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DIAGNOSIS:
We just had our Board of Directors meeting this past weekend, February 21st, at the FAPA Winter Conference. I learned a couple of disturbing things. First, there are 3,158 licensed PAs in the state of Florida at this time. That is good most of you would say, however, when we see that only 1,058 are Fellow Members of the Academy that is very disturbing to me.
And I learned of three pending legislative issues that may be very detrimental to the PA profession not only here in Florida but across the nation. There is still a small group of dermatologists who are pushing their agenda and they have the money and the political influence to possibly be successful despite all our efforts. There is now a push by a Family Practice group to change the law to require supervising physicians to be onsite in the office a specific percentage of time each week. This could be very detrimental to many of us, and even cost some of us our positions if doctors cannot meet the time requirements that may be put in the law.
And lastly, we are facing the foreign medical graduate issue again. It seems they are growing in number and have some sympathetic legislators from South Florida who feel the need to do something to help this large group of financially influential and vocal unlicensed medical graduates no matter what, or how detrimental it would be to the health of Florida citizens that licensing them without proper testing could prove to be. So do I have your attention now? I could write for hours on this issue alone.
One of the nice things about being Past President, besides not getting twenty to thirty emails a day and five or more phone calls a day is being a lame duck Board member. I can say what I think needs to be said (within reason). What are they going to do, fire me? But then not being a lame duck has never stopped me before as I know some of you are thinking. I will tell you that I will not apologize for the tone of this article now or in the future. So sit back and read this article – all of it, please.
I have been involved in PA politics since 1981 when I was President of the Naval Association and in Florida since 1988 in various leadership positions every year, except for a one year sabbatical in 1998 to regain my sanity. So I have earned the right to speak my voice and give you my opinion. What I am going to say is directed at the PAs in Florida, but it could be applicable to any state from what I hear from my out of state colleagues. In fact several other organizations have used my previous article in their organizations to help stimulate membership drives.
So we have 3,158 PAs licensed in Florida, and 1,058 are Academy members. Some folks may feel that a 33% membership rate among Fellow PAs is acceptable in a chapter. I do not when I consider all that we are facing and all that needs to be done. But I am not so unrealistic to think that we will ever have 100% participation. I do think that a 75-80% goal is attainable, but we should work toward that 100% mark.
In Florida we have a core group of FAPA members and leaders of about 75 folks who do the majority of the work of this Academy. Most of us in this group have been around for a while and many have a great deal of experience in the political side of the house. That is better than most states, but not good enough in my opinion. Acceptable levels may be okay in some states but not here and we should always be looking to be better, be above average. Yes, you may see many of our names around all the time and wearing several hats in the organization but that is because no one else is willing to step up to the plate and participate. Two thirds of the PAs in this state won’t even join the Academy, let alone get off their gluteus maximus and do anything! It really hyperexomicturates me. Look that one up in your Dorlands.
We hear comments all the time about having only one person to run for an office in FAPA, and never having people oppose each other for a position. And I still hear comments about the good ole’ boy network. And I still get angry when I hear it. There is no good ole’ boy network period. What we have are dedicated folks who are willing to give at great personal sacrifice of their time, effort, personal commitment and financial means to see that the PA profession in Florida is protected. These people are wise enough to understand that if we do not take care of business ourselves that there are hundreds out there who would be more than willing to do it for us and not in the manner that would be beneficial to our profession. So year after year we have the same 2-3 percent of people doing the work for the other 97% of you who do nothing. The reason is still pathetic apathy on the part of most of you and like any other condition untreated, it will become chronic condition and a way of life for you. The excuses I have heard for years are “I just don’t have the time”, “I don’t have the experience”, “I don’t know how to do that kind of stuff”, “I can’t get time off”, “I can’t take the time away from my family”, “I cannot afford it financially”, etc, etc. These excuses are all just a bunch of bull_____. Plain and simple.
67% of the licensed PAs in this state are willing to sit back and do nothing and reap the benefits of the 33% of PAs who have Academy membership. They won’t even give us the financial support by being members. And 97% of the Fellow Academy members sit back and do mostly nothing for the Academy – but at least they pay the dues each year which is something, and something is better than nothing. And one comment I hear occasionally is, “Well what has the Academy done for me? “ Don’t even go there with me on that one. Look at the Academy Milestones in the Members Only section just to see what this Academy has done and continues to do for the PA profession in Florida. Need I mention prescription privileges, reimbursement, PA Council, negative formulary, and providing state required CME courses, just to mention a couple of things that would not have happened had it not been for FAPA.
The Chair of the Elections and Nominations Committee is struggling again this year to find people willing to run for office, but that is no different than other years. We may have offices and positions that go unfilled this year. For a chapter our size and with the membership that we have and potentially have, that is absolutely appalling. I ran for President elect three years ago because there was no one else that was willing to do so. I have been running the website for five years because no one else wants to step forward and be responsible enough to commit the time and effort it takes. And God knows there are young PAs out there who are much more computer and web literate than I. I have used my vacation time for years to do FAPA commitments. But I am no different or more special in this respect than the other Board members and Committee chairs who have been doing this job or that job for several years. We do it because we care and are committed to our profession. It is that simple. There is no financial reward for what we do believe me. In fact, most of us lose money when you consider we take personal days or vacation days to do FAPA commitments. I do get the personal satisfaction of knowing that I have made a contribution, and that makes it worthwhile to me along with the occasional sincere thank you I get from an appreciative FAPA member.
As you read the next few paragraphs each of you really should do some serious self evaluation in regards to your contributions to the Academy and YOUR profession.
If you were not a PA where would you and your family be financially right now? For the vast majority of us I know that we would not be a financially well off as you are as a PA. Would you be able to afford the beautiful home that you live in, the nice car you drive, the hot tub you soak in at home or the spa you joined, take the nice summer vacation that you do occasionally, but that big screen television or that nice set of golf clubs, make the investments that you do, plan for the kids college, and the list could go on and on. And you can do this because you are financially capable of doing so, and have earned it. Getting to where we are in life for most of us was not an easy road. Count your blessings. When are you going to start making a “professional tithe?” And yes, you do owe the profession something for the position you are in now.
Where would you be professionally if you were not a PA? Would you be as happy in your work? Would you feel good about what you do? Would you wake up each morning looking forward to going to work? Would you get that warm feeling inside when a patient hugs you and tells you thanks for what you did for them? Would you feel the personal pride that I hope each of you feel in being a member of this profession?
So what have you done for your profession?
This next year will be another crucial year for us in Tallahassee. I know we say that each year but it seems that we always have some group or groups trying to undo the good that we have done and this year will be no different. We are not making this stuff up you know. Each and every PA in this states needs the Academy to be doing what it is doing and more. If we do not look out for ourselves, no one else will.
So here is what you need to do.
As I have said before and will probably have to say again in the future, “If you do not participate, then you have no right to complain about the course of actions that the elected officials see fit to take in behalf of this profession.”
Sometimes the truth hurts and for many of you this has been uncomfortable reading. But I said what I think needs to be said - again. Remember, there is only about a two foot difference between a pat on the back and kick in the behind. Which do you deserve?
Comments? Send them to me. Call me, write me or email me. My contact information is on the website in the Who’s Who section on the Board of Directors page.
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