DENVER, May 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Academy of PAs’ (AAPA) Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management (CHLM) announced the winners of the Employer of Excellence (EOE) Awards during the AAPA Conference 2019 in Denver.
The award program is designed to showcase organizations that have created and maintain an environment in which PAs (physician assistants) can provide the very best care for their patients and are afforded opportunities for professional growth and leadership. The program is the first and only PA-specific award program available to organizations.
“Today, an increasing number of PAs are practicing to the top of their education, training, and experience thanks in large part to the effforts of forward-looking employers such as this year’s awardees,” said Jonathan E. Sobel, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA, FAPACVS, president and chair of the AAPA Board of Directors.
The 2019-2020 winners are the following:
- Activate Healthcare
- Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Baylor Scott and White Health
- Geisinger
- Lynn Community Health Center
- Madison Emergency Physicians
- Mayo Clinic
- MedStar Emergency Physicians
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
- Rush University Medical Center
- Stanford Health Care
- Vidant Medical Center
- Vituity
- University of Colorado School of Medicine
“Employers increasingly recognize that better-performing practices employ PAs and that creating environments where PA contributions can be optimized helps both patient care and the employer’s bottom line. This year’s awardees represent a commitment to a PA-friendly environment,” said Jennifer Broderick, managing director of CHLM.
PAs are medical providers who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a principal healthcare provider. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative. PAs practice in every medical setting and specialty, improving healthcare access and quality.
The PA profession is one of the fastest growing in the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the profession will increase 37 percent from 2016 to 2026, significantly faster than the average for all occupations. Currently, there are more than 131,500 PAs practicing in all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories.
To determine the criteria for recognition, CHLM partnered with HealthStream to gain an understanding of what PAs value in their place of employment. Based on the survey findings, criteria for the EOE Awards focuses on the following five key drivers:
- Establishing a positive and supportive PA work environment.
- Providing opportunities for PAs to provide meaningful input that leads to positive organizational change.
- Keeping PAs informed about organizational activity and decisions.
- Involving PAs in leadership efforts to improve the quality of patient care.
- Creating processes for effective conflict management.
Each awardee will be showcased as a top place to work for PAs, which will enhance recruitment of highly qualified PAs, increase retention rates, and showcase the awardees as pioneers in the healthcare industry. Awardees will retain their designation as an Employer of Excellence for two years and then must reapply to maintain the designation.
CHLM also recognizes the inaugural 2018-2019 Employer of Excellence Award winners: Brigham Health – Brigham and Women’s Hospital, The Cleveland Clinic, El Centro Family Health, Hospital for Special Surgery, MidMichigan Health, NYU Langone Health, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and Wake Forest Baptist Health.
Any organization in the United States that employs PAs was eligible to apply for the award. The next online application period opens in fall 2019.
For more information, visit CHLM.
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About AAPA’s Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management (CHLM)
CHLM works directly with institutions to maximize team-based utilization and optimize PA practice settings. CHLM provides expertise, analytics, and industry best practices to help their clients evaluate organizational alternatives designed to improve the effectiveness of their provider workforce. For more information, visit www.chlm.org and engage through Twitter and LinkedIn.
About the American Academy of PAs
AAPA is the national membership organization for all PAs. PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat using the handle @aapaorg.