MEDEX Northwest BriefingFor the Department of Family

Medicine

Terry Scott, MPA, PA-CDirector

MEDEX Northwest UWSOMSeptember 2011

“Physician Assistants were created BY Physicians FOR Physicians.”

Richard Smith, MDFounder, MEDEX Northwest

Founders of the PA Profession

The MEDEX Reputation - Then

• Early Leadership – Dick Smith, David Lawrence, Robert Harmon, Andrew Penman

• Primary Care Models• Strong links with physicians/physician

organizations• Diversity• Early Legislation• Supreme Court Decision

MEDEX Class 1

The MEDEX Reputation - Now

• National PA Leadership• Publication: Physician Assistant: A Guide To

Clinical Practice• Regional Program – Decentralized Training• Continued Primary Care Focus• Educational Innovation• Health Workers – Dental Therapists• International PA Development

Seattle Class 43

MEDEX History

• 1969 - 1970 - School of Medicine

• 1970 - 1993 - School of Public Health

• 1994 - Present - School of Medicine

Mission Statement MEDEX Northwest, the University of Washington

School of Medicine's Physician Assistant Program, is committed to educating experienced health personnel from diverse backgrounds to practice medicine with physician supervision. The program provides a broad, competency-based curriculum that focuses on primary care with an emphasis on underserved populations. MEDEX encourages life-long learning to meet ever-changing health care needs. As a pioneer in PA education, MEDEX continues to be innovative in identifying, creating and filling new niches for PAs as a strategy for expanding health care access.

25% of the MEDEX class entering in Summer 2010 are from outside the WWAMI region. Many of these students have ties to the region with prior military service, work experience or, family in the area. Several students have direct ties to the Native populations in the region and most stated they wanted to continue to work with rural and underserved populations.

STUDENTS

STATISTICS FOR 2010 MEDEX CLASS

Total applicants 589Total number of applicants interviewed 204Total Offers Made 126 Number of students expected summer quarter 107Master of Clinical Health Services Degree OptionSeattle Class 44 45 Students + 1 returningSpokane Class 14 21 Students + 1 returningBachelor of Clinical Health Service Degree OptionYakima Class 17 19 Students + 4 possible returningAnchorage Class 2 19 Students + 1 possible returningRe-applicants to MEDEX Northwest 34 (31.7%)New Applicants 73 (68.3%)SEX AND AGEMedian Age: 3250 Male Students (46.2%)57 Female Students (53.8%) MILITARY EXPERIENCE 26 Students with Military Background (24%)

Statistics for 2010 MEDEX Class

Ethnic BackgroundAmerican Indian/AK Native Am 2 (1.9%) African American 3 (2.8%)Caucasian 80 (74%) Asian / Other Asian 4 (3.7%) Mexican American/Chicano 10 (9.3%)No Answer 7 (6.5%)

The Five Most Common Patient Care Experiences among MEDEX Students* Military Medic / Corpsman 26 students * Emergency Medical Technologist 8 students* Medical Assistant 8 students* RN / LPN 8 students* Paramedics 8 students

Selection Process

• Peace Corps Model• A Full Day Experience• 3 Group Interviews• Community-based Primary Care

Interviewers

Graduate Data

• 1800 graduates• Prior to 1981: All graduates in primary

care (20 students per class)• 2011: 50-60% in primary care (100

students per class)

Curriculum Timeline

• MEDEX PA training is 2 years long. The MEDEX curriculum time-line includes:a. On-line Anatomy & Physiology —Spring Quarterb. A&P laboratory and basic science review—Summer Quarter-Seattlec. MEDEX Didactic training—Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters Didactic Sitesd. Masters Specific Coursework—Summer—Seattle and Onlinee. Clinical Rotations: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer—WWAMI region.

Didactic Sites

• Seattle – 40 Students [Master’s Degree]• Yakima – 20 Students [Bachelor’s Degree]• Spokane – 20 Students [Master’s Degree]• Anchorage – 20 Students [Bachelor’s

Degree]

Clinical Rotations

• Family Medicine Preceptorship [4months]• In-patient Medicine [4 weeks]• Behavioral Medicine [4 weeks]• Emergency Medicine [4 weeks]• Underserved [4 weeks]• General Surgery [4 weeks]• Elective [4 weeks]

Licensing/NCCPA Certification

Salaries in Primary Care

Starting: $75,000

Average: $85,000

MONEY MAGAZINE RANKS PAS AS #2 IN "BEST JOBS"Terms:

Money Magazine lists PAs as the #2 "Best Job," the same rating it achieved in prior year's list. The magazine also calls the profession the #3 "hottest (fastest growing)" job. The article is also available on the CNNMoney.com website.

PAs in Primary Care• MEDEX Graduates: 60%• National: 36%• Washington: 42% (Emergency Medicine

11%)• Wyoming: 70%• Alaska: 65% (Emergency Medicine 9%)• Montana: 52% (Orthopedics 11%)• Oregon: 47% (Orthopedics 11%)

Fastest Growing AreasNorthwest

• Orthopedics• Emergency Medicine• Hospitalists

NPs and PAs

PAMD

NP

MD – PA - NP

PA

MD

NP

Supervision

The MEDEX faculty/staff includes:

Seattle: Faculty: 16 FTE, Staff: 13 FTE

Yakima: Faculty 3 FTE, Staff 1 FTE

Spokane: Faculty: 3.5 FTE, Staff 1 FTE

Anchorage: Faculty: 3.5 FTE, Staff 1 FTE

Faculty Appointments:

All MEDEX faculty have regular faculty appointments in the Department of Family Medicine as of July 1, 2011. Ranks include Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer and Lecturer. MEDEX has its own representative in the Faculty Senate.

Faculty Leadership4 Presidents of the Washington State Academy of Physician Assistants1 President, Physician Assistant Education Association1 Former AHEC Director2 Members of the Accreditation Review Committee on Physician

Assistants1 Commissioner, National Commission on Certification of Physician

Assistants1 President, 1 Board Member, Society for Preservation of PA History1 Board Member, Veteran’s Caucus of the AAPA1 Member of the Pew Commission on Health Professions Education1 Member of the National Health Services Corps Advisory Committee1 Member HRSA’s Title 7 Advisory Committee1 Deputy Mayor/City Councilman City of Shoreline WA

Scholarly Activity

• Health Workforce Topics• Veteran’s Roles as PAs• PA Program Specific Educational

Issues• International Roles for PAs

MEDEX Fiscal Resources

• Self-Sustaining tuition• State support for Yakima and Spokane

sites• Federal Grants and Contracts• Contracts for specific initiatives

(e.g. Dental Health Therapists)

Current MEDEX Issues/Concerns

• Clinical Sites• Implementation of New Master’s

Degree• Succession Planning/Implementation

Other MEDEX Initiatives

In addition to direct PA educational activities the MEDEX Program also participates in a number of other projects and activities including consultations to health worker training programs internationally and the development of the Dental Health Therapist with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Questions/Discussion