03/11/2010

OAPA Newsletter and Membership Business Meeting Notice

In this Issue:

Comprehensive PA Bill Update
OAPA Holds First Annual Student Conference
2010 Pharmacology Conference
Notice of General Membership Meeting
Annual Conference Call for Committee Volunteers
Student Scholarships Awarded
Survey on Recertification and Specialty Credentialing

COMPREHENSIVE PA BILL UPDATE

A comprehensive PA bill has been drafted and OAPA has found a sponsor. The legislation will strengthen PA practice in Ohio by allowing PAs to pronounce death, giving PAs immunity when providing emergency services, allowing PAs to provide medical services outside their supervisory plan in a time of disaster, eliminating the prescriptive authority provisional period for PAs moving in from out-of-state (providing they have had prescriptive authority in another jurisdiction), specifying Medicaid reimbursement for PAs at 100%, clarifying that PAs can give physical therapy and occupational therapy orders and giving PAs Schedule II prescriptive authority.

OAPA is currently contacting physician and other organizations to arrange meetings to discuss the legislation and solicit their support.

Once the bill is introduced, hopefully this spring, you will be asked to contact your legislators to encourage them to support it.

OAPA HOLDS FIRST ANNUAL STUDENT CONFERENCE

The first annual OAPA Student Professional Development Conference was held in Columbus at the end of February. 176 students attended the two day conference and all six programs were well represented.

Friday night dinner offered an opportunity for students from the various programs to meet each other. This was followed by a Medical Challenge Bowl that included four teams with the University of Toledo program being the winner.

The educational portion of the conference began on Saturday with a presentation by the Ohio State Medical Board and a panel on various specialties. After lunch there was a first year track with sessions on technology in clinical practice and preceptor expectations. Second year students heard sessions on licensure procedures, interviewing and contracts and negotiations.

The conference was very well received by the students and planning will begin later this year for the second annual Student Professional Development Conference in 2011.

2010 PHARMACOLOGY CONFERENCE

April 16-17, 2010
Sheraton Suites, Cuyahoga Falls

Complete information on the agenda and registration is located on the OAPA website at www.ohiopa.com or by calling the OAPA office (800/292-4997).

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OAPA is applying for 14 CME credits (12 pharmacology, 2 Category I). Total number of approved hours yet to be determined.

Full Conference:
OAPA Member $225
Non-Member $325
OAPA Student Member $25
Non-Member Student $40
Daily Rates also available

Sheraton Suites
1989 Front Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
330/929-3000

Hotel Room Rates: $114.00. Hotel Registration Deadline is March 20, 2010.

OAPA NOTICE OF GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Friday, April 16, 2010
12:30 1:30 PM

Sheraton Suites
1989 Front Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
330/929-3000

The agenda will include nominations and slate of candidates, an update on Association activities and legislation. Any member having a question or wishing to place an issue on the agenda should contact Beth Adamson at the OAPA office.

You do NOT have to be registered for the Pharmacology Conference to attend the Business Meeting.

The meeting will be held during lunch. If you are NOT attending the conference and would like to have lunch, there is a $25.00 charge to cover your meal, payable at the door. Please RSVP by April 5, 2010 to the OAPA office (800/292-4997 or oapa@ohiopa.com).

If you are registered for the conference, your lunch is included in the fee and you do not have to RSVP.

Seating will be available for those who want to attend the meeting but NOT have lunch. No RSVP is required.

2010 ANNUAL CONFERENCE CALL FOR COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS

The 2010 OAPA Annual Conference will be held on November 5-7, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel in Columbus. We would like to begin planning the program and are seeking volunteers to be on the planning committee. OAPA offers a free conference registration to 7 members of the committee to encourage participation from all 7 regions.

The committee will meet by conference call and it will develop a theme and identify topics and speakers. The OAPA office will handle all the registration and hotel details as well as confirmation follow up with the speakers.

The 2009 Annual Conference had all PA speakers and this was very well received. The option to again have all PA speakers will be discussed by the committee.

Please contact the OAPA office (800/292-4997 or oapa@ohiopa.com) if you are interested in serving on the committee. A conference call will be scheduled for later on in March.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

President-Elect Doug Eulberg announced the 2010 scholarship award winners at the recent student conference. OAPA awards one $1000 scholarship to a student from each of the six programs and an additional leadership scholarship that is funded by the members of the Past Presidents Council. Students must submit an application and a subcommittee of the Past Presidents Council selects the recipients.

The general scholarship awards went to students Lauren Brickwood (Mt. Union), Sharmi Galani (Tri-C), Elizabeth Menez (Marietta) and Dave Nickell (KCMA). Jamie Serenko (Mt. Union) received the Past Presidents Leadership Scholarship award.

Congratulations to the 2010 scholarship award winners.

SURVEY ON RECERTIFICATION AND SPECIALTY CREDENTIALING

A resolution was proposed to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) House of Delegates to suggest modification of the current recertification process. Key aspects of this resolution include extending the recertification exam cycle and eliminating end pointing, thereby allowing unlimited attempts. Little is known about the opinions of practicing PAs regarding this topic of recertification and also on the issue of specialty credentialing.

The Medical University of South Carolina, the South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants and a group of MUSC PA students will be collecting data, analyzing it and hope to present the findings at the AAPA conference in May of 2010.

A short survey has been approved by the MUSC Institutional Review Board and should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept confidential and are greatly appreciated.

Information and Survey Link

NCCPA Article