WNY District Director: Laura DeBacco-Malysza, PA-C

NYSSPA'S STATEWIDE IMPACT ON YOUR PA PRACTICE

 

NYSSPA President

Jonathan Baker PA-C

PAs serve our unique patient populations in every setting and every specialty across all of NYS- while none of us are quite the same, we have more in common than we have differences. NYSSPA is essential in bringing together our collective voice to ensure that all of us are providing the best care we can for our patients without arbitrary restrictions. Only with a united voice, through NYSSPA, are we able to ensure the stability of our profession, our livelihood, and most importantly ensure that our patients are benefitting from the expanded access to quality care that PAs are known to provide.

While NY has most of the key elements of PA practice, the healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving and so to must our profession. Healthcare looks different than it did when I started practicing 12 years ago, but we still face many arbitrary restrictions that affect PAs in different ways. Optimal Team Practice (OTP) ensures that PAs practice according to their training, knowledge, and experience rather than as restricted by state law. It means we take on full responsibility for our own practice and our own profession. It is essential for PAs to evolve with the healthcare landscape and keep up with what healthcare looks like in NYS.

WNYPAA and NYSSPA will continue to work together for our constituents and for our patients. WNYPAA has a unique local capacity along with NYSSPA's Western New York District Director (Laura Malysza PA-C) which engages PAs and PA Students in networking, education, and connections with local job opportunities. I look forward to growing the NYSSPA and WNYPAA relationship to ensure that PAs and PA Students are getting the local engagement they want as well as representation at the state level they need, especially in the legislative space. With restrictions rapidly lifting, I hope I get to see you all at a WNYPAA/NYSSPA WNY District Dinner soon!

 

Click Here for Upcoming Events

 

Member support has allowed the NYSSPA to accomplish the following:

  • NYSSPA has ensured that PAs are listed as signatories on MOLST forms as the result of a legislative success for PAs.
  • Successfully worked with the NY Governor on the Executive Order (EO) enacted in March 2020 that sets aside the need for a PA to have a supervising physician
  • Successful lobbying for and passage of the Re-statement of Physician Assistant Practice Act
  • Successfully lobbied for the legislative removal of the 24-hour Countersignature Requirement for PAs
  • Secured DEA Licensure for the PA privilege to prescribe Schedule II-V Medications
  • Protected Physician Assistants’ rights to First Assist in surgery
  • Obtained Licensure for Physician Assistants from the Department of Education
  • Supported appointment of a PA Representative on the board of the OPMC

Representation in Albany: NYSSPA’s lobbying firm is one of the most well-respected firms in NYS and boasts significant success in the healthcare delivery space. A competent and successful lobbying firm costs money; the NYSSPA Board is putting your membership dollars to good use.

PAC monies are used to support legislators who support a positive PA practice environment, PAC monies cannot come from membership dues. NYSSPA has several Bills pending in the current legislative session.

Donate here to NYSSPA’s PAC

Updates:

  • We are no longer RPA-C please remove this title from your credentials if they are still there and utilize PA-C
  • Optimum team practice is rolling out throughout the US, Idaho was the first state that has officially adopted this practice. PAs no longer need to have a supervising physician, they are independent practitioners, although the goal is to still foster a relationship with Physicians and work collaboratively as a team. Our lobbying efforts will continue to adopt this in NYS as well. This will not only maintain competition with NPs in the job market but improve access to care for patients in rural areas where there are increasing physician shortages. 
  • We lost our bid for the fluoroscopy bill, there were many who sent letter to Albany, but it was still voted down, we will attempt in the next legislature time frame.

 

Help NYSSPA Grow

Did you know that there are 14,000 practicing PAs in New York state? Are you aware that only a third of them are NYSSPA members? Help us change that - advocate for the only organization that specifically advocates for PAs and our profession in the state of New York. 

 

NYSSPA answers hundreds of phone calls and emails from PA members just like

you who have questions or concerns about PA scope of practice in New York.

We are here as a resource to serve you when you need us!

 

New York State Society of Physician Assistants
[email protected]

nysspa.org