents:

• I will work with the board to implement our strategic plan and measure its success. An important part of this success will involve monitoring and reporting metrics that follow the success of our plan and lend transparency to its implementation.

• Communication continues to be a cornerstone in the continued success of the Association. As president-elect I will follow our recent improvements in communication with more efforts aimed at keeping everyone better informed of Association activities.

• Faculty development will continue to be an Association priority. I believe that we can continue to offer cutting edge conferences and services to all programs and their members. Furthermore, we can start to become more innovative in the delivery of these conferences so that more members have an opportunity to participate and benefit first hand from our conferences.

• Our Data and Research Workgroup has identified the various data sets that we need as educators. It is now time for the implementation of this initiative that will transform us to a data driven organization providing the best data to our members so that educational strategies and decisions are made more soundly.

Together we can continue the great work of PAEA and ensure that physician assistant education remains cutting edge and continues to have an effective voice heard by all.

Acevedo CV

Justine Strand, President Elect

PAEA has evolved and progressed at an accelerated rate in recent years. The organization has grown, not just in the number of member programs, but also in the depth and breadth of its activities. We represent the “pipeline” for PAs, and our end product can be seen as enhanced access to quality health care. I believe the predicted demand for PAs by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and others is an underestimation; the growing need for PAs will make our work increasingly important. As your president elect, I would emphasize the following:

• Maintaining and improving valued services to member programs, building on our strong foundation and the remarkable accomplishments of the organization to date.
• Enhancing communication and assuring that we learn from the diverse perspectives of our members, as an organization of educators and a “learning organization.”
• Fiscally responsible approaches to the organization’s agenda, maintaining a balance between developing or expanding services and an awareness of the financial impact on member programs.
• Being alert and responding to emerging issues in PA education and the needs of member programs.
• Continuing the development of collaborative efforts among the four national PA organizations, to create greater synergy and strengthen the PA profession.
• Keeping strategic planning and goal setting alive and relevant, aligning committee activities and deliverables to the organization’s overall strategies.
• Strengthen capabilities in data collection and information sourcing regarding the PA education “pipeline,” by continuing recent efforts and designation of qualified staff and forward thinking choices about electronic resources and applications. Solid data are needed to inform decisions by PAEA, other PA organizations and health workforce decision makers, and to create research opportunities for PA educators.
• Continue working toward the best model of governance for the organization, building on efforts already begun and incorporating new ideas from the varied perspectives of our member programs.
• Sharing the educational innovations and values of team-based care that make PA education and PAs unique with other medical and health professional education organizations.

Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy. I would welcome the opportunity to serve PAEA as president elect.

Strand CV

Constance Goldgar, Director at Large

I am seeking to serve as director at large on the PAEA Board of Directors. Over the past several years I have had rich and varied opportunities to be involved in PA education at multiple levels as well as with different organizations. On the home front (at the University of Utah Physician Assistant Program), I have served for over 9 years as clinical and academic coordinator, and am currently director of graduate studies and associate director. Nationally, an incredibly talented group of educators representing a diversity of projects and perspectives in PA education has mentored me along the way. I have been fortunate to serve as PAEA liaison to two organizations that have provided new educational vistas to share: Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and National Coalition of Health Professional Education in Genetics. I recently worked as part of a team on the joint NCCPA Foundation-PAEA Ethics Advisory Committee project, Exploring Ethics, which PA educators may use to discuss PA-specific ethics cases with their students. Over the past 5 years, I have served as site visitor and chair on ARC-PA accreditation site visits to contribute to upholding PA educational standards.

PAEA has been moving full stride since becoming an independent organization over a year ago. Our organization has grown and with strategic planning and a strong past foundation, a purposeful restructuring is emerging. There are opportunities for PAEA to distinguish itself as a leader in medical education. There are three areas toward which I see PAEA focusing its energy: 1) establishing preeminence in faculty development and mentoring, 2) creating and solidifying a research agenda for the educational arm of the PA profession, and 3) exploring frameworks that will facilitate both premier faculty development and research. Our eyes must stay on the target of how what we do benefits PA practice, and ultimately the care of our patients.

Will Rogers said: “If you want to be successful, it's just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.” If chosen, I hope to contribute to the board (“team”) with my skills and knowledge, background in research, and passion for learning and teaching. I will “roll up my sleeves” to get the job done.

Goldgar CV