VAPA Position Paper--Assistant Physician Smooth Draft

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VAPA Position Paper--Assistant Physician Smooth Draft

VAPA Position Paper Standardization of Licensure Requirements for Health Professionals to Assure Public Protection and Transparency On 10 July 2014 Missouri's Governor signed into law authorization for the Missouri Board of Healing Arts to license medical school graduates who have completed Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) as "assistant physicians" and to promulgate rules pertaining thereto. This act allows certain medical school graduates who have passed Steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE but not yet successfully passed USMLE Step 3, to obtain an assistant physician license in order to enter into an "assistant physician collaborative practice arrangement" with a licensed physician. The arrangement is designed to meet care gaps and provider shortages in rural and underserved areas. As a Constituent Organization, VAPA adheres to AAPA's Guidelines for the Ethical Conduct for the PA Profession, which dictates that "Physician Assistants hold as their primary responsibility the health, safety, welfare, and dignity of all human beings." Creating new professional categories to satisfy the needs of a few is in opposition of standardized licensure that serves to protect the general public, and limits the transparency that patients deserve. These providers would be allowed to identify themselves as doctors, not requiring clarification of the position for which they hold a license. Those who do identify as Assistant Physician would potentially provide misperception of their provider role. On 30 September 2014, leadership from the Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants and other stakeholders from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia attended an ad hoc workgroup to evaluate the efficacy of similar legislation. The group opposed creation of special licensing pathway at this time. The Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants opposes any effort to license medical school graduates who have not completed the requirements for physician licensure as "assistant physicians." VAPA is concerned with the negative consequences of the assistant physician model; which includes but is not limited to: the potential to confuse patients, health systems, payers, and other health care providers. In December 2014, the American Academy of Physician Assistants published a Position Paper Support of Standardized Licensure Requirements for Health Professionals to Assure Public Protection and Transparency. This paper addresses concerns for the safety of the public and the expected transparency of licensure, and opposes the efforts to license "assistant physicians". The Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants supports their position in total, and adopts the same position. RESOLVED, that the Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants oppose special licensing pathways for medical school graduates who have not completed the requirements for physician licensure .

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