SDPA News

President's Column | May 2026

April has officially slipped away, and what a month it was. Our long‑awaited ITCH Conference in Puerto Rico was everything we hoped for and more. After nearly a decade of waiting to return, it felt meaningful to finally gather on the island. The lectures were eye‑opening—deep dives into a symptom we manage every single day, yet continue to learn more about as research evolves. The conversations in the hallways, the shared clinical pearls, the sense of community… it all reminded me why this work matters and why our members are such an incredible force in dermatology.

Announcement | SDPA Board Nominations Are Open

The SDPA is now taking nominations for open seats on it's Board of Directors! Any current SDPA Fellow member can nominate themselves or another Fellow member to run for one of our open positions. Consider taking part in SDPA leadership. If you wish to nominate yourself or someone else, send an email with the desired position and the nominee's name to: elections@dermpa.org.

Open positions include: 

The SDPA – Your One-Stop-Shop for Dermatology CME!

Do you know that the SDPA offers over 100 hours of CME to choose from?

SDPA in Response to ‘Incident to Billing’ | Some Clarification is Needed

Dermatology News recently published a letter by Brett Coldiron, MD seeking to clarify Medicare’s “incident to” billing when working with PAs in the office. The SDPA has issued a formal response to the letter and ask that community members lend their support by writing their own responses to the letter and submitting them to Dermatology News.

Read the letter and our full response on Dermcast.tv.

 

Read Full Blog on Dermcast.tv

New Member Benefit! 'Find A Dermatology PA' Search

In our continuing effort to provide the dermatology PA community, and specifically SDPA members, greater visibility, we are pleased to announce the launch of a brand new member benefit; “Find a Dermatology PA.” This new member benefit will is now available. You can find the search under the "About" tab - titled "Find a Dermatology PA."

What Does The Search Do?

What to do with Excess Fat Under the Chin?

Unwanted submental fat (SMF) is a subcutaneous fat deposit located immediately beneath the chin and jawline. Patients have long sought novel treatments for the reduction of this cosmetic complaint. A 2014 study....

Read the full blog on Dermcast.tv

SDPA Response to “Elephant in the room of dermatology”

Visit our Dermcast.tv blog posts to read our official response to a recent article “Elephant in the room of dermatology” by Dr. Brett Coldiron.

Read the official response

Important News & Resources on Proposed PANRE Model

In an effort to keep you informed on the NCCPA’s proposed model for a new PANRE, the SDPA has been working with the AAPA to make sure our members have the most current knowledge available to help them evaluate the proposed model.  Below are a few resources to aid you, as well as a few highlights from the AAPA’s resources. Click here to read more the full letter from SDPA President, Matthew Brunner.   

 

SDPA Official Response to NCCPA Proposed Model

The SDPA has penned a formal response to the NCCPA proposed new model for the PANRE. Read our official response.

Important Update on the NCCPA & PANRE

In this urgent Dermcast post, SDPA President, Matthew Brunner, MHS, PA-C, provides an important update on the NCCPA proposed new model for the PANRE. The NCCPA will be collecting feedback from PAs during February 2016 via email and a survey sent to certified PAs. Visit our Dermcast.tv blog posts to read the full letter and find out how to voice your opinion: http://dermcast.tv/an-important-update-about-the-nccpa-panre/

SDPA Response to proposed PANRE Model

The SDPA recently penned a response to to the proposed revisions to the PANRE Model. Visit our Dermcast.tv site to read the full response from the SDPA Board of Directors: http://dermcast.tv/sdpa-pens-response-to-proposed-revisions-to-the-panre-model/

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