NewsNewsOfficial Publication of the California Academy of Physician AssistantsOfficial Publication of the California Academy of Physician Assistants

May/June 2012

CAPA’s Public Policy Year in Review! Your CAPA Membership, Yielding Big Rewards for California PAsby Teresa Anderson, MPH, Public Policy Director

The Magazine\

S ince the beginning of my PA educa-tion, I have looked to those who have garnered wisdom through their

life experiences and have led unselfishly for the betterment of the profession. While I was in school, I looked toward those educating me and my program

O ver the last year, CAPA has focused on some very

important public policy issues; health workforce development, increased access to care for pa-tients and prevention

and management of chronic conditions have lead much of our policy work. PAs are in-strumental in each of these areas and as such have been welcomed into policy discussions throughout the state.

Health Workforce Development The need to increase the number of PAs in the health workforce is among some of the most prevalent policy discussions, particularly as California prepares for an increased number of people gaining access to health insurance. To begin with, our state faces a significant shortage of primary care physicians as well as a mal-distribution of physicians practicing in various special-ties. As these shortages become more and more critical, health policy experts and the legislature are looking to other health care providers to help fill the gap. Many are find-ing PAs are in an ideal position to help fill the need in both primary and specialty care given their versatility in scope of practice.

CAPA has had the opportunity to be part of workforce discussions through our member-ship with the California Health Workforce Alliance/California Health Professions Consortium, submission of a PA Pathways/Action Plan to the Health Workforce

A Presidential Saluteby Adam Marks, MPA, PA-C, President Elect

Development Council (HWDC), and Program Relations Chair, Michael De Rosa’s testimony before the California Senate Health Committee. These opportunities have afforded us the ability to participate in meaningful health workforce issues such as: the need to strengthen pipeline programs, challenges finding rotations sites, rural health issues and geographic distribution of providers. Our participation with the HWDC (a sub-committee of the California

Workforce Investment Board) has led to the PA Pathways/Action Plan being accepted as a priority. Finally, PA Program Relations Chair, Michael De Rosa, testified before the Senate Health Committee at an informational hear-ing specifically dedicated to health workforce issues in California. His testimony highlight-ed barriers to increasing the PA workforce as well as provided recommendations for how to overcome some of those barriers.

director for guidance. My first day as a physician assistant, I looked to develop close relationships with my supervising physician and colleagues. As I started to work with CAPA, I looked to those individuals who had served the organiza-tion with the profession’s best interest at heart. Little did I know, as I served as Student Representative and travelled across the state and country, that I would be surrounded by an extended group of great leaders outside of the board room. Over the last year, as I have transitioned into the role of President-Elect, I have had the pleasure of being mentored by the current CAPA President, Eric Glassman, PA-C.

Continued on page 9

Continued on page 18

Eric Glassman, MHS, PA-C and Adam Marks, MPA, PA-C at the 2010 CAPA Leadership Retreat in Lake Arrowhead.

2 CAPA NEWS

Editor

Gaye Breyman, CAE

Managing Editor

Denise Werner

Proofreaders

Kimberly DickersonCoryn Kulesza

Editorial Board

Eric Glassman, MHS, PA-CBob Miller, PA-CLarry Rosen, PA-CMichael Scarano, Jr., Esq.

CAPA Board Of Directors

President

Eric Glassman, MHS, PA-Cpresident@capanet.org

President Elect

Adam Marks, MPA, PA-Cpresidentelect@capanet.org

Vice President

Jeremy A. Adler, MS, PA-Cvicepresident@capanet.org

Secretary

Cherri Penne-Myers, PA-C, MSCSsecretary@capanet.org

Treasurer

Bob Miller, PA-Ctreasurer@capanet.org

Directors-At-Large

Margaret Allen, PA-Cdirmargaret@capanet.org

Roy Guizado, MS, PA-Cdirroy@capanet.org

Greg Mennie, PA-C, MSeddirgreg@capanet.org

Larry Rosen, PA-Cdirlarry@capanet.org

Student Representative

Joy Dugan, PA, MSPHstudentrep@capanet.org

The CAPA News is the official publication of the California Academy of Physician Assistants. This publication is devoted to informing physician assistants to enable them to better serve the public health and welfare. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. Letters to the editor are encouraged; the publisher reserves the right to publish, in whole or in part, all letters received. Byline articles express the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the California Academy of Physician Assistants.

The CAPA office is located at:3100 W. Warner Ave., Suite 3Santa Ana, CA 92704-5331Office: (714) 427-0321Fax: (714) 427-0324Email: CAPA@capanet.orgInternet: www.capanet.org©2012 California Academy of Physician Assistants

NewsNews

At The Table

Top Left: Bob Miller presents: Physician Assistant Roles: Creating the Optimal Team Approach in April at the CMA Health Care Leadership Academy in Anaheim.

Top Right: Katherine Ensign, PA-C and Jean Kareofelas, PA-C met Senator Lois Wolk at a reception in her honor on Thursday, March 29th at Fairfield Post-Acute Rehab

Bottom Left: Physician Assistant Committee (PAC) Chair, Bob Sachs, PA-C joins PAC Executive Officer, Elberta Portman (left) and CAPA Public Policy Director, Teresa Anderson on the floor of the Assembly.

Incoming 2012-2013 CAPA Board of Directors

President Adam Marks, MPA, PA-C,

Vice PresidentJeremy A. Adler, MS, PA-C

SecretaryJoy Dugan, PA, MSPH

TreasurerBob Miller, PA-C

Director-At-LargeAnthony Gauthier, PA-C, ATC

Director-At-LargeRoy Guizado, MS, PA-C

Director-At-LargeMatthew Keane, PA-C

Director-At-LargeGreg Mennie, PA-C, MSed

Director-At-LargeLarry Rosen, PA-C

Student RepresentativeSaloni Swarup, PA-S

Term July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013

Joy Dugan, PA, MSPHAnthony Gauthier, PA-C, ATCStephen Hanson, PA-CCherri Penne-Myers, PA-C, MSCSLarry Rosen, PA-C

Julie Theriault, PA-C Jay Williamson, MS, PA-C

2013 AAPA House of DelegatesTerm July 15, 2012 – July 14, 2013

Thank You For Your Dedication and Service

Margaret Allen, PA-CDirector-At-Large

Committee on Diversity Chair

Beth Grivett, PA-CLegislative Affairs Coordinator

Cherri Penne-Myers, PA-C, MSCSSecretary

CAPA PAC Committee Chair

Departing CAPA Leaders

MAY/JUNE 2012 3

Incoming 2011-2012 CAPA Board of Directors ......................2

2013 AAPA House of Delegates ............................................2

At the Table .........................................................................2

Have You Visited CAPA’s NEW Website? .................................3

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans Are More Affordable Than You Think ...................................................4

Are Your Controlled Substance Prescription Pads Up-to-Date? ......4

PA Receives Lifetime Achievement Award ..............................5

“Sailing Into Retirement” .....................................................5

Renew Your CAPA Membership Today! ..................................6

In Memoriam: Rick Auerbach, PA-C .......................................6

“How Do I Hire One?” ..........................................................7

Off Into The Sunset ..............................................................8

Video Series Coming Soon! ...................................................9

Dazzle Your Fellow PAs With Your Knowledge of PA Trivia! .....10

PA-Initiated Nursing Orders Revisited..................................11

CAPA Hx ............................................................................12

2012 CAPA Conference ......................................................14

Attending the RCRMC/RCC Physician Assistant Mental HealthFellowship ....................................................16

CAPA’s Public Policy Year in Review! Your CAPA Membership, Yielding Big Rewards for California PAs ..........18

Hello from the CAPA PAC ....................................................19

My Two Years With President, Eric Glassman, MHS, PA-C ......19

PAs: Part of the Health Care Team ......................................20

Controlled Substances Education Course ..............................20

What To Do When a Medication Error Occurs .......................22

Ruth Webb Minority Scholarship .........................................23

PA Job Interviews: What To Do and What To Avoid ...............24

Congratulations Graduates .................................................26

Student Medical Challenge Bowl Sign Up Now .....................26

Congratulations Scholarship Winners! .................................26

Special Student Track at the CAPA Conference .....................26

Welcome New Members .....................................................27

Local Groups......................................................................27

Inside This Issue

W e are receiving rave reviews about how easy it is to navigate. The information found on the site has been updated and is at your fingertips.

You must be logged into the site as a CAPA member to view much of the information. If you have not already established your unique log-in, click on the link on the right side of the home page: CLICK TO CREATE A LOG IN. It is quick and easy. If you have created your unique log in, your username is the email address contained in your membership record. If you have forgotten your password, look to the very top of the screen for the FORGOT PASSWORD link. Once you are logged in, you can view your MEMBER PORTAL. From the Member Portal, you can:

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We hope you love the site. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, issues, concerns!

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4 CAPA NEWS

Are you still seeing patients who may be employed or

not, who are struggling with their health care expenses and assume they cannot get insurance

due to a pre-existing condition? The State of California has a program that you (and those patients) should be aware of, called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). The premiums can be affordable and are actually similar to some employ-er-sponsored plans. This is not a government plan, like Medi-Cal or Medicare. It is a commercial health plan run through First Health®, a Coventry Health Care Company. You may even find that you and/or your supervising physician(s) are providers for these beneficiaries by searching at http://www.provider-lookuponline.com/coventry/po7/Search.aspx.

As a result of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, California has a contract with the federal Department of Health and Human Services to establish a federally-funded high risk pool program to provide health coverage for eligible individuals. The program will last until December 31, 2013 when the national health reform is set to begin. After that date, there will no longer be a need for high risk pools because federal rules will not allow insurers to reject per-sons with pre-existing conditions or charge them higher rates than those without such conditions.

The PCIP offers health coverage to medically-uninsurable individuals who live in California. The program is available for individuals who have not had health coverage in the last

6 months. The California PCIP is run by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB).

There is also an insurance plan which can be obtained for patients who have a pre-existing condition, but who have been uninsured for less than 6 months. This plan type is the Major Risk Medical Insurance Plan (MRMIP).

A pre-existing condition is defined as “any medical condition that a doctor or other licensed health practitioner diagnosed, cared for, recommended treatment for, or treated for a period of time before the person tried to obtain health coverage.”

Your patient will need a note from you on your letterhead stating the condition and verifying that you have diagnosed or are treating him/her for the condition. There is no additional form to fill out or proof to send – they made it very simple! And, the State specifies that PAs are eligible health care providers to sign this attestation. Another way PCIP applicants can demonstrate proof of a pre-existing condition is by submit-ting an offer letter of individual (not group) health coverage with higher

Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans Are More Affordable Than You Thinkby Beth Grivett, PA-C

premiums than the MRMIP pre-ferred provider organization (PPO) rate in the area where they live. The offer letter or your verification letter must be dated within the last 12 months.

Monthly premiums for the PCIP vary depending only on age and county of residence and range from $107 to $557 per month. Coverage is effective without a waiting period. There is only one plan type and dependents (spouse or child) cannot be added onto this plan. Monthly premiums for the MRMIP are much more costly, have plan options and dependents can be added to those plans. These plans are available to US citizens, nationals or lawful residents of California.

The application, plan comparisons and monthly premium charts can be downloaded by accessing the applica-tion through the State of California website at http://www.pcip.ca.gov/downloads.

If you have questions, visit www.pcip.ca.gov or call 1-877-428-5060, Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Are Your Controlled Substance Prescription Pads Up-to-Date?On January 1, 2012, a new law took effect that requires changes to controlled substance prescription forms. Unless a provider is a designated prescriber from a licensed health care facility, prescription forms for controlled substances are now required to include the preprinted address of the prescribing practitioner. Providers must also now ensure their controlled substance prescription pads contain a statement printed on the bottom of the prescription form that the “Prescription is void if the number of drugs prescribed is not noted.” Any controlled substance prescription form that is not in compliance with these requirements won’t be valid or accepted after July 1, 2012. For more details, see http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/pdfs/security-printers/hsc11162-1.pdf

MAY/JUNE 2012 5

“Sailing Into Retirement”by Bob Miller, PA-C, Treasurer and Professional Practice Committee Chair

W ell, it must be that time of life. With my nearing retire-ment announced to all, I

look back in time to see where it all went. You know ... when 20 turned to 50 and surged ahead to 60+. But, I am loving it! I have a wonderful wife, a playful dog (sometimes the other way around) and we’re looking to new adventures in our future.

I feel very fortunate to have been recognized on a national scale by the

National Hemophilia Foundation for a lifetime body of work that has given me so much pleasure throughout the years. When I think of my patients, beginning with a diagnosis usually made in infancy, it has been especial-ly rewarding to help to manage their chronic disorder over 20-30 years and then receive their announcement of a college graduation, or a wedding, or a birth. Powerful stuff! (Although I’m in pediatrics, my oldest patient recently turned 77.)

Retirement is not only a measure-ment of the maturity of a person, but also a measure of the maturity of a profession. I’ll continue to watch our profession thrive by staying ac-tive with CAPA and continuing to teach ... but, oh yeah ... also more sailing.

May the wind be always at your back,

Bob

Bob Miller, PA-C, center, National Hemophillia Foundation (NHF) Board Chair Ken Trader, left and NHF CEO Van Bias, right.

PA Receives Lifetime Achievement AwardReprinted from the PA Professional, January 2012 edition

PA BOB MILLER, a longtime provider and educator in hematology, recently became

the first physician assistant to receive the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s 63rd annual meeting in Chicago.

A PA at the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Center (HTC) at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles since 1982, Miller has dedicated

his life to serving patients with bleeding disorders and their families. An assistant professor of clinical pe-diatrics and family medicine at the University of Southern California since 1988, he is also the author of the brochure “Emergency Treatment Guidelines for Hemophilia,” a resource for ER visits. Invaluable for clinicians and families alike, it is now in its fourth edition.

“It is impossible to compute the number of individuals in the field who have received Bob’s wisdom in hemophilia,” said Guy Young, MD, director of the HTC. He added that an untold number of physicians, PAs, nurses, physical therapists and social workers have been blessed by Miller’s knowledge over the past three decades.

Miller’s reliable commitment to the Southern California Bleeding Disorders Camp provided another venue for teaching and training. “I and several medical fellows and nurses got more out of our time spent at camp than any lecture or

reading on bleeding disorder would have ever provided, thanks to Bob,” said Susan Knight, a physical thera-pist at HTC.

But the place where Miller really shines is with patients. “Whenever he walks into the room, everyone smiles,” said Kathy McGinty, nurse care manager at the HTC. “He has a way of ‘making it better’ that comes with years of experience and is cemented in his friendly and easygoing manner.” G

Video SeriesWith Bob Miller, PA-C

See Details on Page 9

NEW

6 CAPA NEWS

Renew Your CAPA Membership Today! Renew Online at www.capanet.orgThere are many reasons to support CAPA. The number one reason for most is that you have a desire to see things change for PAs in California. Change for the better! CAPA is here to promote and protect California PAs. Remember, there are those who want to change things to limit PAs’ ability to practice. Each and every day we are your eyes and ears. We have a dream team working to make PA practice here in California better for you. Your membership dues are what makes this possible.

It is surprising that many PAs don’t realize that our operational budget is funded by dues dollars. Without membership dues, we don’t exist. The more members we have, the greater our ability to serve your needs. We need every member to renew and we need your non-member colleagues to join and pay their fair share. Together we are stronger!! Our numbers and our strength must continually grow.

Growth (strength) can’t happen with intermittent membership as issues arise. We need every PA in the state to be a member each and every year.

Remember — Momentum Is Key To Our SuccessWe Need Your Support Year After Year

Your Dues Dollars At Work:Thank you for being there to make the day-to-day operation of CAPA possible. Because of you and dedicated PAs like you, we are able to keep:

• CAPA’s wonderful staff to answer your questions and take care of your needs.• CAPA’s amazing legal counsel, Mike Scarano, watching out for your interests.• CAPA’s exceptional Public Policy Director, Teresa Anderson, working for you every day in Sacramento. • CAPA’s phones on, our magazine published, our website up, etc., etc.

In Memoriam: Rick Auerbach, PA-C, 1955-2012

R ick’s core had a warm center, aching with a fervency to help others. As a physician assistant he was able to have long-term

relationships with patients who sought his care. His career path sparked the pilot light of his life.

Rick was taken from us too soon. His family will always mourn him. His friends will always miss him. Remember, when you saw him, talked with him, ate with him, worked with him, laughed with him, argued with him and hugged him.

Did You Know?Your CAPA membership dues dollars are what fund CAPA. CAPA’s operating expenses rely on your CAPA membership for funding.

CAPA FACT

MAY/JUNE 2012 7

Frequently, we field questions from legislators, physician groups and other workforce professionals about how to increase the number of PAs graduating from our California programs–which hovers now at about 450-500 each year. Some of the programs could physically accommodate more students, but the issue is training venues. Every program suffers from a shortage of qualified, willing preceptor sites in all medical specialties. They cannot maintain a growing supply of newly trained physi-cian assistants without them.

In an effort to assist our state PA programs and ultimately help grow our profession in California, CAPA is mounting a campaign to reach out to physicians and physician groups. The message: physician-led team practice can begin by training PAs, finding the student that fits right with the physi-cian, and hiring him/her after gradu-ation. And we began at Pri-Med in April of this year and continued when CAPA exhibited at the California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) conference in Indian Wells. It’s a win-win model that has become increasingly rewarding to all involved

“How Do I Hire One?”by Larry Rosen, PA-C, Director-At-Large, Public Relations Committee Chair

That question has happily replaced the often asked question at Pri-Meds long past: “What exactly is

a physician assistant?” Although issues still surface in the areas of supervision and reimbursement, the prominent responses when hundreds of physi-cians stop by our booth to snag a few free pens and chocolate is “I love my PA,” “I’m thinking about expanding my practice,” and “How do I hire one?” Our answer? Think about train-ing a PA; consider precepting.

Not surprisingly, a large percentage of physicians have already offered their practices as preceptor sites; some actively, some in past years. As Pri-Med attracts many retired physicians, there were, however, those who no longer have a practice or any interest in teaching PAs. But the need for more PAs in the health care workforce sparked a good deal of interest in precepting.

More than 60 physicians, some PAs, even nurse practitioners agreed to give us their names. They were told their contact information would be distributed to the nine active PA programs in the state. All were given a copy of the “Preceptor Orientation Handbook” graciously provided by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) and a list of program contacts.

and CAPA is pleased to support our state PA programs in this process.

Each year, Pri-Med and CAFP offer a comfortable, effective environment where promoting the PA profession is a message welcomed by its attendees. We are well treated. Exhibit space for 2013 has already been confirmed.

Physicians embrace team practice with PAs. They are hungry for infor-mation about how to select the right one for their particular needs. I’d like to thank CAPA leaders Greg Mennie, Eric Glassman, Joy Dugan, Cherri Penne-Myers and Beth Grivett for hanging out at the CAPA Booth this year. They did a wonderful job of rep-resenting the interests of California PAs; past, present and future.

As you read this, I hope you will bring the concept of precepting to the attention of your supervising physician. A list of the state’s PA pro-grams is below. If you have questions, call the CAPA office, 714-427-0321. Staff is happy to assist you in bring-ing this vital service to our future colleagues.

California PA Programs

Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions(800) 422-4558www.llu.edu

Riverside County RMCPA Program(951) 571-6166www.rcc.edu

San Joaquin Valley College(559) 651-2500 x 351www.sjvc.edu

Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program(510) 869-6623www.samuelmerritt.edu

Stanford University Primary Care Associate Program(650) 725-6959www.stanford.edu

Touro University – California Joint Physician Assistant MSPAS/MPH Program(888) 652-7580www.tu.edu

UC Davis Medical Center PA Program Department of Family Practice(916) 734-3551www.ucdavis.edu

USC School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program(626) 457-4240www.usc.edu

Western University Physician Assistant Program (909) 623-6116www.westernu.edu

Greg Mennie, PA-C; Joy Dugan, PA and Larry Rosen, PA-C working the CAPA booth at Pri-Med West 2012.

8 CAPA NEWS

Off Into The Sunsetby Eric Glassman, PA-C, President

are giving up their time to serve you and your organization. Don’t be afraid to thank them when you see them.

8. CAPA organizes and puts on some of the best state confer-

ences in the nation. Join us in Napa and Palm Springs and if you haven’t already taken the Controlled Substances Education Course, we hope to see you at one of the four each year.

7. There are still PAs in California who do not know

the importance of CAPA.

6. We all should be proud of our PA Practice Act. Practicing in

California is very PA- friendly.

5. The Needy Meds drug dis-count cards that CAPA pro-

vides are just one of many ways CAPA supports PAs in helping their patients. If you haven’t re-quested your cards yet, go to our website for more information.

4. We are always looking for more qualified and eager

CAPA members to volunteer and lend a hand. Make sure to help out in any way you can.

3. CAPA does not survive and cannot help out our PAs in

California without its members, we need you and your support.

2. We are so blessed and lucky to have Gaye Breyman as our

CAPA Chief Operating Officer. Her knowledge and history of CAPA and the profession is invaluable.

1. Whatever happens with the future of health care, PAs will

be at the forefront of medicine and

A s my term as president ends, it is time for some reflection of my 3-year CAPA journey. My

presidency was very much like my predecessor’s: one year as president elect, then two years as president. I knew following Miguel Medina’s presidency was not going to be an easy task. Miguel, with all his rich history in the profession, his intelligent, calm demeanor and extreme integrity made him an excellent president. It was great to learn from him while on the CAPA board and especially during my year as president elect. His strong ethics and passion for CAPA and the PA profession are admirable. I learned so much from him.

I can’t say the past two years were easy as president. Balancing my full time job as a PA in orthopedic sur-gery and my CAPA presidency was a balancing act. All past presidents have had the same challenges. In addition, I took on the position of chair of the CME Committee in November of last year, another huge task with immense satisfaction as there is nothing quite like a CAPA Conference.

Being CAPA President, CME Committee Chair and working my full time job was a challenge and an

opportunity for me. Many people don’t realize that CAPA leadership positions are all-volunteer positions. No pay except for the satisfaction of a job well done and the knowledge that the late nights, early mornings and lunch hour calls and emails are shaping PA practice here in California. There is never a dull moment with all that CAPA is doing on behalf of California PAs. When things happen with CAPA, they hap-pen fast and we always strive to do what is best for our members and the PA profession.

Because CAPA takes our work and I take the job as CAPA President very seriously, it can be stressful at times. I feel I owe all PAs in California my best effort and I want to represent you to the best of my ability. My goal is to do everything I can to make the PA Experience in California better than when I found it, whatever that may be.

At CAPA, members are number one. We make very sure to respond quickly to every member when ques-tions or issues arise. Handling many of your inquiries, on top of a busy clinical practice, definitely made me aware that I should now consider putting “juggling” down as one of my hobbies on my CV.

In addition to honing my time man-agement skills I learned SO much more. I decided to put down a Top 10 List of what every California PA should know.

10. CAPA Political Action Committee funds don’t

grow on trees. We all need to do our part and contribute to the CAPA PAC.

9. Appreciate the CAPA board members and volunteers. They

Eric enjoying a piña colada in his hammock at a resort on the island of Ambergris Caye

MAY/JUNE 2012 9

Look for the video series on the CAPA website soon…

Off Into The Sunsetby Eric Glassman, PA-C, President

changing lives and continuing to bring cost-effective and quality health care to the millions of Californians. We should all be so proud of our profession and what we do to help others on a daily basis.

Lastly, thank YOU for allowing me to serve you as president for the last two years. With great privilege comes great responsibility. It has not always been easy, but it has always been an honor to serve you and work on your behalf. CAPA is

an organization of which we can all be proud. I thank everyone for your support including my family and friends who at times made sacrifices so I could do the work I love.

Come July, I should have more time for some of those fun snowboard trips and after-work get-togethers. I leave the presidency in good hands with our president-elect, Adam Marks, who will do a great job representing you all. I wish him the best!

Continued from page 1

A Presidential Saluteby Adam Marks, MPA, PA-C, President Elect

A native Californian, Eric received his PA education at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. It was Eric’s Program Director, Cynthia Lord, who instilled in him a sense of duty to the profession and a drive to work with a state organization. Upon graduation, he returned to California to start his work as an Orthopedic PA in Newport Beach. He integrated into a great team based orthopedic group, garnering the respect of his SPs and co-workers. It was then he found himself looking for more, another outlet to serve the profession. He found that in CAPA.

Eric started with CAPA in 2007 as a Director-At-Large. He spent two years gathering the knowledge he would use in 2009 when he began his transition to President Elect. Following in the footsteps of Past President, Miguel Medina; Eric leads with a passion for

volunteerism and an unwavering respect for those PAs working to provide excellent patient care.During his two terms as CAPA President, Eric’s leadership phi-losophy has served the organization well. He has stepped up as a leader, especially over the past year, as he became CME Committee Chair, which is a time-intensive and detail-oriented task. Along with the help of the CME Committee, he ran two great conferences, the 2011 Annual CAPA Conference in Palm Springs and CAPA at Napa 2012, while continuing to support those around him in his role as President. The CAPA Board and I commend Eric’s dedication and appreciate his service as CAPA President. As he transitions out of his current role, I have no doubt that he will continue to bring his enthusiasm and drive for excel-lence to CAPA conferences as the CME Committee Chair.

Robert Miller, PA-CCAPA Professional Practice Committee Chair

… your host on an enlightening series of videos depicting the history of physician assistant practice in California and the evolution of the Physician Assistant Practice Act.

• PA Scope of Practice

• Prescriptive Authority and Protocols

• Laws and Regulations

• The Surgical PA

• Reimbursement Issues

• The New PA and the New Job

COMING SOON

10 CAPA NEWS

I ’m a huge fan of 89.3 KPCC’s The Dinner Party show. One segment of the show is a review of a subject area or trivia to impress your friends at your next dinner party. I thought it

would be fun to put together a quick list of trivia about the PA profession. Not to mention the Annual Palm Springs CAPA Conference on October 4-7 will soon be upon us, this is the perfect time to bone up on some PA trivia. Just take a few minutes to study these fun facts, and when you’re sitting around the Renaissance Hotel pool or hanging out at the lobby bar with your old classmates after a day of lectures, you can impress them with your knowledge of PA trivia. (If I happened to get any of this wrong, please be sure to let me know and we’ll print any corrections in the next edition.).

Dazzle Your Fellow PAs With Your Knowledge of PA Trivia!by Greg Mennie, PA-C, MSed, Director-At-Large

PA’s enjoy international practice in these countries:

There are currently 160 accredited PA programs Average annual starting salary for new graduates is approximately $80,000

Over the next 4 years, PA jobs will increase by 25% bringing the total number of practicing PAs to 103,900

49% of physicians utilize PAs

States With the Largest Number of Clinically Practicing PAs

1. New York 2. California 3. Texas 4. Pennsylvania 5. Florida 6. North Carolina

49%

103,900

80K160

8

Renaissance Palm sPRings

2012

USA

Canada UK India Australia The Netherlands South Africa S

audi

Arab

ia

MAY/JUNE 2012 11

D espite the existence of regula-

tions that have definitively ad-dressed the issue for more than 15 years, questions (and in some cases disputes) regarding the authority of PAs to give orders to nurses arise from time to time in some health facilities. In some cases, individual nurses who are

not familiar with the law balk at carrying out PA orders. On occasion, this issue arises because nursing administrators have adopted formal or informal policies discouraging staff nurses from carrying out PA-initiated orders. Facility administrators and medical staffs sometimes find them-selves caught in the middle of these controversies.

While individual facilities are free to adopt whatever institutional policies they desire, health facilities should rest assured that PAs clearly are au-thorized by law to initiate orders for nursing and other services within the scope of the PAs’ delegated authority. Section 1399.541 of the California Code of Regulations–which is the law in California–was enacted more than 15 years ago by the Medical Board of California specifically to resolve this question. That regulation states, in pertinent part, as follows:

Because physician assistant practice is directed by a supervising physician, and a physician assistant acts as an agent for the physician, the orders given and tasks

performed by a physician assistant shall be considered as if they had been given and performed by the supervising physician. Unless otherwise specified in these regulations or in the [supervising physi-cian’s] delegation or protocols, these orders may be initiated without the prior patient specific order of the supervis-ing physician.

This regulation goes on to state that “[i]n any setting, including for example, any licensed health facil-ity, . . . a physician assistant may . . . order . . . x-ray, other studies, therapeutic diets, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, and nursing services.” The regulations also list a broad array of other services which PAs may perform or order, some of which may entail assistance or cooperation from nursing personnel.

These regulations are consistent with Business and Professions Code Section 3502, enacted by the Legislature in 1975 to authorize PA practice. That statute states that PAs may perform medical services as a physician’s agent, “notwithstanding any other provision of law.” This statute also gives the Medical Board clear authority to enact regulations defining the services PAs may per-form including nursing and other services which are within the scope of medical practice.

Unfortunately, despite this clear authority, some nursing personnel and administrators persist in assert-ing that nurses cannot or should not follow PA orders. In support of this view, some in organized nursing have asserted in the past that these provisions conflict with the Nursing Practice Act. However, the question

of whether regulation Section 1399.541 conflicts with the Nursing Practice Act was directly considered by the State Office of Administrative Law (“OAL”), a neutral state agency which must approve all proposed state regulations, before it became effective. One of the statutory re-sponsibilities of OAL is to make sure that a proposed regulation is “in har-mony with, and not in conflict with or contradictory to,” all other state laws. Despite repeated attempts by elements of organized nursing to con-vince the Medical Board and OAL that this regulation was in conflict with the Nursing Practice Act, the OAL (as well as the Medical Board) disagreed and permitted it to become the law. Had OAL found a conflict, it would have been required by law to block the regulation from taking ef-fect. Thus, as most nurses and health facilities have recognized for more than 15 years, there is no legal basis for the view that the Nursing Practice Act precludes PAs from initiating, or nurses from carrying out, orders for nursing services.

Some nurses also are of the mistaken opinion that the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) may discipline them for complying with PA orders. The BRN has never taken (nor, to the best of our knowledge, even seri-ously threatened) any legal action against a nurse carrying out an order initiated by a PA acting in accor-dance with the PA regulations Title 16. Nor could it, since PAs have clear legal authority to issue such orders, and nurses are entitled if not obligated to follow them.

Facilities in need of further guidance or assurance on this issue are urged to contact their individual legal counsel or the Physician Assistant Committee of the Medical Board of California.

PA-Initiated Nursing Orders Revisitedby R. Michael Scarano, Jr., Esq., Foley & Lardner LLP, CAPA General Counsel

Because physician assistant practice is directed by a supervising physician, and a physician assistant acts as an agent for the physician, the orders given and tasks performed by a physician assistant shall be considered as if they had been given and performed by the supervising physician.

Excerpted from Section 1399.541 of the

California Code of Regulations

12 CAPA NEWS

Note: This article updates “Know Thy Profession” (Jan/Feb 2010), with per-mission from Adam Marks.

Pop Quiz:1. What year was CAPA estab-

lished?2. Where was the first PA pro-

gram? 3. Can PAs write prescriptions in

California?4. What is the significance of

People v Whittaker?

Answers:

1. 19762. Duke University in Durham, NC 3. Trick question! No, PAs write prescriptive medical orders. 4. Impetus for more “Physician’s Assistant Law” (1970) and establishment of PA programs.

Before CAPAThe trial of People of Shasta County California v. Whittaker took place in Redding, California in December 1966. Roger Whittaker, a former US Navy corpsman trained as a surgical technician, was charged with drilling burr holes in a patient’s skull and su-turing the head of a patient.1 Despite the supervision of a neurosurgeon, the jury determined that Whittaker had “engaged in the unlicensed prac-tice of medicine.”

This trial prompted the creation of formal training of PAs, policy and medical boards.2 California was one

of the first states to enact PA prac-tice legislation, ironically, to address the problem of health care shortage (sound familiar?).

An important year for California PAs is 1970, when the California state legislature passed the “Physi-cian’s Assistant Law” (AB 2109). This law established regulatory au-thority as the California State Board of Medical Examiners, allowed PAs to practice with a supervising physi-cian after graduation from an ac-credited PA program and created the first physician to PA ratio (1:2) in California.2

The scope of practice in the early years for California PAs was very different than today. Every chart by PAs had to be countersigned. PAs could not perform pelvic exams, sports physicals or write prescription drug orders. Patients actually had to sign a waiver if they saw a PA in-stead of a licensed physician.

The Birth of CAPAA group of California PAs realized that in order for PAs to work to their full capabilities, we needed rep-resentation and organization. Thus, at the Sheraton Hotel in Fresno in 1976, the California Academy of Physician Assistants was established, becoming the 37th Constituent Chapter of the AAPA. The initial goals of CAPA were:

1. “To provide a professional organizational structure to represent and clarify needs of the PA in California”

2. “To disseminate information regarding legislation that in-fluence the daily practice of the PA”

3. “To promote awareness and fundamental concepts of uti-lization of the physician assis-tants in California”

CAPA’s Early Years to TodayIn 1983, CAPA drafted SB 894, CA-PA’s first attempt to gain prescrip-tion privileges for California PAs. It would be another eleven years before CAPA successfully passed SB 1642, so that PAs could write prescription transmittal orders.

In the early 1990s, PAs were almost eradicated from California due to criticism from the Attorney Gen-eral, opposition from the California Nurses Association and AB 569 (a bill to stop the PA profession in California). CAPA’s legislative focus solidified the PA profession in Cali-fornia by killing AB 569. Since then, CAPA- sponsored legislation has focused on enhancing and clarifying California’s PA scope of practice. AB 3 (passed in 2007), created guide-lines for PAs to write controlled sub-stance drug orders without patient specific approval, doubled the num-ber of PAs per supervising physician and reduced the number of charts a supervising physician must counter-sign. Furthermore, in 2011, CAPA sponsored SB 233 which ensured that PAs could participate in spe-cialty consultation in the Emergency Department.

The legislation sponsored and sup-ported by CAPA is guided by CAPA’s mission:

“to represent and serve PAs state-wide. As an advocate of its mem-bers for quality health care and for their valued, unique alliance with supervising physicians, CAPA will enhance, educate and empower physician assistants for the ulti-mate benefit of their patients”.

Thank you for being a CAPA mem-ber. The continued success of CAPA is from your membership support, now and throughout your career. As the founding generation of California

CAPA HxJoy Dugan, PA, MSPH, Student Representative

Rod Moser, Steve Henry, Tom Gaughan, Harvey Fine and Jack Liskin (all past CAPA Presidents).

Photo circa 1975

MAY/JUNE 2012 13

CAPA HxJoy Dugan, PA, MSPH, Student Representative

CAPA Legislative Milestones: 1982 – 2011

1982: CAPA makes a first formal introduction to all CA legislators by mailing out an information packet to each

1982: CAPA opposes Office of Family Planning’s requirement that all PAs working in clinics con-tracting with OFP get special family planning training

1983: CAPA initiates AB 644, a bill allowing PA Professional Corporations and PAs may become shareholders in Medical Corporations – Bill passes

1983: CAPA initiates AB 1880, a bill increasing the number of PAs who sit on the PA licensing board from 2 to 3. This bill clarified in regulation that PAs are licensed professionals

1983: CAPA introduces SB 894 – CAPA’s first attempt at getting prescribing privileges for Cali-fornia PAs

1986: CAPA uses all of its efforts and resources to kill AB 3043, a bill which would have had a dev-astating impact on PA practice in California

1989: CAPA initiates AB 1912, a bill granting PAs the authority to do certain DMV physicals and sign certain DMV forms

1990: CAPA does its homework, lays the ground-work and gears up to introduce the PA prescrip-tive bill

1991: AB 535, a bill allowing PAs to administer methadone

1991: CAPA works with Blue Cross of California to successfully change its policy regarding pay-ment of services by PAs

1991: A disastrous opinion by the California At-torney General is received and CAPA begins a long and serious battle to preserve the viability of PA practice in California

1992: CAPA’s work pays off. PA regulations enacted clarifying that PAs are “agents of their supervising physician” and may issue orders to nurses among other things

1992: In response to the AG opinion, legislation that would all but do away with PA practice in

California is introduced by Tricia Hunter on be-half of the California Nurses Association

1992: CAPA, again using all of its energy and re-sources fights to successfully kill AB 569. A huge win for California PAs

1993: CAPA finishes final preparation to intro-duce SB 1642 – the PA Prescriptive Bill

1993: PAs can provide services in declared disasters without oversight by regular SP

1993: International Medical Graduates who can-not be physicians in the U.S. want to be PAs. CAPA creates a task force to address this issue.

1994: SB 1642 is signed into law. PAs can issue written prescription drug orders

1995: CAPA’s work to educate the California Pharmacy Board pays off. The CPB acknowledges that PAs may write drug orders for Schedule II through V meds

2001: Special supervisory license and fees for su-pervising physicians (SPs) were eliminated

2002: CAPA introduces SB 1558, a bill that al-lows PAs to sign for the request and receipt of pharmaceutical samples

2002: SPs permitted to supervise up to 4 PAs in certain medically underserved areas

2002: Labor Code revised to clarify that PAs may treat Workers’ Comp patients

2004: Co-signature requirement for Drug Orders lessened, except for Schedule II

2004: PAs can supervise MAs in community and free clinics

2005: CAPA sponsored legislation to expand MA supervision by PAs to other outpatient settings

2006: CAPA works to clarify the issue of chart co-signature for Medi-Cal patients and spon-sors legislation which would allow PAs to sign for disability placards. CAPA works to kill SB 1423 – a bill which would negatively change PA supervision.

2007: CAPA sponsored AB 3 which removed many long-standing problems which burdened

our physician partners and provided barriers to our patients seeking our care. AB 3 specifically addressed four major issues:

- Patient-Specific Authority for scheduled medica-tions

- Ratios of Supervising Physicians to Physician Assistants

- Chart Countersignature

- Medi-Cal Covered Procedure Codes

2007: CAPA also sponsored AB 139 which clari-fied an inconsistency in existing law by allowing physician assistants to conduct medical examina-tions on applicants seeking a license to drive a school bus, youth activity bus, farm labor vehicle and paratransit vehicles.

2008: AB 638 created a program which assumes the student loans up to a total of $20,000 for physician assistants who agree to work in a medi-cally underserved area for four years.

2009: CAPA sponsored SB 171 which clarifies an inconsistency in existing law by allowing physi-cian assistants to conduct medical examinations on applicants seeking employment by a school district or a county superintendent of schools.

2009: CAPA sponsored AB 356 which allows physician assistants to sit for the RHB-CDHCS radiography and fluoroscopy exams and be eli-gible for the accompanying permits.

2010: CAPA sponsored SB 1069 which allows PAs to sign numerous types of patient medical forms which previously specifically required a physician signature.

2011: CAPA sponsored SB 233 in response to an audit which threatened the jobs of PAs working in the Emergency Department. This bill clarified that PAs in California can provide evaluation, treatment and specialty consultation in the Emer-gency Department setting.

Today: CAPA continues to work toward enhanc-ing and clarifying California’s PA scope of practice and to serve our members and to increase access to cost-effective, quality care for Californians.

PAs begins to retire, a new generation of leaders must step-up to continue the mission of CAPA. CAPA student members should consider becoming more active in CAPA by applying to be a Student Ambassador at the Annual CAPA Conference in Palm Springs.

References:1. Carter, R., Adonna, T., &

Stanhope, B. (2008). People v Whittaker: The Trial and Its Aftermath in California. The Journal of Physician Assistant Education. 19(2): 44-51.

2. Oseran, L.S. (1976). Physician’s Assistants in California. The Western Journal of Medicine. 124(3): 258-263. Accessed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1130031/pdf/westjmed00283-0082.pdf.

14 CAPA NEWS

2012 Annual CAPA ConferenceOctober 4 – 7 | Renaissance Palm Springs

CAPA Student Medical Challenge Bowl – Aqua CME

We’re back poolside for the Student Medical Challenge Bowl. On Saturday afternoon, just as the sun begins to set behind the mountains, the game begins. You won’t want to miss this fun, light-hearted, Jeopardy-style game show format event. PA students answer questions in order to vie for the championship title, the coveted Student Challenge Bowl Trophy and cash prize for winning program’s Student Society. It has become a highlight of the CAPA Conference and so much fun to watch (and learn). So, bring your sunglasses, have a beer, soft drink and/or popcorn (which we supply), grab a lounge chair and see who will win this year’s CAPA Student Medical Challenge Bowl.

Call: 760-322-6000You will want to reserve your hotel room today. We have a block of rooms at the Renaissance Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Hilton. Hotel rooms will sell out!

The 2012 CAPA Conference…

At CAPA, we are all about PAs and all about providing you with the most valuable and unique learning experience. We have a program filled with topics targeted to PAs and presented by dynamic speakers. More than that, the CAPA Conference is an incredible experience in and of itself. Each of you bring something special to the conference. And, this year, we will be recognizing the fabric of the PA profession: Competent, Versatile and the Texture of Compassion. We will highlight the unique versatility we share as a profession.

There is a reason we return to the Renaissance Palm Springs (formerly the Wyndham) and Palm Springs Convention Center year after year. It is absolutely the best place to hold your conference. The hotel staff and management know and love us. It is our home away from home. People try to describe the “feel” of the CAPA Conference and find it hard to find the words. It is just very cool!!

You all make it cool and we at CAPA have a great time creating events and opportunities so you have the ultimate PA experience while learning a lot, hanging out with friends and colleagues and enjoying beautiful Palm Springs. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Hands-On Workshops

New Workshops:EKG Boot Camp with Jennifer Carlquist – 4 Hours on October 3, 2012Slit Lamp: Urgent Care and ER – 2 HoursExpert Suturing – 2 Hours

Your Favorite Workshops Return:Suturing – 2 HoursNeurology Exam with Nancy Nielsen-Brown – 2 HoursMinor Surgical Procedures – 2 Hours

MAY/JUNE 2012 15

Back Again This Year for Another PArty at the Pool!

Last year, Taxi Wisdom rocked the house – actually the pool deck! All enjoyed the incredible concert before, during and after the Student Challenge Bowl. Upon leaving Palm Springs last year, we started to work on getting them back with us this year. Thanks to Greg Mennie, PA-C, we were able to do just that.

In case you don’t get enough dancing and music on Friday night at the CAPA Dance and American PA Idol Competition, we have more fun in store on the pool deck on Saturday afternoon – a live band with PA, Greg Mennie on drums!

Taxi Wisdom - Saturday Afternoon, 10/6/12 at the CAPA Conference in Palm Springs

Take 2 European pop stars, 2 over-achieving guitarists from the East Coast, add 1 phenomenal (and lovely) female vocalist, and 1 schooled, ex-military, physician assistant vision-oriented drummer and you have Taxi Wisdom. The current line up consists of 5 musicians with extensive teaching, recording, television, film, and touring experience: Charissa Nicole - Lead vocals, Andrew Campbell - Lead guitar, Moose McMains - Bass and vocals, Jim McMains - Keyboards and vocals, and Greg Mennie - Drums, percussion and vocals.

Our special thanks to Greg Mennie, PA-C and the band.

www.taxiwisdom.com

2012 Annual CAPA ConferenceOctober 4 – 7 | Renaissance Palm Springs

Friday Evening at the CAPA Conference

9:00 P.M.The Dance and American PA Idol CompetitionThe nightclubs of Palm Springs can’t compete with the PA PArty of the Year. It is the place to be on Friday night. We transform the beautiful lobby of the Convention Center into PArty Central with music that will please everyone. At 10:00 p.m. our American PA Idol show begins. The PArty continues as PAs compete and the audience votes to name the next American PA Idol. The Dance and American PA Idol Competition are included with your registration and guests are welcome to attend at no charge. There will be a cash bar. This really is an event you won’t want to miss!

APPLICATION (Deadline August 12, 2012)

Name ______________________________________

Address ____________________________________

City _____________________ St ___ Zip ________

I will be performing: solo as a duet as a group of ___________

Which category best describes your style of singing? Pop/Top 40 Rock Country Western Rhythm and Blues Gospel Easy Listening Rap/Hip Hop Jazz Show Tunes

________________________________________

Title of songs (please choose 3) you would like to sing:

1) ________________________________________

2) ________________________________________

3) ________________________________________

Would you say that your voice is (don’t be modest): Absolute perfection! Everyone tells me I have a great voice Just okay Not that great, but I love to sing & get a crowd going

Sign Up for IdolToday!

16 CAPA NEWS

Attending the RCRMC/RCC Physician Assistant Mental Health FellowshipBy Denis Hentrich, PA-C, CAPA Member

visit. This experience prepared me for the next phase, which was my request to spend one month with a child psychiatrist. I was assigned to a children’s psychiatric treatment facility in Moreno Valley. The careful attention of the talented psychiatrist there helped me to understand improved treatment modalities for childhood attention issues, depression, behavior prob-lems, and the potential for treating adolescent onset of bipolar disorder and psychotic symptoms. The staff of therapists allowed me access to the therapeutic modalities they employ to treat severe childhood traumas in conjunction with any prescriptions from the psychiatrist. This was an eye opening and extremely helpful month during my training. I am certain that the effective treatment of children will remain challenging for many reasons. However, I do feel greater empowerment to intervene and effectively treat and refer these children.

The next phase of the training took place at the Riverside County Emergency Treatment Services (ETS), a dedicated Psychiatric Emergency Room. The previous three months of training had prepared me to begin the learn-ing process at the ETS. The psychiatrists on duty at this facility expertly guided me through the effective evaluation and treatment of severely disturbed individuals in various states of crisis. Because the facility inevitably attracts people with substance induced mental illness, I learned a great deal about the treatment of those conditions as well. In this setting, I also became much more familiar with the DSM IV and the use of this method as a helpful and effective diagnostic tool. During this time, I

Among the pleasures of work-ing as a physician assistant, flexibility and new learning

opportunities are high on my list. An article I wrote on smoking cessation was published in the November/December 2010 issue of the CAPA News. When I reviewed my copy, I found an announce-ment from the RCRMC/RCC PA program detailing the application procedure for a Mental Health

Fellowship. The pro-gram was described as six months in length with a $3500 monthly stipend and open to graduate physician assistants.

Since graduating from UC Davis in 1995, I have worked in an inner-city emergency room, suburban internal medicine, fam-ily practice settings,

and in a multi-practice specialty urgent care facility. I am currently employed in a northern California rural health clinic in a county which has no inpatient psychiatric facility and no inpatient drug or alcohol treatment program. (The county does have one very dedi-cated full-time psychiatrist who is completely occupied treating the most severe of the mentally ill patients.)

In each of these professional settings, a consistent health care problem has been the effective treatment of behavioral/mental-health issues. I was very intrigued with the possibility of improving my skills. I have always been drawn to treating patients with these needs, but hesitant and uncertain

regarding the proper use of anti-psychotic medications, stimulants to treat ADHD symptoms, and effectively and safely combining medications to treat resistant cases.

I spoke with my remote-site physician supervisor, the clinic administrator, and my physician assistant partner at the clinic. We had noticed a mounting number of behavioral health issues in our patient base over the past several years. Everyone was interested in having someone on-site with greater knowledge of how to treat these patients. When the govern-ing board of the clinic agreed to give me a six-month leave of ab-sence and permission to hire a PA I helped to precept two years ago in my place, I sent in my application packet.

Happily, I was accepted to the pro-gram and informed that I would be the first participant. The inau-guration of new medical training programs can be a daunting task. RCRMC has a deep commitment to and long experience in training medical personnel. My educational experience, in their hands, was rich and relatively trouble-free. Other than some initial administrative and payroll misunderstandings, everything and everyone worked very well together to improve my medical knowledge.

The program was structured to allow me to start by spending two months at the Main Street Clinic in Corona. The staff of expert psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and therapists there trained me to properly conduct mental-health evaluations,initiate crisis interven-tion, formulate a medical manage-ment plan for individual patients, and perform an effective follow-up

I am equally certain that I possess improved understanding of mental disease, greater dexterity with combining psychiatric medications, and much improved overall comfort working with mentally ill individuals.

MAY/JUNE 2012 17

Attending the RCRMC/RCC Physician Assistant Mental Health FellowshipBy Denis Hentrich, PA-C, CAPA Member

was able to reflect on my prescrip-tions for psychotropic medications at my home clinic. I was able to quickly communicate medication change suggestions to the physi-cian assistants working there aimed at improving outcomes for specific patients.

My fifth month of training took place at the Inpatient Treatment Facility (ITF) associated with the ETS. In this part of the hospital I worked with psychiatrists who carried out the daily inpatient treatment of those patients who had come through the psychiatric emergency room and been hos-pitalized. Being able to contrast the improved behavior, demeanor, mental state, and physical ap-pearance of these patients after treatment was so encouraging to me. Seeing these improvements firsthand helped me to understand the importance of my decision to attend this Fellowship.

My final month with the Fellow-ship was spent at the RCRMC main campus in Moreno Valley. This is a 530+ bed hospital with a very busy emergency room, a full range of psychiatric admissions, and any number of inpatients suffering from delirium secondary to various medical conditions. I was assigned to the Psychiatric Consultation and Liaison service where the various aspects of my training came together as I learned to provide psychiatric services in this inpatient setting. An aspect that was interesting to me involved working in the detention unit, a branch of the County Jail, which treats the medical and psychiatric needs of incarcerated individuals. I give high marks to the team of therapists, psychiatric nurses, and the psychiatrists who lead them for

their unwavering willingness and expertise in teaching me what they know so well.

I returned to my home in mid-December. The contrast of moving from one of California’s northernmost counties to one of its southernmost had been somewhat jarring. What has remained firm is my improved understanding of how to treat mental and behavioral health issues. I am under no illu-sion that I can in any way duplicate the knowledge base and expertise of a psychiatrist. I am equally certain that I possess improved understanding of mental disease, greater dexterity with combining psychiatric medications, and much improved overall comfort working with mentally ill individuals. My completion of the Fellowship also answered a personal question regarding my ongoing capacity to learn. I celebrated my 58th birth-day on Thanksgiving Day during

the final month of the Fellowship and I’m happy to report that this old dog still seems capable of learning a few new tricks!

My thanks go out to everyone involved in this program for your commitment to high quality medical education. All who helped me are too numerous to mention individually, but I do wish to give special thanks to Dr. Jerry Dennis, Medical Director of Mental Health Services for Riverside County; Dr. Bippen Patel, Chief of Psychiatry for RCRMC; and to Dolores Middleton, PhD, PA-C, Physician Assistant Program director at Riverside Community College. If you are interested in applying for this Fellowship pro-gram please contact Dr. Middleton at delores.middleton@mvc.edu or the program secretary Sabean at sabean.scott-demery@mvc.edu to obtain an application packet.

CAPA FACT

Did You Know?We Are Moving To A New Location in Santa Ana on June 30.

The CAPA office will be closed for the move on June 29 and July 2.

Our phone number will remain the same: (714) 427-0321

18 CAPA NEWS

CAPA’s Public Policy Year in Review! Your CAPA Membership, Yielding Big Rewards for California PAsby Teresa Anderson, MPH, Public Policy Director

Increase Access to CareCalifornia law requires health plans to provide timely access to care but, as many of us know, having health insurance does not guarantee hav-ing access timely or otherwise. For example, a patient is supposed to be provided an appointment with a specialist within 15 business days of the initial request. However, several studies report it can take months, depending on the specialty and geographic location, to get an appointment.1

Tele-health is one of the avenues state policymakers are exploring as a way to increase access to care. Last year, Assembly Member Dan Logue introduced and successfully passed Assembly Bill 415, The Tele-Health Advancement Act of 2011, which re-moved many of the barriers to using tele-health. Tele-health is not new, in fact many PAs in California already use it to help meet the needs of their patients. The next step in advancing PAs using tele-health is aligning policy with reimbursement. CAPA participates on the statewide Tele-health Policy Coalition which looks at legislation, technology and clinical applications related to tele-health. The Alliance for Patient Care is a coalition of health care providers, health plans and patient advocates that work to protect access to care for

Medi-Cal beneficiaries. As members of the coalition we advocate for pro-viders and patients as well as monitor state budget implications related to health care in California. CAPA participates in policy discussions with several other key stakeholder groups such as: California State Rural Health Association, California Chronic Care Coalition, Children with Special Health Care Needs, State-wide Screening Collaborative, as well as others, in an effort to protect and increase access to care. As a valued stakeholder we were asked to provide testimony to the California State Assembly about Medi-Cal and access challenges in the Central Valley. Our President Elect, Adam Marks, testified before the California State Assembly Health Committee at an informational hear-ing and highlighted access challenges patients and providers experience in underserved areas.

Prevention and Management of Chronic ConditionsThe California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) is a unique alliance of more than 30 leading consumer health or-ganizations and provider groups that promote the collaborative work of policy makers, industry leaders, pro-viders and consumers to improve the health of Californians with chronic conditions. Through this alliance, CAPA has had the opportunity to meet with Secretary Dooley and her administration to discuss provider

and patient issues related to chronic conditions and how members of this coalition can be a resource to California’s health care system and strengthen policy efforts around prevention.

CAPA’s Relationship with Local, State and Federal PolicymakersAs the professional association rep-resenting PAs in California, we place a very high priority on developing and maintaining strong relationships with policymakers, as well as being a valued resource for them. In the past year we have received several invitations from Health and Human Services (CA and Region IX), Health Resources Services Administration and the California Senate Health Committee to participate in policy discussions that will have a significant impact on the way health care is delivered in California. These invita-tions are a direct result of all the hard work, dedication, pride in the profession and indisputable quality of health care services delivered by PAs everyday across California. We are looking forward to another great year of advancing the PA profession through policy in California.

1. Specialty Care Safety Net Initiative (2011) http://www.connectedhealthca.org/scsni

Continued from page 1

Find us on:

MAY/JUNE 2012 19

Hello from the CAPA PACby Cherri Penne-Myers, PA-C, MSCS, Secretary and CAPA Political Action Committee Chair

H ere we are, in the Spring of 2012 and some economic forecasters are predicting

an improved economical year for everyone already. We can only hope! But now what can we do with that little extra green stuff that we may see? Go on a nice family vacation? Pay off some of the Christmas debt? Purchase a new car? I hope that most of my colleagues in the PA profes-sion would be willing to contribute a few extra dollars to the CAPA PAC this year! It is never too early

to start looking around for items on the CAPA PAC wish list for the Annual Silent Auction. We had a lot of wonderful items at last year’s Palm Springs Conference. Here is a short list of some items we are looking for.

Wish List: � Services: Derm/Cosmetic (laser,

microderm), photo sessions, golf and tennis lessons

� Restaurants or hotel gift certificates

� Spa packages � Review books � Re-gift items � Gift cards � Jewelry

Should you find items for the silent auction you would like to donate to the CAPA PAC, please let the new CAPA PAC chair, Sonny Cline, know by contacting him at political@capanet.org. If you would like to make a contribution, go to the CAPA

website and click on “Donate to the CAPA PAC” link at the sidebar of the CAPA home page. Thank you in advance!

Our goal is to have each and every CAPA member contribute to the CAPA PAC each and every year. I would like to, once again, thank all the CAPA members who have given donations in 2011. These are tough times economically, so I truly un-derstand how hard it is to part with spare cash, but you did! CAPA and your profession thank you.

July 1, We Welcome New CAPA PAC Chair

Sonny Cline, PA-C

My Two Years With President, Eric Glassman, MHS, PA-C

by Gaye Breyman, CAE, Chief Operating Officer

There has been a lot written as Eric reaches the end of his term as President. He is admired by many. He has impressed the most seasoned of leaders and shown tremendous wisdom and leadership. What did I learn from the young, Mr. Glassman? First, John Wooden was a basketball coach at

UCLA. A famous coach, a sage lecturer about leadership, someone Eric admires and someone I grew to admire and on occasion, even quote! Yellow chicken curry is really good. Every month of every year has a sports season. The New England Patriots can do no wrong (in Eric’s eyes). Quinnipiac PA Program (with mentors Cindy Lord and Bill Kohlhepp) identify and develop incredible leaders. And, when one makes a commitment, no matter how hard things get, no matter what the circumstance, you do your best. You rise to every occasion and you always do the right thing. You stand by those who on are your team. And, at the end of the game, you have no regrets. You look back with pride on what you have accomplished

and how you played the game. I have been blessed to spend the last two years doing the work of CAPA with Eric Glassman as President. CAPA members, you are fortunate to have him on your team.

Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming. – John Wooden

20 CAPA NEWS

Controlled Substances Education CourseA Course Which Upon Successful Completion Will Allow You To Write

For Controlled Substances Without Patient Specific Approval*

*California Code of Regulations Sections: 1399.541(h), 1399.610 and 1399.612. A PA may administer, provide, or issue a drug order for Schedule II through V controlled substances without patient specific approval if the PA completes specified educational requirements and if his/her Supervising Physician delegates the authority to them.

6 Hours

Cat. ICME

Courses will be canceled if minimum number of registrants is not met.

Saturday, August 25, 2012Samuel Merritt UniversityFontaine Auditorium,

Health Education Center450 30th St

Oakland, CA 94609

Wednesday, October 3, 2012Renaissance Palms Springs

(prior to the Annual CAPA Conference) 888 Tahquitz Canyon WayPalm Springs, CA 92262

Sunday, February 24, 2013Napa Valley Marriott

(after the CAPA at Napa Conference) 3425 Solano Avenue

Napa, CA 94558

PAs: Part of the Health Care TeamTana Summers, MS, PA-C, CAPA Program Relations Committee Member

Interprofessional and interdisciplinary practice has become an increasingly important topic in clinical practice and

PA education over the past several years. Across all disciplines there are new opportu-nities for professional development around interdisciplinary practice, including the physician assistant profession.

The Health Resources and Services Admin-istration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have implemented an Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages to address this essential topic. The Advisory Committee was created by Congress to “provide advice and recommen-dations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services concerning policy and program development and other matters of significance related to activities under… the Affordable Care Act.” Both the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization have defined interprofessional education and encouraged the practice as necessary to improve the quality of health

care and help meet the demands of our growing and changing health workforce.

PA education has also been called upon to respond to the recognized need for improved interdisciplinary practice and training. One of the targeted disciplines the HHS Advisory Committee focuses on includes Allied Health. Additionally, the 4th version of the ARC-PA Accreditation Standards, published in March 2010, includes a new standard for PA programs to provide “instruction in working collabora-tively in interprofessional patient centered teams.” Two of the California physician assistant programs, Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona and Samuel Merritt University (SMU) in Oakland, have developed unique and innovative curricula for training PA students to practice in inter-disciplinary and interprofessional teams.

Lorraine Petti, simulation coordinator for the PA Program at Samuel Merritt University, has been working with other Allied Health disciplines in the Health

Science Simulation Center (HSSC) to develop and provide interprofessional learning experiences for students in the un-dergraduate nursing and PA programs. With state-of-the-art technology, SMU has one of the most advanced simulation centers on the West Coast, and offers unique training experiences for faculty and students.

In the simulation scenarios created by Petti and other simulation faculty, BSN students are given a patient scenario and asked to re-port to a PA student or PA faculty provider about the simulated patient. One scenario is a pediatric patient recovering from an appendectomy who develops a fever; the BSN student reports to the PA student, who acts as the provider and consultant from the surgical team. Simulated scenarios across disciplines allow the PA and nursing faculty to define and model their roles for students, provide examples of how to give reports and oral presentations to consultant, and allow students to communicate and work col-laboratively on interprofessional teams for the benefit of the patient. When students

MAY/JUNE 2012 21

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PAs: Part of the Health Care TeamTana Summers, MS, PA-C, CAPA Program Relations Committee Member

begin clinical rotation, they will be better prepared for their roles and responsibilities on a health care team.

Western University of Health Sciences has developed a required, comprehensive interprofessional education program that involves all nine of its health care disciplines, including PA. WesternU is one of the first universities in the country to develop this type of curriculum, which was implemented in 2009. The mission of the program is to “produce humanistic health care professionals who provide and promote collaborative patient-centered care and coordinated health care management.” Students will participate in interprofes-sional education training in didactic, simu-lation and clinical care settings to develop

the skills needed to provide collaborative, patient centered care.

During the didactic phase of the WesternU IPE curriculum, there are five cases run during the year, with each case lasting three weeks. There are 94 small groups ideally consisting of one student from each of the professions repre-sented on campus, which meet simultaneously. Tim Wood, PA faculty at WesternU, reports that students are empowered to learn about the various aspects of the case presentation as well as the components of teamwork among the professions through interacting with each other and devising different “learning issues” for each case. Each of the five cases has specific competencies and is based upon real patient scenarios written by faculty from the different professional programs.

Wood states that. “Physician assistant students tend to shine during the small group sessions due to their exposure to so much of the medical and behavioral content during the first year. This helps each of the PA students to act as an advocate for the PA profession and to help plant the seed with all of the other professions about the invalu-able role PAs play on the healthcare team.”

Visit the the SMU website to learn more about using simulation in interprofessional education: http://www.samuelmerritt.edu/hssc.

Visit the WesternU IPE website to learn more about this innovative curriculum: http://www.westernu.edu/interprofessional-about.

22 CAPA NEWS

Physician Assistants (PAs) care for many patients receiving medications, and often are responsible for prescribing or

administering them. Would you know what to do to reduce the likelihood you end up in court as part of a malpractice suit related to a medication error?

Admitting the ErrorAfter an error is made, a recent trend is to tell the patient about the error. Some organizations are finding that disclosure can reduce the number of lawsuits filed and the legal fees incurred. Disclosure must be handled sensitively and only appropriate information should be shared. Consult with your risk manager or be sure you know your facility’s policy around disclosing mistakes.

Reporting the ErrorIt’s important to report the error, which

helps identify trends that can lead to prevention. The Institute for Safe Medication Practice has an easy-to-use medication error reporting system (www.ismp.org/orderforms/reporterrortoismp.asp). The information, without identifying the practitioner unless the submitter grants permission, is sent to the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch program and the manufacturer. If you think a lawsuit will be filed, notify your professional liability insurance company. Be prepared to provide details as to what occurred.

Analysis and Follow UpAn important step after a medication error is to analyze what went wrong. Were you distracted when you wrote the prescription? Did the pharmacy misread what you wrote? Were the pills prescribed so similar in ap-pearance that you mistakenly picked up the

wrong one? The goal is not to assign blame, but rather to identify what can be done to prevent a similar error in the future. After you meet the patient’s immediate needs and follow up as necessary, take time to learn from the error and to forgive yourself. Understand that you’re human, and humans make mistakes.

This risk management information was provided by Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO), the #1 provider of professional liability insurance for over 1 million healthcare profession-als, and is now offering the same quality coverage, financial strength and level of service to Physician Assistants. The professional liability insurance policy is administered through HPSO and underwrit-ten by American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, a CNA company. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. For questions, send an email to service@hpso.com or call 1-800-982-9491. www.hpso.com.

What To Do When a Medication Error Occurs

Individualprofessional liabilitycoverage atcompetitive rates.

You’re “on-call” 24/7. Make sure your malpractice coverage is too.

Physician Assistants Professional Liability Insurance 888.273.4686 | www.hpso.com/oncall

This program is underwritten by American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, a CNA company, and is offered through the Healthcare Providers Service Organization Purchasing Group. Coverages, rates and limits may differ or may not beavailable in all states. All products and services are subject to change without notice. This material is for illustrative purposes only and is not a contract. It is intended to provide a general overview of the products and services offered. Only the policycan provide the actual terms, coverages, amounts, conditions and exclusions. CNA is a registered trademark of CNA Financial Corporation. Copyright © 2012 CNA. All rights reserved.Healthcare Providers Service Organization is a registered trade name of Affinity Insurance Services, Inc.; (AR 244489); in CA, MN & OK, AIS Affinity Insurance Agency, Inc. (CA 0795465); in CA, Aon Affinity Insurance Services, Inc., (0G94493), Aon Direct Insurance Administrator and Berkely Insurance Agency and in NY and NH, AIS Affinity Insurance Agency. ©2012 Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. CAPA112

CAPA0112_Layout 1 11/29/11 4:08 PM Page 1

Students Students Students Students Students Students

MAY/JUNE 2012 23

Community service, politics, promoting the PA profession and caring for vulnerable people

all featured prominently in this year’s applications for the Ruth Webb Minority Scholarship. An overarch-ing theme was the necessity of ensuring that providers are culturally sensitive and respectful of differences, and that we all work toward eliminat-ing health disparities in all arenas.

Minority students were asked to demonstrate their activities to promote the PA profession and to describe their commitment to people who are under-represented and underserved in their communities. These soon-to-be safety net providers are the future leaders of California’s burgeoning PA profession.

The 2012 Ruth Webb $1000 Scholarship was awarded to Maria Fuchs. She was a water polo-playing, marine biologist

before a chance encounter with a PA helped her discover her true calling. As the daughter of Venezuelan im-migrants, she grew up being “well aware of the importance of needing culturally sensitive health care and [of the] health disparities that plague my community.” She became an EMT and entered the Touro PA Program where she has been a leading light in several school-sponsored community activities. Maria plans to lead by example, as a dedicated advocate for social justice, giving voice to those who experience social discrimination and economic injustice. She wants to

work toward promoting diversity in health care, so that it better reflects our California population. To that end, she hopes to work in a com-munity health center and build on her experience working with migrant farm workers and other underserved communities.

Along with Maria, Ruth Webb Scholarship runners up, Daniel Villegas and Kathryn Ando, epitomize the wide range of diversity among up-and-coming PAs.

Daniel has a political bent, enjoying the challenge of promoting the role of the PA through public speaking and

communication. Although he is a fourth generation Californian, he felt very much a minority in his high school in rural California. But people there helped shape his life and he has always wanted to give back. He learned Spanish. He studied hard. And now it looks like he has found the perfect solution. After he graduates from San Joaquin Valley College in July 2012, he will return to his Central Valley community to help fill the health care gap that he experienced growing up.

Kathryn Ando understands the many different forms that diversity takes. Prior to being accepted into the Stanford

Primary Care Associate Program, she worked on a vaccination project for brothel workers in Nevada and helped plan a similar program for Boston’s homeless men and women. She has also worked with sexual minorities in San Francisco, and believes that all patients deserve a safe place for their health care, with trusted providers who understand and respect their differences. Kathryn is a busy woman. In ad-dition to her studies, she manages the student PA team at a local free clinic and has volunteered with sev-eral local and student activities that promote the PA profession. In ad-dition to cooking and energetically entertaining her student colleagues, she enjoys rock climbing.

Ruth Webb would have been proud of Kathryn, Daniel, and Maria. In addition to serving as program director for the Charles R Drew University PA program for several years, she was actively involved with numerous local, state and national professional organizations, chairing several committees. By all accounts, she was not one to sit back and let others do the work. She would do whatever it took to help students achieve the goal of becoming PAs. The scholarship in her name, and other scholarships offered by CAPA, will help a few of the hundreds of talented PA stu-dents among us. The future looks bright for health care for minorities in California.

Ruth Webb Minority Scholarshipby Margaret Allen, PA-C, Committee on Diversity Chair

Students Students Students Students Students Students

24 CAPA NEWS

You have been invited for an interview with a prospective employer and you have never

interviewed for a job before. This article is designed to focus on positive attributes and how to avoid negative impressions. The informa-tion gathered in this article is a compilation of advice from various online agencies that prepare people to enter the workforce.

Do your homework.Research the employer to determine if it is a solo practice physician, a medical group, or a large medical corporation. See what information

can be found online about the future employer or em-ployer group. Does the physician have a current license in good standing? Are there any claims on the physician? What are the positive and negative things being written about the employer or group? If this is a major group, be familiar with the mission and vision statement.

Many organizations have a value statement that should be reviewed. Check the services offered by the future employer. Ask other PAs who may have worked for the potential employer how they felt working at that facility, and if they were offered a job there today, would they take it? If they are unwill-ing to state anything positive or negative, take that as a sign. All this homework will provide a broader knowledge and understanding of

the cultural environment established by the employer.

Prepare in advance a list of the most likely questions to be asked during the interview. Rehearsing answers will enhance the interview experience. Just be cautious that the answers are not totally memorized for fear of insincerity.

Dress appropriately.The acceptable industry standard for dress is the protocol for interview dress. If not sure of the standard, it is best to dress conservatively, which means a suit and tie for men and a suit for women. Usually darker tones and gray tones are always acceptable. Be leary of excessively loud colors because they suggest being outside of the norm. Even though no one will formally admit to it, dress can play a role in the employer’s decision to hire, especially if there is more than one applicant.

Maintain good grooming.Monitor personal grooming habits. A good appearance implies that the applicant takes pride in himself/herself, and can relate positively to an employer. Men should be shaven. Hair should be clean and combed. Nails should be clean and in good repair. Women who choose to wear fingernail polish should make sure it is conservative and not have it be a source of visual distraction during an interview. Do not overuse perfume or cologne; the adage “less is more” applies in this case.

Remember the interview starts when you walk through the door.Be courteous with any staff member you encounter. The smart employer

PA Job Interviews: What To Do and What To Avoidby Roy Guizado, MS, PA-C, Director-At-Large and Student Affairs Committee Chair

will ask the staff about their initial impressions of the applicant. Treating everyone with respect is the universal mantra. A good way to make a positive impression is with a firm handshake.

Make the most of your interview time.Listen to the questions and respond appropriately. The interviewer is determining critical reasoning skills, listening skills and cognitive skills while trying to ascertain if the ap-plicant is capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the job. Be honest about your answers. Take responsi-bility for your past actions. It is ad-vantageous to be a little lighthearted in the interview which can put you and the interviewer at more ease.

Respectfully talk about your accom-plishments without being conceited. It is acceptable to let the interviewer know why the job is appealing, but do not let good geographic location be the main or only answer (even if it is true). Use active listening. Be attentive to the verbal and non-ver-bal cues provided by the interviewer. Do not interrupt the interviewer.

Ask questions.The applicant should ask questions that enhance your knowledge about the job. It is acceptable to ask ques-tions that could not be found in your personal research of the employer or company. However, there are ques-tions that make the applicant appear in a less than favorable light. Those questions include ones that could have easily been researched prior to the interview. Asking bad questions makes the applicant appear lazy, uninterested, or lacking research skills; all of which reflect poorly on the applicant.

Focusing on positive

interviewing skills while

avoiding common mistakes

that detract from the

interview will help improve

your chances of landing your

dream PA job.

Students Students Students Students Students Students

MAY/JUNE 2012 25

CAPA Members can log-in and view Job Listings. Employers know that the CAPA website is the best place to advertise for PA positions in California.

Check the listings often.

PA Job Interviews: What To Do and What To Avoidby Roy Guizado, MS, PA-C, Director-At-Large and Student Affairs Committee Chair

Be aware of your body language.Make frequent eye contact with the interviewer, but do not stare them down. Infrequent eye contact may be a sign of shyness or insecurity, which could make an applicant less competitive. Blank stares or daydreaming will appear as if the applicant is trying to distance themselves from the interview. Sit up straight with a slight forward lean. This posture projects interest and engagement in the interview process. To enhance the interview dynamics, it is recommended to loosely mimic the interviewer’s body postures. Provide gestures that indi-cate attentiveness such as head nod-ding, but do not look like a “bobble head.” Regard the interviewer’s personal space by providing a buffer of about two feet. Any conversation that takes place closer than that is uncomfortable.

Do not rub the back of your neck or head during the interview as these motions project disinterest. Rubbing or touching your nose can subconsciously suggest incomplete honesty. The applicant seated with arms folded across the chest suggests uneasiness and lack of openness.

Slouching in the chair also appears as an uninterested or unprepared posture.

End on a positive note.Conclude the interview with a firm handshake and a smile. Thank the interviewer for their time. Remember to say goodbye to any staff that you see on the way out of the office. If the interview went well, do not perform the touchdown dance in the lobby; save it for a more appropriate location.

Always follow up.Sending a thank you note can leave a positive impression with the employ-er. The thank you note should be just that, a thank you for the opportunity to interview. Do not add information you forgot to include in the inter-view as it will appear as if you could not communicate adequately when given the initial opportunity.

Focusing on positive interviewing skills while avoiding common mistakes that detract from the interview will help improve your chances of landing your dream PA job. Good luck!

Congratulations Graduates

CAPA would like to congratulate all students graduating from the Physician Assistant Programs across California. Best wishes as

you prepare to take the NCCPA PANCE exam, and begin your career as a PA. We look forward to working with all of you as our colleagues as we continue to advocate for our profession.

Congratulations to the 2012 Graduates of: Loma Linda University of Health Sciences Riverside County Regional Medical Center/

Riverside College Samuel Merritt University San Joaquin Valley College Stanford University, School of Medicine Touro University - California, College of

Health Sciences University of California, Davis University of Southern California, Keck

School of Medicine Western University of Health Sciences

Students Students Students Students Students Students

26 CAPA NEWS

Apply To Be a Student Ambassador

CAPA would like to extend an invaluable educational and leadership opportunity for physician assistant students in the state of California. CAPA’s Continuing Medical Education Committee

is preparing for the 36th Annual CAPA Conference in Palm Springs, October 4-7, 2012.

The Annual Conference is a big event and we rely on Student Ambassadors to ensure that things run smoothly. Student Ambassadors will serve in a variety of functions that include being door and room monitors, runners, and audio-visual liaisons. In return for their hard work, CAPA will offer lodging at the beautiful Renaissance Palm Springs and/or registration fees for eligible Student Ambassadors. The Student Ambassadors will be able to attend some CME lectures and, if desired, they may pay to attend workshops. Student Ambassadors must be willing to share a hotel room with two other Student Ambassadors. No other lodging subsidies will be provided. Students will also have the opportunity to meet physician assistants from across the nation with various levels of experience and to see the importance of their political involvement for the success of this great profession.

Interested PA students who are currently enrolled in a California PA Program and who are Student members of CAPA, are asked to write a brief paragraph about themselves stating which PA program they attend and why they would like to serve as a Student Ambassador. Please email (capa@capanet.org), mail, or fax your information to the CAPA office, C/O Student Ambassador Program. Deadline is July 1, 2012.

For complete information, please visit the CAPA website at: http://www.capanet.org/Students_Pre-PA/Student-Ambassador-Program/. We look forward to working with you!

Special Student Track at the CAPA Conference – Friday, October 5, 201210:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Microscopy

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Microscopy - Urine

12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Student Lunch

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Giving And Receiving Constructive Feedback

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Common Ways PAs Get Themselves In Trouble

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. How To Be A Great Student At Your Clinic Site

The 16th Annual CAPA Student Medical Challenge Bowl will be held Saturday, October 6, 2012,

poolside at the Renaissance Palm Springs from 5:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. There will be a cash prize for the winning team: $250 for their Student Society. The winning

team will also be able to display the official Challenge Bowl Trophy at their PA program.

To sign up, to go the student section of the CAPA website (www.capanet.org). We look forward to seeing you there.

Student Medical Challenge Bowl Sign Up Nowby Roy Guizado, MS, PA-C, Student Medical Challenge Bowl Coordinator

USC PA Program students: Jessica Lee, PA-S winner of the 2012 CAPA Community Outreach Scholarship and John Waite, PA-S winner of the 2012 CAPA Ray Dale Scholarship

Congratulations!

MAY/JUNE 2012 27

Welcome New MembersMarch 20, 2012 through May 30, 2012

Nathan Adams, PARafael Alonso, PA-SAnahita AmalsadJavier Anda, PA-CSamantha AngJustin Arnold, PA-SAndrea Baer, PA-CNicholas Bai, PA-SLarry Baker, PA-CDenise BakerChristopher Banks, PA-SRobert BarkerErica Batres, EMT-BLisa Beedle, PA-SDanielle Beer, PA-SBestoor Behizadeh, PA-SJessica Berbling, PA-SCarrie Bourget, PA-CBreanna Bravo, PA-SChristy Caldwell, PAKC Campion, BSFelipe Cendejas, PA-SZoe ChanSarah Chan, PA-SDiane ChoMark ClineEliza Coleman, PA-SCaitlin Collado, PA-SVeronica CortezQuan Dang, PA-SRaymond Dann, PA-SKristen Davis, PA-CMay Denjalearn, NPRachel DeVine, PA-SAlicia Dower, PA-CThao Duong, PACourtney Eastman, PA-CTara Ebbs, EMT-P, PA-CMario Esquivel, PA-SRaul Estrada, PA-CLorraine FaramilRonaldo Flores, PA-CChristopher FongVincent Fortanasce

Shane Futchko, PA-CMichelle GarciaJason Gonzalez, MPASNicole Leanne GonzalezRyan Gore, ERTDaniyel GrancichKaitlyn GustavesNatalie Hammond, B.S. PA-CDeirdre Heimer, MHS, PA-CSofia Henderson, PA-SLauren HoffmanTamara Hubbert, PA-SChris Hunt, MDMark Johnson, PA-CBritney Kaufman, PA-CRenee Kearns, PA-STaeho KimTrent KocurekMichelle KoppJen Le-KimMonika Lindqvist, RNJames Mabry, PA-SAdam May, PA-SKristen McKenna, PA-SKaneal McShane, PA-SSandy Mezzio, PAMarco Mitchell, PA-SRamy Moharran, PA-CAlan Mullikin, PA-CAsuka Murata, PA-SMichelle Murillo, PA-CChau Ngo, PA-SCharlene Nguyen, PA-STiffany Nickerson, MALuminita Niste OmutCatherine Oms, PA-CElizabeth Ontiveros, PA-SCharmaine Padua-Empleo, PA-CMychael Patrick, PA-CSharon Perez, PA-CMichael PevyhouseRon Pratt, PA-CIan Primavera, PA-SFrannie Proffitt, PA-S

Kerianne Puetz, PA-SNira Ray, PA-CSean Reilly, PA-CCeasar Relevante, PAKelby Reyes, MAKatie Richardson, BSCarolyn Rumpeltes, PA-SCharles Sangmoah, PA-CStacey Sannes, PA-CNadereh Sarnevesht, PA-CStefenie SarrafSharmez Savoy, PA-CChristian Schwartz, MS, PA-C, ATCJennifer Shin, PA-SKimberly Shum, PA-SEugene Song, PA-SBryan Stowe, PA-CMegan TaeleDominic TalleyDiane Tan, MASolomon Tefera, PA-CKeeley Terzian, PA-SBrenda Thinnes, PA-SDuc Tran, PA-CNicole ValdezAlyssa van Bibber, PA-SLise Veillette TylerMatthew Vercauteren, PA-SEric Wagoner, PA-SRebecca Wei, PA-SJamie Williams, PA-CErin Woody, PA-SSarah Zalaznik, PA-SMary Zanobini, PA-SPamela Zevallos

1. Redding Area PA/NP AllianceSummer Ross, PA-C; (530) 275-5747summerross@hughes.net

2. Physician Assistant Society of Sacramento (PASS)Carlos De Villa, PA-C, PASS President; (916) 973-6185, pasocietyofsac@yahoo.comAtul Sharma, PA-C, MMS, MPH, CHES; (916) 397-6035, pasocietyofsac@yahoo.com

3. Contra Costa Clinicians AssociationBrian Costello, PA-C; (707) 651-2705, contracostapas.com

4. San Francisco Bay Area Physician Assistants (SFBAPA)www.sfbapa.com, PO Box 14096, San Francisco, CA 94114-0096Martin Kramer, PA-C; (415) 433-5359, Fax: (415) 397-6805, mkramersf@hotmail.com

5. Bay Area Mid-Level PractitionersRose Abendroth, PA-C; (650) 697-3583, Fax: (650) 692-6251, rosepard@aol.comMatt Dillon, PA-C; (650) 591-6601, mattdillon42@hotmail.com

6. Bay Area Non-DocsLinda O’Keeffe, PA-C; (650) 366-2050, lindapac@aol.com

7. Northcoast Association of Advanced Practice CliniciansJohn Coleman, PA-C; (707) 845-6008, streetdrag49@sbcglobal.net

8. Stanislaus County NP/PA NetworkBrian Cormier, PA-C; (209) 605-4966, briancor@verizon.net, www.nppanetwork.org

9. Stockton MidlevelsEmma Calvert, PA-C; stocktonmidlevels@gmail.com

10. Journal Club for PAs and NPs (Fresno area)Cristina Lopez, PA-C; (559) 875-4060; Fax: (559) 875-3434, clopez875@aol.com; 2134 10th St, Sanger, CA 93657

11. Tulare/Kings NP/PA AssociationSteve Henry, PA-C; Pager: (559) 749-4348, msh649@sbcglobal.net

12. Central Coast Nurse Practitioners & Physician AssistantsKris Dillworth, NP; ccnppa@yahoo.comSharon Girard, PA-C; (305) 803-1560; ccnppa@yahoo.com

13. So Cal PAsLinda Aghakhanian, PA-C; want2heal@hotmail.com

14. Orange CountyHung Nguyen, PA-C; (714) 846-8178; nhy52@yahoo.com

15. San Gabriel Valley Local GroupM. Rachel DuBria, PA-C; (818) 744-6159, racheldca@aol.com

16. San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valley GroupJonah Tan, MPT, PA-C; (818) 634-0007, jotptpa@yahoo.com

17. Coachella Valley Physician Assistant GroupMatthew Keane, MS, PA-C; mkeanepas@gmail.com

18. San Diego AreaJeremy Adler, MS, PA-C; (619) 829-1430, jadler@simplyweb.net

Local Groups

California Academy of Physician Assistants2318 S. Fairview St.Santa Ana, CA 92704

Address Service Requested

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDSANTA ANA, CAPERMIT NO 949

CAPA’s 36th Annual ConferenceOctober 4-7, 2012

Optional Workshops, October 4 and 6Controlled Substances Education Course

and EKG Boot Camp WorkshopOctober 3, 2012 – Prior to the CAPA Conference

There is quite simply nothing like the CAPA Conference. The setting: PAlm Springs and the beautiful Renaissance Hotel and Palm Springs Convention Center offer a wonderful, community-building gathering place. And, the group dynamic created

by all of you makes the CAPA Conference a one-of-a-kind conference experience.