APSPA, Annual Business Meeting, New Orleans, May 21st, 2018
Posted over 6 years ago by Inessa Shlifer
The AAPA Conference in New Orleans was once again well attended. Thousands of PA’s gathered from all states represanting all specialties of medicine. There are were a good amount of workshops, lectures and extracurricular activities. Speakers were knowledgeable and many of them have been presenters at previous conferences. Each evening was filled with meetings, weather its a Chapter meetings, Constituent Organizations presenting their yearly reports or PA’s getting together to share their experiences.
AAPA Foundation organized 5K Run/Walk event that took place along breeze Mississippi River. The hot and humid day did not stop the enthusiasm of PA’s. Local organisers were cheering up participants throughout the run. Winners were presented with traditional Mardi wras masks. The Party with Purpose was hosted at B.B. King Blues Cafe, that is a famous gathering to listen to a great jazz and eat traditional New Orleans food. It is always a fun place where you can dance, drink and sing to karaoke.
As a tradition ASPA had a Keynote Speaker, Jeff Evans, who is world renowned mountain climber and ER practicing PA. He shared his experience and life stories and gave us a truly motivational speech. You can learn more about Jeff at http://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/04/aapa18-Keynote-Jeff-evens-man-behind.
On Monday, May 21st we had our Annual Business/Social Meeting. We had plastic surgery PA’s from different states:Tx, NY, Fl, Vt, MI and PA. It’s always great to see everyone and especially those who come regularly. Our friends from MD Anderson come every year, charged, energized and with news of accomplishments. Our congratulations to Brooke Schweitzer who recently graduated and received doctorate in DMS- clinical and health care administration. Now she will pursue administarative position at this large hospital that employes a lot of PA’s but has no representation at the administrative level.
PA’s in MD Anderson working hard teaching many PA Students and Fellows the Art of Plastic Surgery. This was a Big Year for them- they organized and hosted first of its kind Day- Breast Reconstruction Awereness Day. Symposium educating the public about their reconstruction options. This was first and big event and was culminated with fashion runway show featuring many breast cancer survivors. You can learn more about this event at http:/www.manderson.org/research/departments-labs-institutes/departments-divisions/Plastic-Surgery/conferences-events.html. Also on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VHIq26-RjPE.
As always we shared our knowledge and opinions on subjects in plastic surgery. We talked about contract negotiations with plastic surgeons and how to make work environment a better place for PA’s, patients and surgeons. We decided that it would be valuable to run another Salary Survey and have it available to our members. Now that we have a new website that is much easier for us to handle and navigate, we decided to add newsletter to it. Kristen Daniels, our upcoming President suggested to write about PA’s in plastics and what we do. We have a lot of interesting stories and can share them with other PA’s across the feild. We need to offer our members something that will make them not just renew their membership, but engage them to become interactive members. I am sure they have stories to present and knowledge to share.
As more PA’s entering Plastic Surgery field the need in good and relevant workshop is here. I spoke with PA’s from MD Anderson, who currently participate as instructors in Suture Technique workshop that is accredited by AAPA as category one CME credits. This workshop is always booked to its capacity and demand is growing. It’s just a thought but we can start working on plastic surgery workshop. We can present totally new concept to AAPA and include not only suturing workshop, but Lasers and it’s application, surgical procedures and techniques. Injectables could be another course and we have our board members who teach other PA’s and Nurses through Allergan Co. One of Plastic Surgeons that I work with wrote a chapter on facial complications and how to avoid them. He lectures worldwide and might be interested to present it at our conference.
I hope to see everyone next May in Denver, Colorado at AAPA Conference.