Membership Openings, Next Meeting:

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Dear partners,

The next meeting of the Opioid Restitution Fund (ORF) Advisory Council will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, from 10–11 am. This meeting will feature an important presentation by Secretary of Health Laura Herrera Scott.

Visit StopOverdose.maryland.gov/ORF for details on how to tune in.

Council Vacancies

The ORF Advisory Council is accepting applications to fill two membership vacancies. The council was established in 2022, and it is responsible for compiling recommendations for using prescription opioid-related legal settlement funds in Maryland.

The ORF Advisory Council is required to have broad representation from individuals with diverse backgrounds. You can read more about the responsibilities of the council and its membership requirements at StopOverdose.maryland.gov/ORF.

Governor’s Appointment: An individual who represents a community-based opioid treatment program.

*To apply for this vacancy, please complete the online application through the Governor’s Appointments Office: https://md.accessgov.com/governors-office/Forms/Page/v2/profile/1

Secretary of Health Appointment: An individual who is a family member of an individual who has experienced an overdose.

*To apply for this vacancy, please complete the online application through the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Appointments and Executive Nominations: https://mdhappointments.health.maryland.gov/BoardAppointments//Vacancies/IntakeForm/?board=Opioid%20Restitution%20Fund%20Advisory%20Council&boardid=0018y000005s6s0AAA

Questions or public comment should be sent by email to Stop.Overdose@maryland.gov.

Sincerely,

Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response

We are so proud of Maryland PA student Isaac Esene, who is the founder of GoodWorks, a nonprofit that trains young people in CPR, Stop the Bleed techniques, and other life-saving emergency response skills. Read more about his mission: https://bit.ly/3Q6JK03 #PAsGoBeyond

  

Board Certified PAs are critical to ensuring high quality, accessible health care. Learn about grants for PAs, PA students, PA educational programs, and PA organizations. The first five grants below are reviewed year-round as received, so apply when ready.

Review the full flyer.

Calling All Maryland Physician Assistants: Volunteer with MAPA!

 

We are currently seeking enthusiastic and committed individuals for several volunteer roles with the Maryland Academy of PAs!  Whether you're a seasoned PA with years of experience or a fresh voice eager to contribute, we welcome you to join our team!

 

As a member-driven organization, MAPA relies on the expertise and dedication of its board members to lead initiatives, advocate for PA interests, and foster professional development opportunities. Contact Jennifer Barnett at vicepresident@mdapa.org for questions.

Nominations for positions are Due by May 1, 2024.

 

Where can you fit?

• President Elect (three year term)
• Vice President (one year term)
• Treasurer (2 years term)
• Directors at Large (2 year term)
• • CME Committee
  • Legislative Committee
  • Membership
  • Public Relations
  • Communication
• Regional Directors (2 year term)
• • Western
  • Southern
  • Eastern
• Delegate to the AAPA (1 year term)

5 delegates and two alternates.

 

Why volunteer with MAPA, you ask?

 

Collaborative Environment: Work alongside fellow PAs and healthcare leaders in a supportive environment dedicated to advancing our profession.

 

Shape the Future: Drive positive change and advocate for the needs of PAs in Maryland. This includes advocating for legislative changes, promoting the role of PAs in healthcare delivery, and increasing awareness about the value that PAs bring to patient care.

 

Professional Growth: Volunteers gain leadership experience, enhance their communication and collaboration skills, and expand their network of colleagues and mentors within the healthcare industry.

 

Community Impact: Make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and healthcare providers across the state. Whether it's through educational programs, outreach initiatives, or advocacy campaigns, board members have the opportunity to improve access to quality healthcare and address key healthcare challenges facing our profession.

 

Personal Fulfillment: Serving on our team can be personally rewarding for PAs who are passionate about giving back to their profession and making a difference in the lives of patients and colleagues. Knowing that their contributions are helping to shape the future of the PA profession and improve healthcare in Maryland can bring a sense of fulfillment and pride.

 

Time Commitment:  Depends on the role you fill.  Basic requirements are 75% of quarterly Board meetings held virtually (less than 2 hours)  and yearly conference in person in September. Preparing for meetings and checking emails regularly of a few hours a month with flexible time convenient for you.

 

Overall, volunteering for the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants Board of Directors is a unique opportunity for PAs to contribute their skills, expertise, and passion to advance their profession and make a positive impact on healthcare in their community.

 

How to Apply:

To learn more about the available positions, please visit our website www.mdapa.org or contact Jennifer Barnett, Vice President at vicepresident@mdapa.org. Nominations for positions are Due by May 1, 2024.

 

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of physician assistants in Maryland. Join us in our mission to elevate the PA profession and improve healthcare for all!

I am pleased to share that our project was awarded the grant and we have gotten started on our workplan. The focus of our activities for this new award will be to further our efforts in training, technical assistance, and telemental health. As a part of our plans, we are to form a Project Advisory Committee (PAC) which will include representatives from various stakeholders across Maryland who will provide input and feedback on our initiatives. Our goal is to ensure that the services and projects we are working on are in line with the needs and preferences of stakeholders.

I’m writing as we would appreciate your recommendation of 1-3 members of the Physician Assistants in Maryland that would be interested in serving on the PAC. If possible, we would love to have members who represent different regions/communities (e.g., Eastern Shore vs Western MD, urban vs rural practice settings). It is a volunteer position and meetings will be held quarterly. Once we have a group of interested folks, we will be polling the potential members about their schedule availability so that we can propose a day and time that works for the majority.

For more information on this project or to volunteer, reach out to:

Meghan Crosby Budinger, LCPC 

Program Director, Maryland BHIPP

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

University of Maryland School of Medicine

737 W. Lombard St.

Baltimore, MD 21201

mcrosbybudinger@som.umaryland.edu

Public experience with and perspectives on medical care provided by PAs

New research presented in JAPA.  Read it now!

Objective: 

We sought to assess public experiences with and perspectives about physician associates/assistants (PAs), who are taking on increasingly important roles in healthcare.

Methods: 

We conducted a survey using a Qualtrics panel assessing whether participants (N = 1,388) received care from PAs, their perceptions of the care received, and their intentions of seeking care from PAs in the future.

Results: 

About 67% of participants reported receiving care from PAs; 61.7% believed PAs have more time to communicate with patients. Most respondents were satisfied with the care received, said they were likely to see a PA again, and recommended PAs. Of those not treated by PAs, 30.6% were willing to receive care from PAs, 43.8% were willing to receive care from PAs for minor medical needs, 21.3% were unsure, and 4.3% were unwilling. Older participants and those with more education had consistently more favorable views.

Cardiovascular health inequities are experienced among cisgender women, gender minorities, Black and Indigenous people, and people with lower socioeconomic status. Early identification and treatment of patients at risk for disparate and adverse cardiac health outcomes are essential. 

Read the whole article.

Effective December 29, 2022, the DATA 2000 waiver is no longer required to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Only a DEA number is needed. The removal of the x-waiver makes it easier for prescribers to provide life-saving treatment for opioid use disorder. In this video, MACS consultants and addiction medicine experts, Drs. Sarah Kattakuzhy and Michael Fingerhood share how MACS can support healthcare practitioners and their practices in providing buprenorphine and other office-based services for substance use disorders.

https://www.marylandmacs.org/MAT--MATE-Acts/Expanding-Access-to-Buprenorphine/

Taken our Virtual Pharmacology Conference? If you need a refresher on how to upload your credits, NCCPA has created this flyer to help.

Cultivate clinical, educational and leadership skills and knowledge, while earning qualifications and credentials to advance your career as a PA. The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s 60-credit Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) for PAs provides experienced PAs the flexibility to enhance their knowledge holistically and focus on a topic of their interest. Possible areas of focus include palliative care, global health, intercultural leadership, health professions education, geriatrics/thanatology, integrative health  or health informatics, choose to study in your preferred area of interest.

The majority of core, didactic and elective coursework will take place online while clinical, impact lab and capstone coursework will include in-person engagement. To reward ongoing preceptorship and encourage PAs currently not precepting, UMB offers a 20% tuition waiver DMSc students who commit to precepting PA students from our Maryland PA Programs.

Join faculty for an information session this spring or click here to learn more about the DMSc UMB.  Download a flyer!