Essay On AAPA

Pebbles Lafleur05/15/2018HS115My Scope of PracticeAs many people know, there are steps into making into the medical field world. There are still certifications and levels to have under your belt to move up. Many people start as a CNA, then LPN, RN and so on and so forth. However, currently, I am enrolled in school to become a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) and hopefully adding phlebotomy under my belt as well. Nevertheless, before all this to happen, there is a process to go by and complete it accordingly.To be competitive in the medical field marketplace, all medical assistants have to be certified through the AMA. The AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants) is the association that is responsible for producing the

The physician assistant (PA) profession has been described as “one of the greatest innovations of the last half of the 20th century.”1(p1) The profession has been established for less than fifty years, but it has managed to develop and expand vastly within those years consisting of more than 105,000 certified physician assistants and more than 170 accredited physician assistant programs. Simply stated, a physician assistant is defined as a certified medical professional responsible for providing medical care and treatment under the supervision of a physician. In order to completely understand the role and importance of physician assistants in the medical field, the history of the profession must be acknowledged.

I am drawn to the PAs ability to not only treat and diagnose independently but to work in a team environment. I relish the idea of working alongside nurses and physicians in choosing the best path of treatment for my patients. I am also attracted to the flexibility of the PA program, which will allow me to change specialties if I desire. Being a team player and having a passion for medicine, I have concluded that a career in the health care field, and more specifically as a physician assistant, is the right path for

Loretta Ford, is commonly known as the pioneer of the nurse practitioner role. The NP role was shaped by Ford, in collaboration with pediatrician Henry K. Silver in 1965, in response to the need for providers for well-child care, in community based settings (Zaccagnini & Waud White, 2017). Though many texts, Zaccagnini included, cite a physician shortage as the impetus for the creation of the role, Ford herself disputes the emphasis on this shortage, as one of several “myths” many of which continue to influence the NP movement (Towers, 2011). This creates a view of NPs as “physician extenders” or substitutes for physicians, and diminishes the role of the NP (Sullivan-Marx et al., 2007). The creation of the NP was in conjunction with nursing leadership, who were focused on creating graduate nurses for clinical specialization (Towers, 2011). The lack of providers simply created an opportunistic environment for nurses to reclaim the role that public health nurses had historically held, focusing on wellness, health promotion and disease prevention (Zaccagnini & Waud White, 2017). The first NPs were certified in the area of pediatrics, but soon began to develop focus on other populations, such as whole families, gerontology, women’s health, or psychiatry.

Physician assistant’s scope of practice is defined by the level of education, experience, state laws, facility policies and the supervising physician’s delegations. PAs work as a team with the supervising physician and they support the physician’s scope of practice. Since the physician assistants are also educated in the medical model, PAs also practice with physicians in every specialty and setting.

The mission of the American Association of Medical Assistants is to enable medical assisting professionals to enhance and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professionalism required by employers and patients; protect medical assistants’ right to practice; and promote effective, efficient health care delivery through optimal use of the multiskilled CMA (AAMA). AAMA was incorporated in the State of Illinois as a not-for-profit professional organization. The national headquarters was opened in Chicago, Ill. The Scholarship Fund was started with a $200 contribution from Maxine Williams. It was later named the Maxine Williams Scholarship Fund. A Certification Committee was

Day by day, the demand of a medical profession is increasing. In every era or any situation, we need someone to help us for our health. As stated in bls.gov, employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 30 percent from 2014 to 2024; it is much faster than the average for all occupations. As demand for healthcare services grows, physician assistants will be needed to provide care to patient.

Application to PA school is highly competitive so it is recommended that one has a bachelor’s degree which is about 4 years and about three years of healthcare experience before entering a program. As for licensing and certification, a PA is required by law in all 50 states to take and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying examination which is given by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA, NCCPA). Only graduates of accredited PA programs may take the exam and only those who receive a passing score may become a certified PA. A recertification exam must be completed every six years to maintain certification. In addition, PAs are required to complete 100 hours of continuing medical study every two

The role of a physician assistant was created specifically to help adjust for the shortages of physicians. Unfortunately, these shortages are occurring in underserved communities that need readily available healthcare facilities and employees. Physician assistants, are trained to be able to handle a wide variety of health disease, and with a background in public health physician assistants are able to extend the “one provider, one patient” mentality and focus on the community as a whole. PAs not only treat disease, but they also promote health, decreasing healthcare demand through preventive care. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has four foundational health principles that align with the type of care that PAs

In December 1970, the American Medical Association adopted the following definition for Physician Assistants: “The Physician Assistant [(PA)] is a skilled person qualified by academic and practical training to provide patient services under the supervision and direction of a licensed physician who is responsible for the performance of that physician assistant.” (NY Department of Health). Laws and regulations for the PA profession have been developing over time based on the needs of the society; however, the need for a supervising physician found its way in the definition of the PA early on. Since PAs have been playing an important role in patient’s life, it is not surprising that they needed the supervision of a physician. After all it was a new profession, therefore it needed time to show if it is fulfilling the initial goals of the profession or not.

Physician Assistants, or PA’s, work directly under the supervision and guidance of other medical professionals, such as physicians or surgeons. Their work includes mainly examining, diagnosing, and treating patients. PA’s typically review the medical history of patients, order tests to diagnose illnesses (such as x-rays and blood tests) and then interpret the results, make a diagnosis and then provide some sort of treatment (such as a cast or sutures), give information and advice to patients and their families, and prescribe medicine when needed. Furthermore, PA’s can work in any area of medicine, including family care, psychiatry, emergency medicine, or elsewhere. PA’s are highly qualified to take care of

One of the important acts that brought in the role of the Physician Assistants is the Affordable Care Act--ACA, passed by Congress in 2010 which created a value for the PA profession. Thus now there is a "formal recognition of PAs as providers of patient-centered, team-based primary medical care." (Hanson, Physician Assistants: Recognized, Valued in Healthcare Reform) Physician Assistants are now one of the vital parts of healthcare professionals in the U.S, and they are now integrated into newly established models of coordinated care. PAs are indispensable

The first program for physician assistants was created in 1965 at Duke University (History of the Profession, 2014). This educational program was created due to a misdistribution of physicians and to address the issues of health care delivery at the time. Dr. Eugene Stead, who was the chairman of the Department of Medicine at Duke University, established the two-year program while working on a new curriculum for undergraduates that were studying medical education. The two-year program was designed to train physician assistants on how to provide proper medical care to the less fortunate, underserved populations under direct physician supervision.

To gain accreditation, the process is very time consuming and thus took many years and help from a diverse group to gather. It wasn’t until March of 2006 that the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) awarded the option of accreditation to physician assistant programs with residencies. To give an idea of the depth of the standards to which each accredited program is held to, I have listed the following: having a full and active faculty and staff team assembled, adequate funding, having access to patients to further the skill of the student, enroll students full-time with a minimum duration of 6 months, and offer clinical and didactic training (Ballweg et al., 2013 p.

Physician Assistants are also known as a PA’s; they practice medicine under the direction of physicians and surgeons. They formally trained to examine patients, diagnose injures and illness, and provide treatment. Physician Assistants also evaluate and treat patients under the supervision of doctors and surgeons. A Physician Assistants is a graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant educational program who is nationally certified and state- licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a physician. Core tasks of a Physician Assistant are they take medical histories and examine patients. They Interpret lab test and make diagnoses, Treat minor injuries with stitches, splints, casts, and prescribes certain medications, The