[NPInfo] Another Medical Society Jab at NPs and PAs

[David Mittman]

In today¹s san Diego Union and my response.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20071107-9999-1n7clinics.html

Dear Editor:
I read the concerns of Tom Gehring, CEO of the San Diego County Medical
Society
regarding the retail based clinics opening in the area published in Union
Tribune
on November 7, 2007. I take umbrage with the comments
ascribed to Mr. Ghering as they are unfair and unsubstantiated by any
medical evidence. 
A representative of a medical organization should know better.
He states; ""the person providing the care should know their limitations².
One would think that would be something that all clinicians should do, why
limit it
to NPs and PAs? While I agree that any competent practitioner can miss
something, why would
he choose these two professional groups to point this out about, and not
also his
own? There are close to 180,000 nurse practitioners and physician assistants
practicing all across the USA. Many of us are in satellite
clinics, many of us are in rural and poor neighborhoods, and we are not
missing problems that are much more complex than seen at these retail
clinics. There are PAs and NPs in Iraq and Afghanistan doing complex trauma
care and saving lives daily.  A PA was just awarded  ³Army Flight Surgeon of
the Year². 
That PA practices excellent medicine. NPs and PAs can handle the problems
seen in these clinics, believe
me. Furthermore all of these clinics have strong physician involvement.
Our emergency medicine system is in crisis. It is time someone else tried a
new approach to treating these types of problems. You do not need a doc to
give shots, treat pink eye, swimmers ear and test for pregnancy.
And to finish his remarks with the quote² If you want to be a doctor, go to
medical school² is 
undeserved and out of context. All of these clinicians are doing what is
within their training and scope of practice.
All of them were trained to do this. This is not about wanting to be a
doctor.
Mr. Ghering if you really think we are not trained well enough to do this,
show us the studies that prove it. There are none. I wonder what the real
concern here is is?
With true respect,
David Mittman, PA
Secretary.
American College of Clinicians
Natick, MA