 Provided by Clinician 1
Yesterday’s elections were fascinating on many levels. One level scared the heck out of me. Regarding politics am a middle of the road guy. I lean a bit more liberal on social issues and more conservative on foreign affairs.
Let’s put politics aside for a moment. I mean the Rebublican, Tea Party, Liberal and Democrat type politics. I do not mean to say that many parts of healthcare and the NP and PA professions are not political, they are.
So why was I scared? I realized how easy it would have been to completely erase the gains we NPs and PAs have made as healthcare providers under the new legislation that passed Congress this year. For many reasons, there was much recognition of both the NP and PA professions. Partly because the hard work of the AAPA and AANP/ACNP. Partly because of the fine education done at the state and even local level by our state organizations. Partly because of the Town Hall meetings, arm twisting, some work on the behalf of both professions together by the ACC. So many of us had worked so hard. At the end of the day though, what we gained was not given to us because we were all nice people and because we worked hard. The fact that BOTH PAs and NPs were acknowledged as full providers, were allowed to run a “Medical Home”, and truly seen as leaders in the new healthcare world was because of the hard work done each and every day by every NP and PA in the U.S.A. We were placed throughout the new legislation because we are effective, high quality clinicians who make a difference in the health of our country.
I was worried that if the power in Congress totally shifted, our advances would be erased, kaput, gone. Starting all over to convince a whole new group of new Congressional staff members who we are, and why we belonged, would set us back years again. It would not have been easy. Glad it did not happen. Interesting that it made me take a few moments and realize how far we had all come.
On another election note, we now have a PA Member of CONGRESS. Karen Bass who was the Fomer Speaker of the California House of Representatives and a PA, now represents California in the U.S House. Congratulations Karen. What a great step for all who are concerned with getting healthcare to more of our citizens.
Next week’s blog will be on the ACP Statement in response to the IOM Report. Stay tuned.
Dave
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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