ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) will address two significant and timely healthcare topics during AAPA 2023 main stage events – what the future of healthcare looks like and the importance of incorporating brain health into whole health and the impacts of lifestyle choices on both.
AAPA 2023 kicks off on May 20 with a main stage session focused on the future of healthcare, examining how innovation can lead to better patient experiences and outcomes via equitable access to care. Guest speaker John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, will unpack key findings from a new Harris Poll public opinion survey, commissioned by AAPA, that illuminates patient experiences and perspectives on the current state of healthcare in America, access to care, and the impact of a strained healthcare workforce. Gerzema will also share findings that demonstrate the value of PAs in a modernized healthcare system.
Other speakers include WHO Advisor and leading healthcare futurist Jamie Metzl; innovator, author, STEM promoter, and former “TIME’s Kid of the Year” Gitanjali Rao; and AAPA President and Chair of the Board of Directors Jennifer M. Orozco, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA.
“Today’s healthcare landscape is changing and evolving at lightning speed," Orozco said. "In order to solve the problems of tomorrow and be prepared to best serve our patients in five, 10 or 20 years, we must start thinking about solutions today. I am honored to be joined by these leaders in their fields to have this critical, timely, and thoughtful conversation about the future of healthcare in order to better understand how trends and data in research, technology and innovation will redefine the patient experience in the decades to come.”
On Sunday, May 21, AAPA’s second mainstage session, From Brain to Body: How Lifestyle Choices Impact Your Brain Health and Overall Wellness, will bring presence to the critical relationship of the brain to whole health and challenge the narrative that neurodegenerative diseases are an inevitable part of aging. This group of leading scientists will examine how lifestyle choices influence and impact brain and overall health. Featured speakers include Blue Zones Wellbeing Institute President Dexter W. Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM, and wife-and-husband neurologists and researchers, Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, MD, PHD, MPH, MAS, and Dr. Dean Sherzai, MD, PHD. The session will be moderated by journalist and author Bari Weiss.
“The experts on this panel – through research, science and data – will illuminate the critical and often overlooked connection between brain health and body health and the impact lifestyle choices can have on both," AAPA CEO Lisa M. Gables, CPA, said.
"Their extensive work with individuals and communities will dispel the myth that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of aging. Brain health is whole health, and it is a topic that demands attention now. By 2050, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease alone is projected to nearly triple from the current 50 million worldwide. While there is no single solution to the challenges we face with this devastating disease, there are steps that can delay or prevent cognitive decline, including lifestyle choices, and a greater emphasis on early detection and preventative care.”
All media are invited to attend AAPA 2023 and must be registered and credentialed for admittance to any conference event. Complimentary registration is provided to qualified journalists who register to attend AAPA 2023 in advance. Risers and a mult box will be available for main stage events to members of the media on a first-come, first-served basis.
AAPA 2023 is the world’s largest PA conference and expo with thousands of PAs from across the country in attendance. The conference will take place May 20-24 in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information about AAPA 2023, go to aapa.org/conference.
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About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
AAPA is the national membership organization for all PAs (physician associates/physician assistants). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. PA has been named one of the best jobs overall and one of the best healthcare jobs for the sixth year in a row by U.S. News & World Report. The PA profession ranked number four this year in Best STEM jobs. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
