If you are a proud and professionally engaged PA, chances are you would be intolerant and very critical of the recurring mischaracterizing narrative about our profession. This growing anti-PA narrative seeks to sow doubt in the patients’ minds mostly by disparaging our highly studied/documented great patient care outcomes across the board through the past 54 years.
Stopping this malignant spread of interprofessional bigotry does require the commitment of many if not the entire PA community. We must not only be alarmed, but morally concerned --if not outraged-- about the long term negative ramifications this may pose to our standing in the healthcare industry. Truth be told, I personally and professionally after 34 years of practice never been more alarmed and concerned about this than I am seeing take place in the marketplace & various media outlets these days.
Our work history, our Industry credibility speaks for itself, especially when it comes to delivering the highest competent patient care as it has been shown study after study.
But most importantly, and pressing is the fact that we don't have a moment to lose. And if you think about it, we are at a crucial crossroad determining the battle for our survivability. Make no mistake, about this: our fate is in our hands--not in the AAPA’s. Moreover, we still remain “brandless” to most Americans. It is very clear, we still are viewed as a subservient professional class to the various stakeholders & physician communities. Even the mainstream media has failed to be objective when it comes to describing the physician assistant community contributions to the healthcare industry.
And quite honestly it is up to each and one of us to get active and vocal by joining together and educating, and advocating for our very own cause. I do believe that we should entertain the idea of creating a PA Watchdog organization in order to secure our own vested interests given the current anti-PA climate. Naturally, coming together in seeing this shared vision come to fruition will help police those seeking to erect barriers or foster industry inequities by eliminating all prejudicial interprofessional ignorance.
Just remember, become an educational activist in your profession. Do not allow your peers or yourself to be silenced or marginalized for that matter. It is simple to see, we need everyone to come together and have our voices heard. After all, “PAs” matter too!
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