[NPInfo] My Reply........To Shelby

[mmhelgert46 at comcast.net]

OK.....we need to have this dialogue ....Physician Assistants must have a physician at arms length( either by phone or in the building) So says the Board of Medicine in each and every state ....I don't see any other way around this one....NP's in various states need a variety of similar settings called preceptors, physician consultants...and other combinations of these types of practices. Some states are very independent...such as Oregon (my state)

My question will always be...what are we doing that makes us different, unique and stand apart ?...what's the niche we fill?  and what we are doing about making this happen. It still makes little difference if physicians are "at the top of the food chain"...this is not my concern...my concern is what are we doing to set ourselves apart from this? this is the task that faces us right now...this point in history when health care is in shambles...it is a perfect opportunity to make it happen for all of us.......not continue discussing physicians.......what makes us different then they are?...if we can't even figure this out...we're doomed. The dialogue cannot continue along the lines of "we are cheaper"...that's old  and it doesn't quite describe us....money should never be in the description........

This is the part...where it gets really tough...'cuz I'm describing a professional...and that brings up the DNP program and  that whole issue..........which is the future......and this is where we take our rightful place shoulder to shoulder with all other professionals....such as lawyers, physicians, CPA...to name a few......we set the standards, describe educationally what we need, we provide the statements that the public must see...and this must happen so we don't go the way of the dinosaurs...Meg