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| PAs Announce Name Change Initiative |
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by David Mittman, PA - August 13, 2011
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 Provided by Clinician 1
Fellow PAs:
As you know many PAs have often felt and said that the name of the profession does not represent where the profession is at today.
Until now, there has been little to do to voice your opinion on this problem. About a year ago a group of 100 PA Leaders issued a position statement supporting a change to our profession's original name; Physician
Associate. You can find that on the link below as well as on Clinician 1.
We are attaching a page where you and any colleagues you forward the link to can now let the AAPA know how they feel regarding the support of the title "Physician Associate" http://www.associatenamechange.com/. We need every PA who believes we need to change our name to act as soon as they can.
You must leave your name city and zip after you click on the below link.
The name change should not be looked at as something that all 50 states will need to do as soon as they can. The AAPA should endorse a change to associate and also say that the profession would like to see it reflected in the names of the current and new PA programs and when appropriate in new state legislation. We could begin to use either title nationally and the change could become evolutionary. We can educate the AMA and other physician groups that we need this for our members, as the name no longer represents the relationship PAs and physicians have.
To help bring home the need for a change, let us relate a story. One PA on the name change "committee" (there are 8 active PA leaders working on this) got a phone call at his practice as another "PA" wanted to speak with him.
Turns out it was a chiropractic office referral to neurosurgery (which this
PA is in) by the local chiropractor's office. The chiropractor's assistant told this PA that since chiropractors had now changed their status in that state to "chiropractic physician," she was now a "physician's assistant".
This will be echoed by optometric assistants, podiatric assistants and others. Both are now "physicians" in many states. Only a matter of time for your state. And yes, we can "brand" associate so NO ONE else can call themselves a physician associate. It is not a generic term.
Please take a few minutes right now to let the AAPA know this is important to you and that you believe this change can be done in a way that does not threaten the survival of the profession. Then send it to all PAs and students you know and ask them to do the same by sending the message on the web site. We need to show that we care. We believe many of us do and we believe in our profession.
Thank you.
Please click this link and make your voice heard today.
http://www.associatenamechange.com/
Dave has been a PA, and later NP, leader for thirty years. He strongly believes that NPs and PAs must work together to insure a better future for both professions. Most recently Dave has been busy launching another dream; Clinician 1, the first internet community for PAs and NPs. In October 2008, Dave was honored by the New Jersey State society of PAs with its “Lifetime Achievement Award”.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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| David Mabe, MSN, FNP-C (Asheboro, NC) |
on 10 Aug 2011 at 6:15 pm |
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| I disagree with the opinion of physician extender as the appropriate title or description. No longer do PA's and NP's just extend services of the MD. I am a solo health care provider and do not necessarily extend another's practice. I provide my own services/care within my scope of practice whether the MD is in the office or another state. I have worked with great PA's and their provision of medical care often exceeds that of the supervising MD. |
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| Frank Wolf (North Bergen, NJ) |
on 10 Aug 2011 at 1:30 am |
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Michael:
The term "Health Practitioner" is much too generic. It's akin to using the term "Health Care Worker".
Please remember that the original name was "Physician Associate". Many years ago I remember reading about Dr Eugene Stead and other founders of the profession discussing which titles would be most appropriate. Various names such as Physician Extender and even "Flexner" (a Russian title for their equivalent- I guess- of a PA in earlier days). The profession's founders decided that the title "Physician Associate" was most appropriate in view of the level of training and responsibility we had. I graduated from the LIU Physician Associate Program in NYC in 1976. (I don't remember in what subsequent year the name change occurred.)
The title "Physician Associate" I feel is not only descriptive and most appropriate but delineates us as a separate profession from Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives, etc., as opposed to a more generic term like "Advanced Practice Clinician" which does not (it's used by NP's as well). |
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| Michael D. Fleming, PA-C (Boxborough Massachusetts) |
on 03 Aug 2011 at 8:16 pm |
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| How about "Health Practitioner"? |
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| Frank Wolf, PA-C (North Bergen, NJ) |
on 02 Aug 2011 at 7:46 pm |
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I have been a PA for 34 years (35 years in October). I graduated the Long Island University Physician's Associate Program in 1976 AS A PHYSICIAN'S ASSOCIATE NOT AS A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT. The name was changed in subsequent years and I believe it was primarily to placate physicians because at the time some of them felt we were daring to "equate" ourselves with them. It was a political move I am sure, to try to cement our good relation with physicians and relieve their anxiety re: professional jealousy and turf protection. Time has shown that we have always been supportive of physicians and never competitive. THE TERM "PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT" IS DEMEANING AND I HAVE LONG BEEN A PROPONENT OF A NAME CHANGE. I wholeheartedly agree that a change in name to "PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE" is long overdue. (By the way, re: the comment of Ms. Tomayko- and no offense to her, I realize she is well-meaning- but the term "physician extender" sounds like some kind of urologic prosthesis and I feel is a very poor choice of words!) I have stated to my colleagues that I think the term "Advanced Practice Clinician" is also a good choice but I'm sure the physician community would balk immediately.
I am sick and tired of patients hearing "assistant" and commenting "can't I see a doctor?". Part of that is due to the name we give ourselves (we also have done a great job of P.R. in terms of marketing ourselves to other professions but have not done well in terms of educating the public but that's a separate issue although the "assistant" word sure doesn't help).
I am happy to hear that I'm not alone and that other PA's feel strongly enough, as I do, to bring this issue to the forefront.
Frank Wolf, DPM, PA |
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| Paul R. Anderson (Northern Minnesota) |
on 02 Aug 2011 at 2:37 pm |
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| I fully support a change. I work in a rural health clinic. I have a physician in the clinic two half days a month. I am otherwise on my on doing A to Z. I also cover the local ER several nights per month and often do so with phone coverage as backup. I have been here for 12 years, and love the autonomy associated with my practice. I have a great group of peers, " PA-C's, NP's, and Doc's. Thanks , Paul |
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| Deneen Tomayko, MS, PA-C, CHT (NM) |
on 01 Aug 2011 at 2:04 pm |
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And one more thing.
Since CPA has already been taken, we could be using CPE instead, much less cumbersome than PA-C. |
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| Deneen Tomayko, MS, PA-C, CHT (NewMexico) |
on 01 Aug 2011 at 2:03 pm |
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I agree with Jonathan. We are Physician Extenders.
I know using an E rather than an A is more cumbersome for many of the associations we are with but if this will be implemented over time anyway, why not go for the true and exact name rather than settle for something that sort of fits?
It would only be a matter of time before we would all want Extender anyway, let's not change twice! We would be look upon as never being satisfied. and may be completely ignored. |
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| JONATHAN BENAK, PA-C (CA) |
on 01 Aug 2011 at 1:40 pm |
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The only truly appropriate name = physician extender = extend the services of an MD.
Thanks for all that you do, Dave! |
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