PAs Have Own Programming at VAM

Apr 30, 2018

Up to 28 AAPA Credits Possible

Physician assistants want to showcase how important PAs are to the vascular team, and learn more about vascular disease and medical management at the same time.

That’s the intent of the afternoon of programming from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Vascular Annual Meeting. “It’s for PAs, by PAs,” said Erin Hanlon, who, with Ricardo Morales co-leads the new PA section of the Society for Vascular Surgery. The section was created in late 2017, and more than 135 PAs have applied to join it.

The PA program theme, “Teamwork & Collaboration,” complements the overall VAM theme: of “Home of the Vascular Team – Partners in Patient Care.” The PA programming will include many of the elements of the overall meeting, with panel sessions, abstract presentations and research, said Hanlon. “We told PAs, ‘We want to know what you’re doing, we want to know how other PAs operate,’” she said.

The afternoon includes six sessions:

• Introduction, including the importance of PAs in a vascular surgery practice• PA Research and Case Presentations• PAD• Carotid Artery Disease• Aortic Disease• Closing Remarks

The PAD, carotid and aortic sections all include similar elements: medical and surgical management, care coordination and interesting cases, all ending with panel discussions.

Hanlon cited several particular presentations as being of interest, including treating thoracic outlet syndrome, implementing a multidisciplinary team approach for hemodialysis access, innovations in vascular surgery (to be led by Sean Gage who is clinical liaison for a biotechnology company) and taking a multidisciplinary team approach to palliative care for the vascular patient.

“We think this is a great refresher course, particularly on medical and surgical management, and a great learning opportunity,” Hanlon said. The program also offers the chance to meet with others in the field and “build a solid professional network,” she said. “People will be able to see what others are doing and what they may be able to implement in their own practices.”

PAs may receive up to 28 Continuing Medical Education credits from the AAPA for their participation in VAM.

She and Morales are both excited to see the response to the programming and to envision how the section can grow in the years ahead. The new section and dedicated VAM programming stand in contrast to VAM 2017, when Morales, Hanlon and five other PAs were on hand to explore the idea of the PA section with SVS leaders.

“A lot can happen in a year,” Hanlon observed.

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