December 2020

Alyn Whelchel, GAC Co-Chair and President-Elect

The CAPA Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) continues to work hard on behalf of PAs in the state of Colorado. We strongly believe that PAs in our state provide vital medical care and education for many patients in a multitude of settings. By supporting PAs, we also support patients and access to care. Every year is an opportunity for us to work together to advance change that positively impacts PAs and the patients we serve. We very much look forward to the start of the next legislative session January 13^th, 2021.

2020 Governmental Affairs Highlights:

• Attended Governor Polis’ Covid Task Force Meeting in November. State Government PA representation is important to our profession and continues to be a priority for CAPA .   
• Passed House Bill 1041 – This ensures that PAs can maintain their current malpractice policies while allowing PAs in the state with greater than 3 years of experience to uncouple liability from their supervising physician.
• Submitted a letter to Governor Polis in support of the Emergency Order (EO) allowing greater flexibility for practicing PAs in the context of the pandemic.
• Advocated for continuing to use Colorado Physician Health Program (CPHP) by writing letters to the Governor, officially and publicly backing CPHP, with plans to testify on their behalf before the Colorado Medical Board, if needed.
• We continue to collaborate with the AAPA to develop and implement a state-wide Grassroots Advocacy Program to educate lawmakers about our profession and the importance of the needed changes to move our profession forward and remove unnecessary barriers to PA practice and patient care. 
• We are in the process of meeting with other state organizations representing the teams we work with on a daily basis, such as physicians and nurses.
• We continue to attend Colorado Medical Board meetings to ensure PA representation and monitor state legislative changes that may affect our profession.

CAPA and the Governmental Affairs Committee sincerely thank all of you for your engagement, energy, and passion for advancing our profession in 2020. 

Please join us in advocating for our profession with your legislators!

No one can better explain who Physician Assistants are and what we can do for patients.

CAPA is seeking at least one PA advocate to lead relationship building in EACH state Senate and House district. 

What can you do? Reach out to your state legislators, introduce yourself, and offer to serve as a resource. You’ll be asked to make an initial contact now, and then engage as needed based on CAPA’s state legislative priorities. We will not overburden you or bombard you with asks. Our intent is to ensure CAPA has a strong well-developed PA network with legislators, and that works best when legislators know you – a PA in their community!  

How will CAPA train you and help you? CAPA will offer training such as making sure you know who your state legislators and/or candidates are, provide specific talking points, and stand ready to answer any questions and additional support you need. 

Why is this important?  Remember that old adage, “all politics is local”?  It’s famous for good reason: because it’s true. Your legislator is responsible for crafting policies that impact you professionally and personally. Once you develop a strong relationship with him or her, they will turn to you for input on matters you are most knowledgeable about and almost always vote the way of those they are most close to in their district.

Interested?  Please fill out the form on our website: https://coloradopas.org/grassroots 

Also if you are interested, but have less time? Keep an eye on CAPA’s Facebook/Instagram/Twitter and contact us to be on our volunteer list.

The 2020 American Academy of PAs (AAPA) House of Delegates (HOD) meeting was held virtually on November 20, 2020. The majority of the day was devoted to discussion surrounding the title change investigation (TCI). During prior HOD meetings, many PAs voiced concern that the title “Physician Assistant” does not appropriately describe our role in health care and was confusing to our patients and to the healthcare team. A resolution was passed during the 2018 HOD meeting to investigate the implications and ramifications of a title change for the profession. AAPA hired WPP, a communications, advertising, and public relations firm, to investigate if our title should be changed and, if indicated, to provide recommendations for that change. After the first year of investigation, findings were presented at the 2019 HOD meetings with recommendations to consider a potential title change. After an additional year of investigation, WPP’s conclusions were presented at the 2020 HOD meeting. The full report can be found on the AAPA website and is accessible to all AAPA members (https://www.aapa.org/title-change-investigation/). We highly recommend that you look at the entire report as it will explain the specifics and the depths to which WPP investigated the "Physician Assistant" title and how they came to their conclusions. A detailed timeline of the TCI can be found on the AAPA website.

In short, WPP found that there was confusion and ambiguity regarding the title “Physician Assistant” and recommended that a title change was appropriate. Multiple titles were investigated and the top four were selected for ongoing investigation. These were Physician Associate, Medical Care Practitioner, Praxician, and Clinicist. WPP’s goal was to find a title that aligned with the care that could be expected from a PA. Clinicist and Praxician were new titles that did not align well with the description of a PA, and were too confusing. Therefore, the top two recommendations were Medical Care Practitioner and Physician Associate. From their findings, PAs were largely in favor of Physician Associate. Other stakeholders (patients, physicians, and employers) were largely in favor of Medical Care Practitioner. These stakeholders felt Medical Care Practitioner was more descriptive of a PAs role and what we do. They also felt that Physician Associate was a more junior title and did not support the high role of autonomy many PAs have. Given how close they are, the title Physician Associate would likely carry all the preconceived notions of "Physician Assistant", both good and bad. Their formal recommendation is that the official title be changed to Medical Care Practitioner. 

Legal and financial ramifications were also investigated by the AAPA and their conclusions can be found in the complete TCI report. While no legal ramifications are expected, a global title change will take many years to complete. Following the TCI presentation and a Q&A session, the remaining business of the HOD was conducted, including consideration of submitted resolutions and policy changes. Because of the abbreviated and virtual nature of the meeting, any resolutions that required discussion have been tabled for the May 2021 HOD meeting. The final HOD report on these resolutions is available on the HOD page on the AAPA website.

Moving forward it is VITAL that the CAPA HOD delegation hears from you! We are certain there will be numerous resolutions presented to the May 2021 HOD regarding the title change and it is the job of CAPA’s delegation to accurately reflect the thoughts and opinions of Colorado PAs. In the coming months, there will be surveys and town hall opportunities to further the discussion. In the mean time, please do not hesitate to reach out to CAPA anytime with your thoughts and concerns at info@coloradopas.org.

Sincerely,

Alysia Wiley

Chief Delegate 2020-2021

Congratulations to CAPA PA Rachel Weinzimmer!

Student Affairs Committee Update

Annalise Grammerstorf, PA-S2, Student Director

The Student Affairs Committee moved their Pre-PA events to Zoom this semester; students from the four Colorado programs and practicing PAs from the CAPA Board of Directors held two Pre-PA Information Sessions in which they provided insight into the PA profession and applying to PA school. Afterwards, participants had the opportunity to ask questions.  It was a great opportunity for prospective students to learn from those who have been there as well as for current PA students and professionals to educate the public on this wonderful field.

The Committee also put together the first-ever “CAPA Student Lecture Series” events. The first two presentations for Student Members included “Human Trafficking in Colorado” by Kara Napolitano from the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking and “Providing Medical Care with Consideration for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI)” by CAPA Delegate Cooper Couch PA-C. Both lectures were incredibly insightful and provided coverage of important topics not thoroughly covered in many medical programs. Thank you to everyone who participated in these events.

If you are interested in speaking or know someone who has an interesting topic to present please contact: 

 Annalise.grammerstorf@cuanschutz.edu

Colorado PA Programs Update

Winter is Coming

Rachel Briscoe, PA-S1

Despite the numerous bright, sunny days we’re still getting, I know that colder and snowier weather is just around the corner. Having moved to Colorado from a warmer state and not owning a 4WD vehicle, I’ve felt a little anxious about getting around once the snow comes. Fortunately, I’ve been reassured that the snow in Denver never sticks for long. And hey, at least the odds of having to get to campus in the event of a bad storm are slim… one silver lining of online classes. 

Aside from the driving, I am really looking forward to the winter season. As part of the ski club in college, I helped organize annual trips to different resorts in Colorado, which involved 20-hour bus rides from California. It feels pretty unreal to be living here now, with those same mountains just a short trek away.

Of course, this ski season is not looking like a typical season by any means. With many resorts requiring reservations, it is going to take a bit more planning to actually get onto the mountain than many of us are used to. I’m optimistic however, that any hurdles will be outweighed by the benefits of shorter lift lines and less crowded trails. I am just hoping we can all be safe on the mountains so that further restrictions won’t be necessary!

Announcements

CAPA CME Speaker Opportunity

Are you interested in speaking at a future CAPA CME event? Do you have experience speaking or have expertise in a particular area? As we confirm CME formats for 2021, we invite you to submit session topics through this form.

Coffee with CAPA

CAPA held a virtual event to discuss what the organization has been up to the past year and updates on Colorado PA issues. It was an opportunity to meet CAPA leaders, learn about currently projects, and discuss plans for the upcoming year. Look for more opportunities to engage with CAPA in 2021!

Tell your colleagues about the great work that CAPA is doing to advocate for the profession!

Point of Care Ultrasound Usage in Colorado Survey 

Miles Henson PA-S3
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program

This survey is designed to obtain information about the use of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) by PAs in Colorado, what settings it is used in most frequently and how providers obtained skills in POCUS. The information obtained from the survey will be used as part of a capstone research project. All information is anonymous, and your participation is greatly appreciated!

Click here to access the survey.

Colorado's COVID Vaccine Plan

Make sure you are staying up to date.  Click here to see the latest information.