[NPInfo] News: NP/PA Section of the Americn Headache Society.

Thu Aug 28 11:05:22 PDT 2008

David, You are correct, this is a very big deal. Thanks for keeping us updated. Dr. Margaret A. Fitzgerald, DNP, FNP-BC, NP-C, FAANP, CSP President, Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc. 85 Flagship Drive North Andover, MA 01845-6154 978.794.8366 FHEA website www.fhea.com FHEA on line store www.fhea.biz peg at fhea.com
FNP, Adjunct Faculty, Family Practice Residency Greater Lawrence (MA) Family Health Center, Inc.

> From: dmittman at advancedprac.com> To: acc-circle at listserve.com; paforum at mc.duke.edu; npinfo at nurse.net> Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:56:04 -0400> Subject: [NPInfo] News: NP/PA Section of the Americn Headache Society.> > First Newsletter: URL on the way.> > > NP/PA Special Interest Group of the American Headache> Society Edition One / September 2008> Boston is a city of history and many of America’s first. The first > public school was> established there in 1635 and America’s first college, Harvard, just a > year later. Even the> first subway in America was in Boston. On June 27th of this year was > another remarkable> first, the first meeting of the NP/PA Special Interest Group of the > American Headache> Society.> > The significance of this first is hard to overstate. This will be > noted as the leading step in> a long path for our professions and our contribution to headache > medicine. Nineteen> attended including Andrea Taylor (program coordinator of the AHS) who > kindly reported> the minutes from that meeting. Those minutes are available at our > Special Interest Group> website.> > At this present time NP/PA Section is fortunate to have a total of > forty members,> representing a broad spectrum of professional and educational > backgrounds. It will be> exciting working together in realizing our Interest Group’s goals.> > Recently the board of directors of the AHS announced that the > Strategic Plan’s Goals> from the coming years would include the following: Education, Patient > Advocacy,> Research, Practice Management, Organizational and Membership > Strategies & Patient> Education. In efforts to mirror the Society at large, the NP/PA group > has adopted our> specific goals and objectives:> > 1. Provide multidisciplinary participation in support of the mission > of the society to> include educational and patient care outcomes of persons with headache.> 2. Foster collaboration and collegial support for NPs and PAs who > provide care for> persons with headache to facilitate optimal outcomes and collaborative > care.> 3. Identify and explore common practice issues and educational needs > of NPs and> PAs to promote dialogue and optimal outcomes in persons with headache.> 4. Facilitate research efforts and practice models supporting a > multidisciplinary> approach to best practice models in headache.> > More specifically the section has future ambitions of encouraging > research about all> aspects of headache medicine, especially with NPs and PAs as lead > authors. We also> want to encourage research about the roles of NPs and PAs in headache > medicine> including patient management outcomes.> > The section anticipates sponsoring a pre-course at one of the major > meetings, either the> Scientific Meeting in 2010 or the Scottsdale Meeting in 2009. Topics > of such a pre-> course could be a comprehensive view of the diverse roles PAs and NPs > have in> headache medicine. This could include all aspects from how to hire > NPs and PAs, to> reimbursement issues, dependent and independent role models and > medical-legal issues> or our practice.> > The section wants to support the NPs and PAs presently in headache > practice and to> encourage others to enter this rewarding specialty. This would > include developing> training programs, fellowships and possibly quality assurance through > sub-specialty> board exams.> > Lastly the section wants to support the AHS by educating other members > about our> contributions thorough such activities as the pre-course and obtaining > full membership in> the society.> > With each newsletter we will have a Practice Spotlight on one of the > NP or PA practices.> On the next page is a spotlight on the practice of Eric Schuman, MPAS, > PA-C.> > Soon you will be receiving a survey so you can tell the section more > about yourselves and> how you want to be involved.> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> > Eric Schuman, MPAS,PA-C / Salem, Oregon> > > Unexpected Twist> > It was twelve years ago that my career took an unexpected, but > decisive turn. Having graduated> in 1975 from the Long Island University Physician Associate Program, I > worked in Family Practice> and HIV management at Kaiser Permanente in Salem, Oregon.> > As an editorial board member of the Journal of the American Academy of > Physician Assistants, in> 1996 I was asked to peer review a cover article titled "Headache: > Acute, Benign and Desperate."> Peer review is a double blind process, so neither the author nor I was > aware of the other's> identity. It was many years later when I met J. Michael Jones, a > headache specialist at the Mayo> Clinic and author of the article I had recommended for publication. > Mike is currently co-chair of> the NP/PA section of AHS.> > Headache held little interest for me prior to reviewing Mike's piece. > Afterwards, my interest in the> topic came to the attention of Kaiser's chief of neurology, who > offered me a position in his> department. Still less than enthusiastic, I agreed to a trial period > during which I would receive> training and supervision by a headache specialist while seeing a > limited number of patients.> > Before I knew it, headache had become my clinical passion. 12 years > after reviewing Mike's> article, I've had the privilege of lecturing over 100 audiences on > various headache topics. Like> many of my NP/PA colleagues, my audiences include MDs, NPs, PAs, RNs > and pharmacists.> > In my clinical work I perform consults on referral from primary care > providers and> specialists within the Kaiser system. I provide longitudinal care for > patients until they are> stabilized, when I ordinarily return them to their primary care > providers. I am fortunate to work> within a system where I have access to infusion centers throughout our > region> (Oregon/Washington), as well as services including physical therapy, a > specialized TMD clinic,> biofeedback and psychotherapy.> > In addition to treating patients in the departments of pediatric and > adult neurology, I serve as> an assistant professor at Oregon Health Science University PA Program. > I also teach advanced> efficiencies in use of the electronic medical record and online > resources for Kaiser Permanente's> Department of Medical Informatics.> > In my "other life," my partner and I help find homes for neglected and > abused golden retrievers> while volunteering for Golden Bond Rescue, an Oregon-Washington rescue > group. Between June> and October, we enjoy exploring the Pacific Northwest in our > fiberglass travel trailer -- a time we> believe there is no place more beautiful to visit.> Eric> > > _______________________________________________> NPInfo mailing list> NPInfo at nurse.net> http://lists.nurse.net/mailman/listinfo/npinfo> *****************************