Episode Title

More than just an "assistant:" We NEED PA advocacy with Kris Pyles-Sweet, DMSc, PA-C

Episode Breakdown 

Kris Pyles-Sweet, DMSc, PA-C, is a PA with over 25 years of experience in a multiple specialties. She is also the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and PA practice owner and she joins A Beautiful PA Life Podcast today to share her journey in advocacy and discuss the importance of Optimal Team Practice. She recounts a pivotal moment in her career when her supervising physician unexpectedly passed away, leaving her unable to legally provide care to her patients. This personal experience with a significant barrier to providing care to her patients instantly sparked her passion for advocating for the PA profession. She did not want other PAs to experience the same barriers she was encountering in her own practice. Kris was involved in drafting the Optimal Team Practice recommendations (under the name "Full Practice Authority") with PAs for Tomorrow and emphasizes the need for laws to reflect the actual current way in which PAs practice medicine. She also discusses the barriers to advocacy within the PA profession, including the tendency to embody the name "assistant" rather than actively pursuing advocacy for the profession. Kris encourages PAs to get involved in advocacy by knowing their federal and state laws, joining local and regional PA organizations, and contributing (even just $25!) to PA political action committees (PACs). She practices servant leadership and believes in the importance of educating and supporting PAs as the future of the profession. Kris concludes by sharing her vision for the future of the PA profession and the impact she hopes to make in her role as AAPA's Secretary-Treasurer.

Episode Pearls

• Advocacy is crucial for the PA profession, and PAs should be knowledgeable about their laws and get involved in state organizations and political action committees.
• Barriers to practice, such as the reluctance to advocate for oneself, need to be addressed within the PA profession.
• Servant leadership involves educating and supporting others in the profession, and PAs should strive to be servant leaders.
• Optimal Team Practice is the future of the PA profession - we must ensure that laws reflect the current practice of PAs.
• Self-care is essential to prevent burnout and maintain a fulfilling career as a PA.

More Information on Today's ABPAL Podcast Guest

You can find Kris Pyles-Sweet, DMSc, PA-C on Instagram at @pa.pylessweet.

I host a weekly gathering of PAs like you who believe in creating a beautiful PA life - it's called the Thriving PA Community Hour. It's an opportunity to learn, share, connect, and lift each other up. And you're invited! Get the Zoom link here - I'd love to see you :)

Want a deep dive into the science behind the tools in this week's podcast episode? It drops into your email inbox every Sunday at midnight. Want in? I'd love to have you!

Worried about burnout? You came to the right PA! Get the Burnout Deep Dive here - a resource-rich pdf that will help unlock your burnout. And I created a complete diagnostic assessment for burnout, you can get it here: How Full is My Cup?

Want more evidence-based tools, expert tips, and words of wisdom for creating your beautiful PA life? Check out my Instagram page: @rachel.la.costa

Impactful episode quotes:

• "You can serve the patients you love without losing yourself."
• "I want you to love your career and love your life."
• "I caught my eye in the mirror... the woman that I saw in the mirror, she was not okay."
• "Rachel, you're a highly skilled PA. What would you tell your patient?"

I host a weekly gathering of PAs like you who believe in creating a beautiful PA life - it's called the Thriving PA Community Hour. It's an opportunity to learn, share, connect, and lift each other up. And you're invited! Get the Zoom link here - I'd love to see you :)

Want a deep dive into the science behind the tools in this week's podcast episode? It drops into your email inbox every Sunday at midnight. Want in? I'd love to have you!

Worried about burnout? You came to the right PA! Get the Burnout Deep Dive here - a resource-rich pdf that will help unlock your burnout. And I created a complete diagnostic assessment for burnout, you can get it here: How Full is My Cup?

Want more evidence-based tools, expert tips, and words of wisdom for creating your beautiful PA life? Check out my Instagram page: @rachel.la.costa

Welcome to A Beautiful PA Life Podcast!

I'm Rachel La Costa and if you're like me, you might have the sneaking suspicion that burnout might be right around the corner unless you do something different. You became a PA because you want the best of both worlds. You can serve the patients you love without losing yourself. You can thrive after healthcare burnout. And here, you’ll find just the tools and evidence-based practices that you need to create a beautiful PA life.

I host a weekly gathering of PAs like you who believe in creating a beautiful PA life - it's called the Thriving PA Community Hour. It's an opportunity to learn, share, connect, and lift each other up. And you're invited! Get the Zoom link here - I'd love to see you :)

Want a deep dive into the science behind the tools in this week's podcast episode? It drops into your email inbox every Sunday at midnight. Want in? I'd love to have you!

Worried about burnout? You came to the right PA! Get the Burnout Deep Dive here - a resource-rich pdf that will help unlock your burnout. And I created a complete diagnostic assessment for burnout, you can get it here: How Full is My Cup?

Want more evidence-based tools, expert tips, and words of wisdom for creating your beautiful PA life? Check out my Instagram page: @rachel.la.costa