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News:

Rule Change/Proposed Regulations by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners; Potential Restrictions for Physicians and Physician Assistants
Click here to read the latest news: Legislative Committee News

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In the spotlight: Two LA PA's get CAQ recognition: Congratulations to Cal Domingue & Barry Lane Frederick

CONGRATULATIONS to Jennifer Angelo PA-C for her selection as Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants

URGENT!!!

YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR HB 1025

There is proposed legislation currently working its way through the Louisiana legislative process that would allow PA’s (as well as podiatrists and medical psychologists) to utilize the Physician’s Health Program of Louisiana. The Physician’s Health Program allows physicians, with certain conditions such as substance abuse or psychiatric problems, to self-report, on a confidential basis, and receive treatment and counseling for their condition. This process usually involves an inpatient treatment program and, for substance abuse, an additional ongoing monitoring program for 5+ years. The benefit of participation is the physician assistant can seek assistance for their condition, and if they follow the prescribed program of treatment and monitoring, without evidence of relapse, the event goes unreported publically, and no punitive measures are taken against their license. Currently, PA’s must self-report or be reported to the Board, which in turn takes public punitive action as well as generally prescribing a similar treatment and monitoring program.

For physician assistants, podiatrists, and medical psychologists, the program will be called the Allied Practitioner’s Health Program. Our inclusion in the program will add an annual $25 administrative cost to the licensure fee structure, making the initial fee $275 and $175 for renewals. Personal utilization of the program would require the participant to pay out-of-pocket for their treatment and ongoing monitoring (unless covered by their health insurance policy).

HB 1025 (authored by Representative J. Rogers Pope of Livingston) was heard in the House Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday, April 04, 2012 and passed favorably to the floor for consideration. If it is passed by the House, it will then travel to the Senate side. There is no definite date for hearing on the House floor, though it now appears on their agenda.

This is an issue the Board of Director’s of the Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants and the LSBME Physician Assistant Advisory Committee has been recommending and pursuing for the last 5 – 10 years. Therefore, both the LAPA Board and Advisory Committee are fully supporting the legislation. While cognizant of the additional fee, both bodies realize full and active participation offers a confidential method for PA’s to seek the help they may truly need, while avoiding public embarrassment and punitive measures taken against their license. This is a benefit that far outweighs the annual $25 administrative cost.

Your Representative needs to hear from you regarding this bill! You are urged to contact your local Representative, by phone, and register personal support for the bill, followed by a letter of support. When the bill moves to the Senate side, LAPA will update you and provide further instruction. The bill’s text is listed below as a convenience for you. Rep. Pope can be emailed at poper@legis.la.gov, or via his office number of (225) 667-3588. Please see LAPA’s website for helpful advice on how to locate and communicate with your local Representative and Senator. If you have any questions regarding your understanding of the program itself, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at: kbetzi@bellsouth.net

Kenneth W. Betzing, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Chairman, LSBME PA Advisory Committee

CLICK HERE TO SEE PROPOSED BILL 

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NEWS FROM NCCPA

10-Year Certification Maintenance Cycle and New CME Requirements Coming Soon

Beginning in 2014, certified physician assistants will transition to a 10-year certification maintenance cycle, a change from the current six-year certification maintenance and retesting requirement that has been in effect since recertification was first introduced in 1981.

That change is accompanied by the institution of new, more specific continuing medical education (CME) requirements: 20 of the 50 Category I CME credits certified PAs are already required to obtain every two years must be earned through self-assessment CME or performance improvement CME (PI-CME).

PAs who pass PANCE or PANRE in 2014 will be the first to move to the new certification maintenance process. Others will transition to the new 10-year cycle over the following five years as they recertify.

CLICK HERE to watch the NCCPA information video

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