As some may have heard, on the Today Show Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC
News' Chief Medical Editor, misspoke about PAs and our ability to prescribe.
Here is the link to the video segment as well as my comments as submitted to NBC
news.
Once on the page, under video click on Dr. Nancy Snyderman, then on
the video entitled "How to choose the right doctor" It is the 2nd question
"called in" to the show and starts at minute 1:44
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041426/ns/today-today_health
We
have a tremendous opportunity to join with NBC news in getting the correct word
out about PAs in front of a national office. We can make a professional friend
through this opportunity, and hopefully gain an ally through this unfortunate
mistake.
Karen
PS: Jeffrey G. Nicholson, PhD, PA-C email your thoughts to the Today show at TODAY@nbcuni.com
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Dear Dr Nancy Synderman and NBC
News,
I am a physician assistant and as a regular NBC news watcher, I am
familiar with your reporting for NBC News. I was very disheartened yesterday to
hear the call in segment on the Today show when a woman asked via skype about
the difference between an physician and a physician assistant. I understand that
in that kind of setting with a call-in show, one cannot always be ideally
prepared for every question, but the answer given did an incredible disservice
to our profession. PAs can prescribe in all 50 states and under the Drug
Enforcement Agency, are allowed to prescribe controlled substances, though
actual regulations will vary by state. We are highly trained medical
professionals; we are able to independently examine, diagnose, and treat
patients; we order and interpret laboratory and radiology tests; we work in
conjunction with physicians; and while we are technically supervised by
physicians legally, we enjoy collegial relationships that foster mutual trust
and respect!
as professionals.
We have PAs on the medical staff of
the White House, in all medical and surgical specialties, in the US Armed
Forces, and in many rural communities, we are the only accessible medical
provider. A segment with an extended interview with leaders in the PA
profession would go a long way to educate the public on our role in health
care.
I did appreciate your correct pronunciation of our title as
"physician assistant," and not "physician's assistant" as was referred to by
the caller and in the graphic.
I believe your role as a chief medical
editor on NBC news is a valuable contribution for women in medical practice and
appreciate your work to better health care throughout the globe.
Thank
you for your time and attention to correcting this mistake and hope that
together, PAs can partner with physicians and medical professionals to improve
health care, one patient, one family, one community at a
time.
Sincerely,
Karen Fields, M.S.P.A.S., PA-C
Physician
Assistant, Orthopedic Surgery
kefields@paworld.net
Karen:
Also let you colleagues know that they can also respond directly to NBC and Dr. Snyderman at the following link
We
encourage all of you to contact the Today show online through this link
and post your own response to show the strength of PAs’ unified
voice: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29041920/ns/today-today_participate/
Patrick E. Killeen
President, AAPA
On
Thursday, March 17, 2011, NBC's "TODAY" show aired a segment during which Dr.
Nancy Snyderman made inaccurate statements about PAs. Of particular concern was
the statement that PAs could not prescribe. Below is AAPA President Patrick
Killeen's letter to Dr. Snyderman.
March
17, 2011
Dr.
Nancy Snyderman
NBC News Network
Chief Medical Editor
30 Rockefeller
Plaza, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10112-0015
Dear
Dr. Snyderman,
As
a physician assistant who specializes in pediatrics, and president of the
American Academy of Physician Assistants, I was both surprised and disappointed
by your comments about my profession during the March 17, 2011 "Daily Dose"
segment on the "TODAY" program. While you may not have intended, your response
to the caller's question marginalized the PA profession. Your comments suggested
that America's 78,000 PAs are best-suited for subspecialties, such as
dermatology over primary care, and inaccurately stated that PAs are not
authorized to prescribe medications. Furthermore, you indicated that PAs are
unlikely to make decisions without needing to check with a physician.
The
misleading information you provided is a disservice to the millions of viewers
who trust the health information you provide. It is important that you clarify
to your viewers, already feeling the effects of provider shortages across every
specialty, including primary care, that they can and should rely on the expert
care provided by PAs.
PAs
are educated in the medical model, practice in every medical setting and
specialty, and work as part of a team-based approach with doctors and other
providers to deliver high-quality patient care. It is important to note that the
Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act identifies PAs, along with,
physicians and NPs as the three health care professionals providing primary care
in the United States today. This team-based approach to health care is critical
to ensuring that patients get the care they need, when they need it.
In
addition, PAs are authorized to prescribe medication in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam,
and nearly all states include controlled substances in that authority.
Misinformation
about the important role of PAs in health care can confuse patients. In addition
to the immediate on-air clarification we have requested from your producers, we
hope that you will consider preparing a segment that features a more complete
look into the scope of PA practice and the need for team-based models of care in
today's health care system. AAPA would be happy to meet with your producers to
expand their understanding of the full scope of PA practice.
Sincerely,
Patrick
E. Killeen, MS, PA-C
President, AAPA