Joint Board Elections Held

New Appointment to the Joint Board

Brook Dewalt Retires

ASAPA,  Addresses the Joint Board

Subcommittee on 2000-2001 Legislative Agenda

Joint Board Training Seminar

Board Actions

Y2K Meeting Dates

Next Board Meeting

Highlights from the November 3, 1999 Meeting of the Joint Board on the Regulation of Physician Assistants 

Welcome to the premiere issue of the Joint Board Highlights, a synopsis of events at each Joint Board Meeting

The Joint Board, by unanimous vote, re-elected Rick Christensen, PA as Chairman and Richard Zimmerman, MD as Vice Chairman. Their terms of office will last until November 3, 2000. 

The Joint Board welcomes Mr. Ed Beasley, M.P.A., Governor Hull's latest public member appointee to the Board. Mr. Beasley is an assistant city manager in Glendale, where he directs internal operations.  He is active in many community service contexts, and has board member appointments with the Arizona Public Service Rural Economic Development Committee; the Kansas City Civil Rights Consortium; the United Way of Northern Arizona, Kansas City, and Pinal County; and Wells Fargo Bank of Phoenix. 

Mr. Beasley replaces Ms. Lori Sundstrom, who served on the Board from July 1, 1997 to July 1, 1999. 

The Joint Board would like to thank Lt. Brook DeWalt for his service over the past year as a Public Member on the Board, and wishes him the best in his new endeavors.

Rich Bittner, Legislative Advocate for ASAPA, presented a series of amendments to the Physician Assistant Practice Act which the association intends to propose to the Legislature.  However, recognizing that there is relatively little time remaining in this year to prepare final legislation for consideration in the year 2000 regular session, and that significant consultation with the Joint Board, the Arizona Medical Association, and other interested parties may be required to develop mutually acceptable language, ASAPA suggested that a collaborative approach begin now to develop consensus legislation which could be ready well in advance of the 2001 legislative session.

The elements of the proposed bill are threefold.  The bill provides for updated enforcement and licensing practices and procedures, amends the definition of "minor surgery, and relaxes a restriction on physician assistants prescribing authority. 

The Joint Board formed a Legislative Subcommittee to examine the Board's legislative agenda and the Arizona State Association of Physician Assistants (ASAPA)'s legislative agenda with an eye to collaboration. The subcommitte, consisting of Barry Cassidy, PA-C, Fredrick Schwartz, DO, Peter Wagner, DO and A.Ray Tuttle, PA-C will present a progress report to the Board in February. 

To prepare for the new millennium, the Joint Board voted to hold a full day Strategic Planning Meeting on January 12, 2000. At this event, the Board will define its mission, goals, and objectives as a leading regulator of healthcare professionals.

During its November 3, 1999 meeting, the Board voted to issue:

   one Cancellations with Cause; and
   one License Denial.

The following are the dates for the year 2000 meetings and events:

Events
January 12, 2000 - Joint Board Planning Meeting 

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Regular Meetings
February 16, 2000
May 10, 2000
August 16, 2000
November 15, 2000

The next Full Board meeting will take place February 16, 2000, at the Board of Medical Examiners' Offices: 1651 E. Morten Avenue, Suite 210, Phoenix, Arizona 85020. 

Take 16th Street, one-half mile north of Glendale, immediately across from  The Pointe Resort.