Battling burnout: How "shared care" models can increase physicians' professional satisfaction Being a physician is for many a calling. They are drawn to the practice of medicine, motivated by a deep-seated desire to help and heal. "Being a physician is not just something we 'do,' it is something we 'are,'" says Ruth E. Haskins, M.D., president of the California Medical Association. "What brings us joy, almost universally, is caring for patients." Yet 75 percent of California doctors are showing signs of burnout, according to a 2016 Physicians Foundation study. This survey, conducted biennially since 2008, has consistently demonstrated that the professional ... February 13, 2017 General Physician Burnout, Physician Assistants 0 0 Comment Read More »
Did you know physician assistants can now certify state disability and family leave claims? In September 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that authorizes physician assistants (PAs) to certify disability insurance (DI) and paid family leave (PFL) claims after a physical examination and under physician supervision. Individuals seeking DI or PFL benefits in California are required to file a claim that includes a certificate from a treating physician or practitioner. PAs in California were previously unable to certify these claims because they were not included in the definition of “practitioner.” For more information about the physician's role in certifying for benefits, view the Employment ... October 13, 2016 General State Disability Insurance (SDI), Paid Family Leave (PFL), Physician Assistants 0 0 Comment Read More »
NPs and PAs can sign POLST forms beginning in 2016 A new law (Assembly Bill 637) recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will allow nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA), under the direction of a physician and within their scope of practice, to sign Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms and make them actionable medical orders. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2016. The POLST form is a legally recognized document that outlines a plan of care reflecting patients’ wishes concerning medical treatment and interventions toward the end of their lives. The California Medical Association (CMA) co-sponsored ... September 9, 2015 General Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, End of Life Issues, POLST 0 0 Comment Read More »
Ask the Expert: Can my PA/NP see my patients when I'm on vacation? Summer generally means vacations for everyone, and physicians are no exception. But what happens to patients when their physicians are on vacation? There are options for physician offices to continue to provide care to their patients, but the question that seems to come up annually is whether the physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP) can provide services when the physician is out of the office and still bill as “incident to” services. The answer is no. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) states that to qualify as ... August 5, 2015 General Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Allied Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Medical board approves amendment to regulation allowing PAs to conduct surgery without immediate physician supervision The Medical Board of California approved an amendment to California administrative law that would allow physicians assistants (PA) to perform surgery without the immediate physical presence of a supervising physician. Existing law permits PAs to act as first or second assistant in surgery under the supervision of a physician. In 2011, a concern was raised by a PA licensee to the Physician Assistant Board that the current regulation did not reflect current medical community standards and that the law was unclear on the degree of physician supervision required of a ... January 22, 2015 General Physician Assistants, Scope of Practice, Medical Board of California 0 0 Comment Read More »
