July 2022 Pulse: What WAPA is Doing for You

Hello WAPA!

Summer is in full swing. I hope you are all enjoying the warmer weather and season’s festivities. WAPA had a busy spring. The Spring Conference was a big success! We had a total of 300 in-person and virtual attendees, hosted over 30 speakers, and offered 18.5 approved AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Special thanks to the CME Committee and the leadership of PA Amie Billstrom and PA Nicole Winchester for hosting a great event. The CME Committee is already back at it planning The Great Midwestern Conference, which will be held in Kohler, WI from October 26th to the 28th. Registration is now open!

I would be remised if I also didn’t mention a big upcoming change to WAPA conferences in 2023. The WAPA board recently approved transitioning hosting WAPA conference from bi-annual to annual. The intent was to consolidate efforts to one conference a year so we may have increased attendance for social networking events, additional educational opportunities and amenities through economy of scale, and decreased operational costs. The annual conference will be hosted in fall of 2023. In pursuing this new direction, WAPA is working with the student organizations and schools to ensure student attendance is feasible and the Challenge Bowl legacy remains. We are very excited about this transition as we believe it will give us more latitude in the future for an enhanced, engaging experience.

The conclusion of spring also means sharing the results of the WAPA Board Elections. I would like to extend a congratulations to our new members of the board and a heartfelt thank you to those who are concluding their terms on July 1:

Executive Committee

President: Roger Lovelace
President-Elect: Saul Hernandez
Secretary-Treasurer: Jen Mahaffey
Immediate Past-President: Jamie Silkey

Regional Directors

Western Region: Jennifer Fassbinder
Southeastern Region: Grace Trecha
Southwestern Region: Paula Cynkar
Northern Region: Kelsey Hansen
Eastern Region: TBA

Student Liaison Committee Representative

Brittney Anhalt
Sadie Siarkiewicz

HOD 2023

Chief Delegate: Stephanie Ludtke
Delegates:

Erika Basse
Saul Hernandez (President-Elect)
Roger Lovelace
Amy Parins
A. Miranda Spindt

As summer continues, there are many things on the horizon for WAPA and PAs in our state. Act 23, which went into effect on April 1, 2022, is likely creating questions locally as employers and PAs navigate the new regulations. WAPA’s APP Leadership Coalition has been hard at work developing a model collaborative agreement. WAPA resources on ACT 23, including a panel discussion from the spring conference, will be posted HERE. The new PA board did pass emergency rules as part of their obligation and WAPA will continue to work with them as new rules are drafted.

In addition to monitoring the new PA board, there may be many questions about name change. Recently, AAPA completed the process to formally change the organization’s name to American Academy of Physician Associates. As a constituency organization, WAPA will be following suit in changing the organization’s name to Wisconsin Academy of Physician Associates. We are starting the process by updating all our bylaws, policies and procedures including the organization's articles of incorporation. We hope to have additional information and updates at the Annual Membership Meeting to be held this fall.

As always, thank you all for your support of WAPA through your membership. Our volunteers are hard at work making a difference for PAs in Wisconsin. If you would like to participate, check out our committees!

SAVE THE DATE!
The 2022 Great Midwestern Medical Conference
October 26-28, 2022

Advanced practice providers lead the way in patient-centered care by diagnosing illnesses, developing and managing treatment plans and educating on the next generation of healthcare. Conference attendees can book their own hotel room by calling and making reservations directly with The American Club's Reservation Department at 866-754-8323. Please reference reservation #8392WF and let them know you are part of the group block under the name of Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants.

Attendees can stay at The American Club ($190) or Inn on Woodlake ($137).

The Drug Abuse Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) specifies training necessary for prescribers to obtain a waiver to engage in office‐based treatment of opioid use disorders with buprenorphine. This course addresses those requirements and covers all evidence-based practices and medications for treating patients with opioid use disorder. The ASAM Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Course is designed for:

Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and healthcare team members working with patients with opioid use disorder.
Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who wish to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in oﬃce-based treatment of opioid use disorder.

What: TOUD Waiver Course

Who: Brought to you by Dr. Randall Brown, Project ECHO at the University of Wisconsin School of Public Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and colleagues

When: July 19th, 2022. 12:30pm-5pm

Where: Virtual

For more information, please contact Kathleen Maher, Outreach Coordinator at Kathleen.Maher@fammed.wisc.edu

Get Involved with WAPA through Committee Leadership

There are lots of ways to get involved with WAPA. Your volunteer hours are an investment into your professional longevity! Committee involvement offers members of the Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants the opportunity to directly contribute to the work of the Academy while interacting with fellow PA members who share common interests. Committee participation is a great way for members to network, share ideas and further WAPA’s initiatives. Contact one of WAPA's committee chairs and get involved, or email us at info@wapa.org if interested.

Run for office--every year WAPA elects a new Board that governs the vision and direction of WAPA. This includes a President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary-Treasurer, 5 Regional Representatives, and Student Board members. Interested? Contact one of the current Board members to talk more about the roles.

PAs play a vital role on healthcare teams across the country, including those that provide care to patients here in Wisconsin. PAs diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications and serve as a valuable resource for their patients. Not only do PAs deliver high-quality care, but they also make medical care more accessible and convenient to patients.

We are spotlighting certain WAPA members because of their advocacy and education efforts on behalf of their profession and the patients PAs serve. We are grateful for WAPA members' efforts to improve the quality, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered health care.

Know a Wisconsin PA who deserves to be spotlighted? Let us know!