Dr. Rene Casanova Presented 2008 FAPA Physician Recognition Award

Dr. Rene Casanova is the recipient of the 2008 FAPA Physician Recognition Award, which was accepted by Immediate Past President Michael Funk on his behalf at the FAPA Summer Symposium. Mr. Funk was able to personally present the award, which he nominated Dr. Casanova for, in early October at his office.

Dr. Rene Casanova was born in Cuba and moved to the US when he was 5 years old. He is the first member of his family to graduate from college; his father did not graduate from elementary school. He likes to tell the story of being a boy in Cuba living in an adobe hut with no electricity or running water. He went to the University of Miami, medical school at Tufts and Emergency Medicine residency in Boston.

He owns several urgent care clinics in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties where he employs numerous PAs. He is a firm supporter of the physician supervised physician Assistant/physician team model to improve access to high quality medical care for patients.

In October 2006 Dr. Casanova spoke to the Florida Medical Association Council on Legislation requesting the FMA support legislation that would allow PAs to dispense medications, arguing that this would help doctors provide more and better care through the PAs they supervise and subsequently this legislation was passed into law.

Dispensing physicians who supervise dispensing PAs owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Casanova.

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