President's Column | October 2022

Nov 9, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

I hope this finds you feeling appreciated following PA Week 2022. Though we should all feel this year around, it is nice having a week where our profession is recognized for the profound impact we have on the nation’s healthcare system. It is nice to receive gifts during this special week, but if you are like me, I would be grateful for “I appreciate you” and “Thank you for everything you do” throughout the year instead. As it’s been said, love don’t cost a thing.

If I asked you to tell me your reason for becoming a PA, your response would likely be similar to mine. Afterall, this profession requires some passion for servitude. That is a commonality all PAs share. However, I am quite certain that neither of us would say it is for the accolades. Even still, as with any job, recognition and appreciation are responses humans crave and use as motivators to perform at our highest ability. Though only two of over 650,000 words in the English dictionary, recognition and appreciation carry a heavy connection to motivation and performance. Those two words can mean the difference between a company, business or organization surviving and thriving.

The pandemic amplified an already stressed healthcare system and even though Dermatology PAs were not on the front lines seeing critically ill patients (unless you were one of the selfless PAs who volunteered), we have nonetheless felt the impact. Who hasn’t right? The pandemic has affected every industry, especially healthcare, and it seems there is no going back to normal. We now have a “new” normal.

The pandemic brought a new word to the forefront of our vocabulary…. burnout. It can occur with any job at any time, and though other fields look at our specialty as glamourous, Dermatology PAs are not immune to this. In their 2021 Statistical Profile Analysis, NCCPA reported Dermatology had the lowest rate of burnout amongst all other specialties. Lowest doesn’t mean none. Increased patient load, insufficient staffing and assistance, and in some cases reduced pay/benefits has led to previously content PAs feeling burned out with their role.

So, why do I mention burnout? Well, that takes me back to acknowledgement and appreciation. I am not suggesting that acknowledging and appreciating someone in the workplace will prevent or cure burnout. But I am suggesting it can boost morale and motivate someone who is overwhelmed and viewing their job negatively. Though staffing issues will not be fixed overnight, and charts won’t complete themselves, having someone acknowledge the work a person is doing and showing appreciation for it can refill an employee’s “occupational” cup. We could all use a refill every now and then.

PA Week may seem insignificant to some, but to us it means a few days a year of getting the well-deserved pat on the back and opportunity to feel appreciated for the hard work and dedication it took to get here and continuous commitment to serve. It’s the one week a year where we remember those that came before us, take pride in how far our profession has come, allow ourselves to be proud of what we have accomplished, and make a pact to continue to advocate for ourselves.

This year during PA Week, I hope you received the recognition you deserve. If not, know I am proud to call you a colleague and our profession is better because of you. 

 

Yours Truly,

 

Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C

President, SDPA Board of Directors