News

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  • 20 Nov 2023 4:04 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Thank you all for rallying in opposition to the Alaska State Medical Board’s (ASMB) proposed PA regulation changes last month.  We had 163 unduplicated individual comments in opposition.  Those included 64 PAs, 25 MD/DOs, and 12 RN/NPs. 

    At the quarterly meeting on Friday, November 17th, PA Sarah Bigelow-Hood proposed that the PA regulation changes be tabled.  Her proposal also called for the SMB to form a new work group including ASMB members, AKAPA board members, and other public stakeholders to further discuss and identify new recommended changes for PA regulations.  Dr. Heilala seconded the motion and the board voted unanimously in favor. 

    AKAPA is grateful that the board took time to review all the oral and written comments.  Many took time out of their personal schedules to dive into how PAs are utilized in the Alaskan Healthcare system, proof that the system in place worked to stop these changes from moving forward without input from Alaskans. 

    We look forward to continuing modernization of PA practice in Alaska through our state regulations and statutes. 

  • 19 Jan 2023 3:23 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Earlier this month, members of the state legislature attended a small briefing with healthcare leadership that included the Alaska State Medical Association (ASMA). The ASMA executive director made misleading comments that indicated PAs and NPs provided costly services in the emergency room with poorer outcomes than physicians.  The individual referenced a report that has not peer-reviewed, PAs were not part of the sample, and limitations in the data were not considered. Legislators immediately, and in follow-up, expressed concern and requested clarification and provided counter data. Additionally, the Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association have expressed similar concerns. The AKAPA continues to promote a shared partnership amongst all our colleagues in healthcare and advancing PA practice.  AKAPA remains steadfast that all practitioners have a role in providing quality care in the state of Alaska. We encourage our professional organizations in the state to work together to improve healthcare and not work against each other by promoting disparaging information while our state is already encountering significant barriers to care and access.

    The work you do as a PA, for our patients, is significant.  Your commitment to this field is appreciated, and AKAPA will continue to strive to work for you in advancing our field and preventing limitations in the care we provide. We will continue to advance PA practice to accurately represent that PAs have the education, training, and experience to serve the patients of Alaska.  AKAPA is engaged and collaborating with our colleagues to promote PA practice.

  • 19 Jan 2023 3:20 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Dear AKAPA Current and Past Members,

    Greetings for 2023!  We hope the new year finds you enjoying Alaska in your most favorite ways.

    We have recently been made aware of a special Zoom meeting to be held by the Alaska State Medical Board on Thursday, February 2, 2023 from 4 to 6 pm.  The medical board will be discussing PA regulations.  

    As discussed at our annual meeting during the All-Alaska Medical Conference, our AKAPA legislative committee has participated in multiple working group meetings over the last year with both the State Medical Board and the Alaska State Medical Association.  We have been actively engaged in discussions for updating and modernizing our regulations to more accurately portray what we do as a profession in the unique state of Alaska. Further information on this can be found on our website here.  

    We would like to make a call for your Zoom attendance on February 2nd.  The strong attendance of Alaskan PAs at this meeting will demonstrate our commitment to updated and modernized PA regulations in Alaska.  We will not have the opportunity to speak at this special board meeting, and there will be no public comment session, but it will give us an opportunity to see where we are working from.  There will be a regularly scheduled quarterly Medical Board meeting on the 10th of February and we will have opportunity to give public comment at that time.

    Please feel free to reach out to any board members for more information.

    We appreciate your support and hard work as PAs in Alaska. 

    We look forward to seeing you at this meeting. 

    State Medical Board Special Meeting Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82156638845?pwd=REJYd1lUMzRkWU5yM2ZKOWUrL21DZz09

    Meeting ID: 821 5663 8845
    Passcode: 400913

    Sincerely, 

    AKAPA Board of Directors
    Jennifer Fayette, PA-C
    President, Board of Directors
    AKAPA
    (907) 891-1697
    jennyfayette@yahoo.com
    https://akapa.org

  • 21 Jun 2022 10:55 AM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    DHSS invites you to join us in a virtual session on Test-to-Treat options.  We will go over the latest information about COVID-19 therapeutics, testing, and vaccines.  

    Who: Clinicians, Public Health, Community Leaders, Hospitals, Pharmacists, Tribal Health Partners, Emergency Managers, EMS, and more!
    What: A virtual informational and Q&A session for Test-to-Treat in Alaska and other COVID-19 updates
    When: See  flyer  
    Where: See flyer for your regions link 
    Why: Our goal is to offer resources on COVID-19 therapeutics at the community level, and to share and understand local challenges, barriers, resources, and ultimately strengthen partnerships.

    We will go over:  

    • Detailed overview of current COVID-19 therapeutics options 
    • Who is considered high-risk, and who is eligible for outpatient treatment 
    • Who is eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis (Evusheld) 
    • Prescribing information and clinical considerations for treatments 
    • Barriers to increasing access to therapeutics, and strategies to overcome them 
    • The latest vaccine information 
    • The latest testing information 
    • Tools for the community and for clinicians 

    Before the session, please take a moment to look over the following: 

    1. Are you familiar with the EUAs and prescribing information for COVID-19 therapeutics?   
    1. Are the treatment site locator maps for your community accurate? Please review:  
    1. How is access to testing in your community?  Will that change in the coming months?  
    2. Is the public aware of treatment options, and what strategies would be most effective in your community to increase public awareness?
    For more information on COVID therapeutics, visit http://covidrx.alaska.gov 


  • 19 May 2022 9:18 AM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    In a partnership with the Alaska State Medical Association, Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association and many others your Alaska Academy of PAs helped advocate for the successful passage of House Bill 265 within the Alaska Legislature.  HB265 will ensure parity of telemedicine that includes PA service. HB265 will also ensure telemedicine can provide direct access to specialty care outside of Alaska via referral by Alaska providers. After a patient has established in person care, HB265 waives the requirement of in-person encounters to receive chronic medications that may be controlled. AKAPA has been advocating for our profession and expanding access. Your membership and commitment to Alaska PAs help continue this effort.  Thank you from the AKAPA Executive Board. 

  • 17 May 2022 9:37 AM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Good Work AKAPA!!

    In a partnership with Alaska NPs, your Alaska Academy of PAs helped advocate for the successful passage of House Bill 392 (HB392) within the Alaska Legislature. HB392 will ensure access to efficient, timely and quality health care support for Alaskans and their families in difficult times - making care decisions with respect to life-sustaining directives and prioritizing dignity. House Bill 392 once signed into law will ensure advanced practice practitioners can provide life-sustaining orders when someone is critical and sign off on end-of-life processes as determined by the patient and their care teams.  Providing hospice continuity was key to this legislation by PAs. AKAPA has been advocating for our profession and expanding access. Your membership and commitment to Alaska PAs help continue this effort.  Thank you from the AKAPA Executive Board. 

    For more info/training on POLST and life-staining measures consider: https://www.ashnha.com/polst

  • 04 May 2022 2:36 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    AKAPA leaders are diligently working to modernize PA practice in the state of Alaska.  The legislative committee met for several months with members of the state medical board and pursued improvements to the regulations that govern PA practice. Efforts to make meaningful change with the state medical board have stalled.  This letter has been submitted to SMB leadership, requesting that these efforts resume.  A pdf of the letter can be downloaded here.


  • 26 Mar 2020 4:33 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Attention all Alaskan PA's. See the attached bill proposal, SB 241, in response to Gov. Dunleavy's declaration of a public health disaster emergency in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.  http://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/31?Root=sb241

    We will continue to update you as this bill moves along. Additionally, the AKAPA has written a letter in response to the legislation offering a suggested amendment. That letter can be viewed here

    If you have any questions please contact the board at info@akapa.org



  • 17 Dec 2019 4:19 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Great news! The Alaska State Medical Association has completed the redesign of its website and Physician Assistants can now join the association online!

    The Alaska Academy of PAs encourages all its members to join ASMA!
    www.asmadocs.org

  • 30 Sep 2019 4:17 PM | Jenny Thomasson (Administrator)

    Fellow Members are encourage to self nominate or nominate a PA that will help write the next chapter for the profession!

    Click here to find out what positions are open and to download a nomination form!


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