2006 PAEA Election of Officers: Know Your Candidates

Candidates' Respond to Questions from the Nominations and Awards Committee

To help members make informed choices, PAEA candidates for office traditionally respond to several questions assigned to them by the Nominations and Awards Committee. In this issue, candidates answer the second and third of three questions. Responses to the first question can be found in the August Networker. Members are also encouraged to attend the Candidates Forum during the Annual Education Forum, when nominees present their platform statements in person and respond to questions. The forum will take place on Thursday, October 26, from 4:15 to 5:00 p.m. Candidates' platform statements and CVs were featured in the July Networker.

Candidates

President Elect

Dana L. Sayre-Stanhope, EdD, PA-C, Department Chair
Department of PA Education, Doisy College of Health Sciences
Saint Louis University, Missouri

Secretary/Treasurer

Charles Brakhage, MPAS, PA-C, Program Director
Interservice PA Program, San Antonio, Texas

Director at Large

Mary L. Warner, MMSc, PA-C, Program Director
Yale University School of Medicine PA Program, New Haven, Connecticut

Kirsten Thomsen, PA-C, Faculty
The George Washington University PA Program, Washington, D.C.

Donna Sewell, MS, PA-C, Program Director
Towson University CCBC Essex PA Program, Baltimore, Maryland

Kevin Lohenry, MPAS, PA-C, Program Director
Midwestern University PA Program, Glendale, Arizona

David Fahringer, MSPH, PA-C, Director of Admissions
University of Kentucky PA Program, Lexington, Kentucky

Questions and Answers

Dana Sayre-Stanhope, President Elect

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

Dramatic growth of programs and popular media outlets highlighting the profession have resulted in a healthy number of applicants, which continues to rise. At the same time we are watching the average age of matriculants decrease, bringing with them less patient care experience than was common in the early years of the profession. Some of this may be the natural evolution of a profession; however, we have the option of attacking our diversity issues on two fronts by directed recruiting of second-career folks already in the helping arena. Social workers and clergy, as examples, bring life skills and experience with the human condition that some of our younger matriculants lack, thereby creating a diversity of background. Recruitment efforts directed toward specific professional, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds will ensure a vibrant graduate population in the coming years.

Once we have recruited students with strong pre-PA careers, we will have to address two areas which have had limited attention in contemporary PA education: role stripping and professionalism. The shedding of the old role — be it as an undergraduate or as a professional — can be a difficult transition for a PA student, and we must be clear about the mantle that we put on his or her shoulders. A “professionalism” curriculum akin to that of the American College of Physicians would help us define our expectations and support the graduation of students with a clear understanding of what being a professional means.

Finally, specialty certification will soon be a reality. The Association is in the best position to create curricula composed of self-instructional materials that would potentially prepare graduates for such certification.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

One of our missions is to be the definitive voice on matters related to entry-level PA education. Yet, because we usually have similar agendas and because we were the smaller, more fiscally constrained of the two organizations, PAEA has often relied on the Academy to speak for us as they lobbied various legislators or agencies. For the most part, this has worked well for us and ensured that a strong professional voice for physician assistants was heard. Now, as the Association grows in strength and numbers, it is time to advocate for ourselves at those tables and to ensure that the voice of PA education is equally strong. It is vitally important that our organization and its specific mission, values, and concerns be communicated to ensure that those making policy decisions understand the quality education that our programs provide and the basis for the patient-centered care that our graduates deliver. Using data gained from our ongoing efforts to systematically collect and analyze information about applicants, programs, and graduates, we have an even greater opportunity to advocate for ourselves. The visibility associated with such advocacy will contribute to a deeper and wider awareness of our creative faculty, the students, we teach and the patients we serve.

 

Charles Brakhage, Secretary/Treasurer

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

I believe the Association needs to continue its efforts to enhance and improve the data collection system presently in use. This will enable us to present a clearer picture of our ability to educate competent and compassionate PA graduates to the other members of the big four, the Academy, NCCPA, and ARC-PA. It should provide all programs with relevant data allowing for creation of more uniform educational standards across the Association. I am confident this will ensure that we continue as the single promoter and the lead agent of PA education, within our membership and to external organizations. Our lead with solid, current, and accurate data will show strength and will enable us to collaborate and focus our efforts at more productive lobbying for the advancement of our profession in both political and professional theaters.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

I would submit that several initiatives should be in the forefront of the Association’s agenda to promote our image. The first would be participation at national and regional conferences for organizations such as the American Medical Association, pharmaceutical conferences, and the American Hospital Association, with displays and presentations. Additionally, our participation should be evident at other conventions such as the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, the American College of Health Care Executives, and the American Academy of Medical Administrators. By involving ourselves in each of these nationally recognized organizations, we would be able to reach all arms of health care. Today, the Association should be in close contact with Homeland Security and the environmental industrial arenas. We can assist them by applying their lessons learned to our curricula, thus putting us in a positive light regarding civil defense. Finally, the last venue that I look forward to forging ahead in is assisted living and geriatric care facilities. We can be the leader in delivering quality health care to the rapidly approaching crisis in geriatric medicine and care.

Our products will be invaluable in all the future health care scenarios. Together, our sheer diversity will allow us to succeed in accomplishing great strides in each of these endeavors.

Mary Warner, Director at Large

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

As I mentioned in my essay in July, I believe the Association must think creatively about how to foster communication within its membership. While we currently have a PA faculty forum, perhaps having forums for particular interest groups would be a good way to increase the dialogue of the membership. For example, faculty who are interested in the use of technology and distance learning or utilization of standardized patients could form a PAEA sponsored list serve, meet at the annual meeting, and even create potential research agenda items. This would serve to foster faculty development, and if research collaborations were formed as a result, may advance the definition of quality education.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

There are likely financial considerations that impact decisions to employ classic marketing techniques. Building the reputation and becoming the “voice” of PA education will take time. According to the Web site, it appears that most of our liaison relationships exist with organizations that serve the PA profession. The Association must begin to establish relationships with groups that share our vision to improve the quality of health care. Liaisons with organizations that participate in educating health care providers, such as the American Association of the Colleges of Nursing, Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Association of Schools of Public Health, will be important for our future.

Kirsten Thomsen, Director at Large

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

We are all aware of the extraordinary demands placed upon PA educators to pursue excellence in education while at the same time serve the profession and the community. Initiatives which allow educators to utilize their existing skills to serve outside of their program related responsibilities is one way to efficiently meet these demands. Mentoring programs for our PA pipeline is one such potential service initiative.

I have long participated in mentoring programs for middle and high school students. I have seen first hand the difference role models and information sharing can make to the student in an underserved community where the dropout rates often approach 50%. Lack of health information contributes to increased obesity, smoking, and HIV rates among our young. Who better to inform youth on these health issues than PA educators and students?

I envision a PAEA service and leadership component toolbox of curriculum modules that would address a variety of health topics. Sessions would be delivered by PA students and faculty in small groups in an attempt to introduce our profession and increase interest in pursuing health profession careers through medical education.

If we truly value “collegiality, scholarship, excellence, service, diversity, ethical behavior, integrity, and respect,” then providing strong mentoring programs would provide opportunities for faculty and students to model these values. The mission and goals of PAEA, which incorporate recruitment, education, professionalism, while encouraging and assisting programs to educate competent and compassionate physician assistants, would also be accomplished with this initiative.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

At George Washington University, Howard Straker, Jim Cawley, and I realized that our individual experiences as health policy fellows with the Health and
Human Services Primary Care Policy Fellowship provided us the opportunity to learn about organizations serving a variety of health care needs and to meet their staff and leaders. It was clear to us that increasing direct contact between PA/PA educators, and outside organizations benefits the profession, students, and most importantly the patients.

Based on this idea, we developed a two-day mini health policy exercise for our second year students. The students went in small groups to meet with health care leaders then reported back to the class members what they had discussed and learned. Because the mini health policy exercise was so successful, we decided to try it with PA educators at our regional meeting. Several educators have now instituted it at their programs.

Were we to institute this initiative in each city where we have PA programs, we could exponentially increase awareness of PAEA. We would also build bridges with organizations and people with whom we need to interact as we strive to improve medical education for our students and health care for our patients and communities.

Small groups of educators, with input from PAEA, would identify organizations and individuals with whom to meet. Each learns about the other and explores possibilities for collaboration. Information learned is shared among PAEA faculty while relationships with groups around the country are strengthened and PAEA visibility is increased.

Donna Sewell, Director at Large

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

PAEA’s second objective in accomplishing its mission is to enhance programs’ capability to recruit, select, and retain well-qualified PA students. There is an issue that has long been ignored that stands in the way of our recruitment efforts — standardization of admission prerequisites. A prevalent concern among health careers guidance counselors is the difficulty in guiding students toward a PA career. Counselors can unequivocally give information on how to prepare for admission to medical school, RN/NP programs, and most health related careers, but not for PA programs. With 136 PA programs and almost as many variations in prerequisites, counselors have a nearly impossible task in preparing students for PA program admission. Although we have long valued the independence and diversity allowed physician assistant programs as long as ARC-PA standards are met, and it has seemed an impossible task to even begin discussion of any sort of standardization, we have come to a point were we can no longer afford to ignore the issue.

Now as we appear to be moving in the direction of the master’s degree as the recognized endpoint for physician assistant education, it may be easier than we realize to begin addressing the issue. A great start might be to look at common prerequisites for master’s programs or a smaller group, CASPA participating master’s programs. I am not suggesting that this issue could be resolved overnight, but it is clearly time to start.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

One initiative that could be undertaken to increase awareness of PAEA outside our member base that would also foster student recruitment activities would be to develop and build upon existing efforts to provide mentorship and shadowing experiences for potential PA students. While mentorship of potential physician assistant applicants and the provision of “shadowing” experiences exist in various forms within and outside PA programs, there are no guidelines or recommendations for conducting these activities. A key factor in development of successful mentoring and shadowing opportunities would be to assure that mentors have information, training, and support for their mentoring activities. This would include the development of formal guidelines for mentoring/shadowing that would at minimum address (1) acquiring institutional approval, (2) preservation of patient privacy rights under HIPAA, (3) acquiring patient permission, (3) HIPAA training for participants, and (4) basic guidelines for participant conduct in shadowing activities. More individual PAs may be more willing to participate with guidance from PAEA on how to conduct shadowing activities under HIPAA regulations.

Formal guidelines and recommendations for mentoring/shadowing experiences would serve to increase awareness of PAEA not only in potential applicants but with the graduate clinical PAs and their participating institutions as well. Formal guidelines from PAEA also serve to protect programs, participating PAs, and their institutions, as well as patient privacy rights.

Kevin Lohenry, Director at Large

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

When I attended my first APAP meeting, I was amazed at the passion and enthusiasm expressed by faculty in the workshops and presentations. I found our colleagues full of creative ideas and was anxious to learn from the experience of others. Over the next few years I sought out leaders and mentors in our profession, and as a result of their mentorship and support, I gained the experience and confidence necessary to seek a position on the board of directors. In attending the PAEA conferences, I’m always surprised by the number of new faculty members who attend each year. Given PAEA’s financial and organizational independence, we have an opportunity to enhance our success by cultivating and mentoring these faculty members. Perhaps a more formal approach to partnering with other leaders or providing mentors for these new members could help strengthen our organization. Additionally, enhancing our partnerships and program communication could help strengthen and support programs in the development and retention of well-qualified faculty.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

PAEA could potentially increase awareness outside of our own member base by continuing to strengthen existing partnerships with other organizations and by pursuing relationships with other organizations. PAEA is currently involved with organizations like the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Association of Advisors to the Health Professions, and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. These organizational relationships are great ways to increase the understanding of our profession and PAEA’s role in the profession. I recently attended the National Health Service Corps’ Ambassador Conference, and I had the opportunity to meet other ambassadors from each health profession. This type of networking, in my mind, is invaluable, and I believe it is an essential way to improve awareness of PAEA and the role of PA educators.

David Fahringer, Director at Large

2. Identify one new idea to further one of PAEA's stated goals and explain how you see this promoting the Association's mission and values.

To form a physician assistant education curriculum consortium with other organizations who are stakeholders in the physician assistant profession. These stakeholders would not be limited to NCCPA, ARC-PA, or AAPA, but other organizations on the national and international level. The purpose of the consortium would be to have PAEA be in the driver’s seat concerning PA curriculum. The consortium would be a think tank for PAEA to hear from the different organizations on educational issues. PAEA could use the consortium to bounce new ideas or concerns about different issues related to PA education. An example of an issue would be entry-level PA education. The consortium would only be giving their opinions and their perspective on issues. This will help meet one of PAEA goals, “Serve as the definitive voice on matters related to entry-level PA education, nationally and internationally.” This consortium would also help to meet another goal: “Forge linkages with other organizations to advance its mission.”

The consortium may open doors for publication in their peer journals of our research in PA education. It would offer opportunities to collaborate with others in the consortium for research and publication.

3. Describe one initiative that could be undertaken by the Association to increase awareness of PAEA outside of its member base.

It is very important at this time that we define who we are now as PAEA. The transitional time will be over two to three years in terms of being known as PAEA and not APAP. PAEA may look at other professional organizations to develop relationships with those who may be stakeholders in PA education. One way to increase the awareness is to encourage PA faculty to do presentations at their meetings and to publish in their journals.

Develop a marketing plan that would target organizations that have a key interest in PA education. PAEA could offer a discount conference rate to key members from those organizations to come and take part in our meetings. I would hope that they would do the same for PAEA members.