Is it January yet?

Is it January yet? This month were many of us wait to implement our New Year’s resolutions. Traditionally this is the month that we have decided to shed some pounds, stop smoking, or become better golfers, while others simply seek to have better work-life balanced lifestyles, etc. No one would argue these self-improvement strategies are meritless. But, how about a resolution outside yourself; not an individual one per se? 

Yet, as unhappy as many of us may find the environment we operate in, very few of us dive in to correct the crowded, confused, and at times unfriendly PA marketplace. Being able to provide a crystal clear brand image of our profession has not been our forte. We have remained brandless for far too long. Our internal culture has been one of apathy & passivity for the most part; this has been crystal clear through the years. We have allowed the anti-PA rhetoric to become louder & louder by the minute as seen by the American Medical Association (AMA) back in November 2020, entitled “ #stop scope creep... because patient safety isn’t a game”. Also, ACEP ( The American College of Emergency Physicians), and AFPPA ( The American Family Practice Physicians Association are the last physician communities to go public with this agenda. These Physician groups are morally bankrupt since their campaigns essentially seek to stall or halt the evolutionary progression of the scope of practice of Advanced Practice Providers ( APPs), mainly Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Nurse Midwives, and CRNAs. But they are not the only ones to blame. We must bear some equal responsibility after looking at both sides of the coin as this is difficult for some of us. 

We can still correct our course (professional destiny) if wanted & every member of our community decides to make a difference for the common good of the PA family. How? By taking personal responsibility, and professional accountability in becoming actively engaged advocates @ the state or national level. Everyone can make a difference for the better, even though they may not be able to be leaders on the national stage. Is time that we tell our truth, the one we have lived & know best. Namely, patient advocacy through uncompromised quality care deliverance. Increased patient access to healthcare through ongoing selfless interprofessional collaboration. 

And yes, you know what? We certainly can modify (reset) our internal culture, plus consequently optimize the marketplace we operate in by strengthening our brand. By executing a visionary strong servant leadership role, and staying above reproach this could be a collective resolution that we can implement without having to wait until January to see our promise come to fruition.