Hardin-Simmons’ Physician Assistant Students Attend PA Day at The Capitol
(ABILENE, Texas)–On March 17 and 18, the Hardin-Simmons’ Physician Assistant (PA) program traveled to Austin to celebrate the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants’ (TAPA) 2019 PA Day at The Capitol. Though PAs and PA students from across the state attend TAPA’s Day at The Capitol, HSU brought the most representatives from any single organization. 22 PA students from Hardin-Simmons attended. Of these, four are 2nd-year clinical students, and the rest are in HSU’s PA school cohort in their didactic year.
The two-day event consisted of two general lecture sessions, a formal reception, and a visit to the Capitol building to meet with Texas State Legislators. The trip allows students and professionals, alike, to represent themselves to those who create laws which affect their practices, such as HB 3128, proposed by Representative Price, which would allow PAs to clear athletes to return to the field after healing from a concussion, when medically appropriate. Currently, only a physician may provide clearance to student-athletes.
HSU PA students with Stan Lambert, the Texas State Representative over Taylor County.
Tina Butler, academic director of HSU’s Physician Assistant program, and Barbara Quillin, director of clinical education for the program, say that “PA Day at the Capitol is important for PAs to advocate for our profession; thereby ensuring increased access to healthcare for our patients in Texas… It’s important for students to participate in the advocacy process so they can learn how to protect our profession, and promote continued quality, patient-centered healthcare.”
Butler and Quillin continue, “our hope is that this will spark a desire to take an active leadership role in advancing the PA profession on both a state and national level.”
“Since 1975 TAPA has been committed to you and your practice by staying up to date on legislation and Texas Medical Board rules that impact your work every day in Texas,” according to the TAPA website.
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