Pulse 2023: What WAPA is Doing for You

Hello fellow Wisconsin PAs,

I am writing my first of two President’s messages while on deployment in Africa. It is very hot here and I am told it isn’t even hot yet. Currently highs range from 90 to 95. It’s also very humid this time of year, but rarely rains. I want to touch on two items this month. The first is a legislative update, and the second is the upcoming WAPA election and volunteering for WAPA leadership.

Our Legislative and Government Affairs Committee has continued to stay busy. Stephanie Ludtke, LGA Co-Chair, was kind enough to provide an update of all things legislative, which I will attempt to summarize. Among the things LGA continues to do for Wisconsin PAs, is monitor the meetings of Medical Examining Board and the PA Affiliated Credentialing Board. Items discussed at the last MEB meeting include the following:

The MEB’s medical chaperone rule is currently with Governor Evers for review. If Governor Evers approves, the rule will head to the Legislature for review. If the rule goes into effect, it will require physicians and their employers to have a policy regarding medical chaperones and to make the policy readily available to effected patients.
The MEB has been creating a draft rule prepared by a workgroup to implement 2021 Wisconsin Act 158. This new law allows a recent Army medic, Navy or Coast Guard corpsman, or an Air Force aerospace medical technician, to practice certain skilled health services under supervision, and while working to obtain a regular license. Under the draft rule, the scope of practice for such former military personnel is akin to a licensed practical nurse. These former military personnel would be practicing under the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider. A PA under the law could serve as a supervisor. Final review of the draft rule is pending by MEB Chairperson Wasserman for submission to Governor Evers for his final review before the rule is referred to the legislature.
At a future meeting, the MEB will be discussing anticipated legislation allowing international medical graduates to practice in Wisconsin. WAPA has requested that potential authors include PAs who graduate from foreign medical schools to the legislation.

The PA Affiliated Credentialing Board updates are as follows:

The PA board has been working on permanent rules governing the profession for the last year. Those rules have been turned in to Governor Evers for review, and after the governor approves, the rules will head to the Legislature for approval. To give time for these reviews, the PA board asked for and received a 60 day extension to the emergency rules from the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

The PA Board tabled a discussion surrounding changing the profession name to Physician Associate because the member asking to discuss the subject was not there. R.J. Pirlot, on behalf of WAPA, noted we are discussing the matter internally but have not approached any legislator at this time. R.J. relayed WAPA's interest in future board discussions on the name change.

A member of the PA Board is going to begin meeting with a member of the MEB about expanding the Procedure for Professional (PAP), which currently is limited to helping health professionals with substance abuse issues. The expansion of the program will allow professionals to use it for mental health issues. The PA board would like a member of WAPA to be involved with these discussions. Any WAPA member interested in participating in discussions on expanding the PAP and representing WAPA, please reach out to our staff at info@wapa.org for more information.

This last PA board update is a perfect segue to my next topic. The WAPA leadership has been diligent for several months to identify future leaders. There has been varying levels of success. One area which has been difficult is finding members and current leaders alike to volunteer for board member positions. This is not taking away from a solid group of exceptional volunteers already working to further the PA profession in Wisconsin. I know a number of these dedicated individuals love helping without complaint, but a constituent representation organization like WAPA is only viable with a continual pool of willing volunteers. Your WAPA leadership does a number of things for PAs in Wisconsin and the profession as a whole. Examples include Act 23, which was a multiyear labor of love. Working on the CME conferences is a year-round endeavor. There are ongoing efforts monitoring the legislative environment for any issues effecting PAs. WAPA offers ANY Wisconsin PA the opportunity to ask professional practice questions. Though WAPA has a professional management company, all of these efforts have WAPA volunteer leaders’ involvement of some sort. Don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as your President, but this organization needs new ideas and a fresh prospective. This is why WAPA needs members interested in volunteering to please contact info@wapa.org. Alternatively, please reach out to any WAPA leader you know.

Wisconsin Blood Lead Testing Recommendation Survey

The Wisconsin Blood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is asking healthcare professionals for their thoughts on benefits and challenges in implementing different blood lead testing strategies. The survey will take about five minutes to complete. You can access the survey here: Blood Lead Testing Recommendation Survey for Healthcare Professionals

Please complete the survey by April 14th, 2023. Email the Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning prevention Program at DHSLeadPoisoningPrevention@dhs.wisconsin.gov if you have any questions.

Save Time, Money, and Stress for CME, Board Review or Both!

The Emory Review Program, now in its 31st year, consists of 48 hours of lectures and supplemental materials to refresh the learner's knowledge on a wide range of core medical problems and content. To benefit from this program, participants should have a broad base of primary care knowledge. Perfect for PAs and Advanced Practice Nurses including Family Nurse Practitioners.

When included with the 100-question CME exam, physician assistants can earn up to 80 hours of AAPA Category I Self-assessment CME, and this resource meets or exceeds the 100-hour two year CME requirement for PA recertification. A brief overview of Emory’s comprehensive clinical study program is available here.