Keeping the Faith despite the stories they tell

      As the year comes to a close & after 34-plus years as a practicing PA and medical educator, I've never seen the level of inter-professional and intrap-rofessional intolerance seen nowadays in the healthcare industry. It has become practically Toxicity on steroids. All boils down to constant daily undermining transactional attacks of one form or another, whether very subtle to openly overtly. I see this daily in how some people and professional groups have made their personal and professional intolerant ideologies an urgent mission to be instilled and implemented @ any cost.

     The PA community, unlike any other group, has taken the brunt of this divisive assault that has become deeply ingrained in the medical profession, and more importantly, the ever-deepening damage it’s doing to all providers and patients alike throughout the western world and our country.

      From the moment the AMA went public minimizing and discrediting our profession, our industry contributions, etc. the opposition has been relentless & fierce. Among the numerous insults and accusations that have been hurled our way by those frightened by our success have been some of the  following:

● We’ve been called “Physicians wanna-be”.

● We’ve been called unsafe providers.

● We’ve been called unqualified deceptive healthcare providers.

     Just to name a few here. The one thing we haven’t been called yet? Probably has been visionary...That is thanks to the tireless work of thousands of our brothers and sisters seeking daily improved quality access to health care along with very few brave supporting physicians who seek to accept our brand & integrate us harmoniously into the very fabric of a fractured flawed industry.

      Fundamentally, I’m proud of them and those who see our adjudicative value.  I’m proud of our community for how hard we fight together for what we believe in despite all the industry naysayers.

       Shouldn't “Do No Harm” be the mantra by which we all measure our individual and collective actions by believing in giving everyone equal access to health care, in upholding the highest standards of medical ethics, and in unleashing a new era of life-saving medical breakthroughs? Shouldn't we also believe in allowing all professional medical providers to practice under the law to the highest scope of their practices thus helping everyone lead a healthier and happier life, regardless of who they are ( DPM, PA, NP, CRNA, OD, etc.)?

        Upon further reflection, I am hoping that we can overcome the forces that threaten the health and well-being of every American. We have a long way to go, and the forces arrayed against us are powerful. Yet, most of our fellow Americans and my fellow medical professionals/comrades realize this. We undoubtedly want a fair leveling playing field in which medical services are provided efficiently and transparently--nothing more nothing less. Is that simple.

        If we could only stop this bickering, finger-pointing we could elevate an industry beyond our imagination for 2023 and the years to come. Thank you for your professional tenacity, pride & hopeful outlook during these turbulent times. Keep the faith...despite the stories they like to tell.

The AMA: A Policing Organization?

       Every time I hear or read about the AMA meddling in our affairs, I must confess: I get more and more worried about our future. Their constant open disdain of our profession so openly seen on various platforms not only troubles me but should also the rest of us. However, and quite frankly, I am surprised to see just a few in our community denounce them. Even if nothing else, I’m sure most PAs have felt the sting of these disinformed one-sided campaigns targeting our brand.

       But just as if this is not enough, the current marketplace is changing at a rapid pace potentially where the perception and the stigma of being an "assistant" have never been more detrimental to our livelihoods.  For instance, the AMA behind the scene attempts to block or lobby against any PA modernization practice acts. By far the most disturbing and disheartening politics of their rhetoric is how to attempt to sow fear and distrust in the medical consumer. Clearly, they seek to undermine our credibility at every turn they can by deliberately overstepping their industry role by simply fostering PA practice advancement barriers.

       Similarly, and nefariously they have undertaken other lobbying efforts to jeopardize similar PA practice modernization bills throughout the country all under the mantra of "patient safety". When asked directly about these interprofessional restricting marketplace activities, they always default to their skewed anecdotal statistics. They steadfastly continue claiming their actions were/are solely based in the interest of public safety despite the robust available data today, fifty years later proving our solid industry track record regarding comparable patient care outcomes--- a very solid one indeed.

       Unfortunately, they have chosen to discredit the PA community through these unilateral overzealous partisan protectionistic lobbying moves without creating a spirit of collaboration or bipartisan dialogue. I/we do not believe this to be the trait of a transparent organization as they like to claim. Furthermore, I/we believe these lobbying activities are not appropriate nor in the best interest of creating a professional partnership between both groups. 

       It does appear, the role and mission of the AMA are incongruent if this is the stance they want to undertake. Furthermore, they are not a “regulatory governmental agency “ nor a “policing” agency but rather an association of an interprofessional group.

      Perhaps, they should be reminded they are not in the business of trade restraint & or fomenting interprofessional dissension, but rather collaboratively increasing access to care. 

Would you all please make your voices heard…