The Momentum is Building

The past year has been an exciting one for RIAPA.  After a low point only a few short years ago, when the organization was almost disbanded, we have now rebounded to a membership of over 80 PAs.  Under the leadership of Past President Patty Lynch-Gadaleta, with the assistance of the entire board, we have been growing stronger than ever and building on this momentum to continue to gain numbers, strength and knowledge.   Hopefully our goals are your goals.  We want to keep abreast of the changing regulatory climate in RI to make sure that PAs are treated fairly with respect to reimbursement and other legislative issues.  This is made easier by the tireless work of our own Jim Carney who is chair of the national Government Affairs and Reimbursement Committee of AAPA.  He has put out many fires here in RI and has been on top of several pieces of legislation that might have adversely affected PAs if not for his diligence.  What else does RIAPA do for you?

• We are trying to raise public awareness of the PA profession.   To this end we have participated in health fairs and other wellness related activities as well as actively promoting PAs during PA week.  
• We keep you updated about current job opportunities through our periodic e-mail blasts. 
• We’ll be bringing you more CME events. 
• We work hard to get our members at least 2 newsletters per year highlighting RIAPA activities, job opportunities and legislative/regulatory news that is of importance. 
• We’re profiling an outstanding RIAPA member in each newsletter so we get to know a bit about each other. 
• We have been holding our annual meeting each spring.  This has been a great time to reconnect with old friends and to communicate with other PAs in the state.    
• We’re considering hiring a lobbyist to represent our interests at the state house. 
• We continue to utilize the resources available to us as a constituent chapter of AAPA to strengthen our organization. 
• Last year we sent 2 delegates to the annual AAPA meeting and submitted 2 resolutions to the HOD. 
• We work closely with the RI Medical Society to stay informed of emerging issues relevant to PAs. 

 There will continue to be challenges to meet as health care reform comes to the forefront.  PAs are ideally suited to help solve some of the problems facing the health care system and we must continue to be advocates for our profession.  That is where you come in.  There is strength in numbers and we are thrilled that so many of you have joined us over the past year.  The future looks bright but we can not be complacent.  We need to come together to work on the issues that are important to us all.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  I thank all of you for your support of RIAPA and look forward to connecting with more of you during the upcoming year.
 
Erin Sharaf PA-C
President RIAPA