Partners in Practice

Recently, Aetna, which is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, announced it would reimburse PAs at 85 percent of the physician pay schedule. So what does this move mean for PAs? Michael Powe, vice president of health systems reimbursement policy for the American Academy of Physician Assistants, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to look at the current reimbursement picture and how PAs can make sure they are being reimbursed for the care they provide. They also look at how this process could change in the future with healthcare reform.

Medicare and physician assistants both entered the healthcare field in the 1960s, but despite their similar ages, physician assistants don't always understand Medicare. Complicated rules and seeming inconsistencies can lead physician assistants to make billing errors — and avoiding these errors is more important than ever, as the federal government is looking more closely at Medicare billing, with an eye on potential fraud. Michael Powe, vice president of health systems and reimbursement for the American Academy of Physician Assistants, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to talk about how to navigate the red tape and successfully obtain Medicare reimbursement.

Alcohol, ecstacy and marijuana use has always been an issue for teens in the United States, but there are other alarming trends as well. More than five percent of 12 year-olds in this country say they have abused prescription drugs. As a medical professional on the front lines, how do you talk to teens and their parents if you suspect an addiction problem with your patients? Kimberly Comparetto, a psychiatric mental health NP who works in the adolescent in-patient unit of Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, Maine, joins host Mimi Secor to talk about risk factors, warning signs, treatment options and ways to open the lines of communication between patients and parents who may have a child with an addiction problem.

Alcohol, ecstacy and marijuana use has always been an issue for teens in the United States, but there are other alarming trends as well. More than five percent of 12 year-olds in this country say they have abused prescription drugs. As a medical professional on the front lines, how do you talk to teens and their parents if you suspect an addiction problem with your patients? Kimberly Comparetto, a psychiatric mental health NP who works in the adolescent in-patient unit of Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, Maine, joins host Mimi Secor to talk about risk factors, warning signs, treatment options and ways to open the lines of communication between patients and parents who may have a child with an addiction problem.

How can we limit the risk of Alzheimer's disease? New research suggests a correlation between obesity, type 2 diabetes and dementia. Susan Scanland, gerontological nurse practitioner, discusses this research with host Mimi Secor. She discusses how Alzheimer's, weight and waist size seem to be related, and how clinicians can help patients reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease.

More than 33 million people in the United States suffer from overactive bladder problems. Bladder health programs are being established in existing and new clinics to treat this issue that is rapidly growing, especially among the elderly. NP Helen Carcio began a certification program on the internet that teaches medical entrepreneurs how to establish these clinics. She joins host Mimi Secor to discuss start-up costs, the treatment process and the role of the NP and PA in this groundbreaking new expertise.

Karen Bass began her career in the 1980s as a PA working in the nation's largest trauma center at the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center, but away from the ED she had a passion for politics. Today she is the former speaker of the California Assembly and the democratic nominee for the 33rd congressional district in California. Speaker Emeritus Bass joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to discuss how her career in healthcare shaped and influenced her career in politics, and the changes she would like to bring to the physician assistant profession if she's elected to Congress in November.

The House of Delegates establishes philosophies and beliefs for the physician assistant profession. It was a busy time for delegates at this years AAPA Conference in Atlanta. Several legislative issues passed, some failed, some had to be tabled and some major issues didn't even come up. What changes were made and how will these decisions affect PAs across the country? Dr. William Fenn, immediate past vice president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, speaker of the House of Delegates and professor at Western Michigan University, reviews what transpired at the meeting with host Lisa Dandrea Lenell. They also explain the process and how PAs can get involved.

When patients go to the emergency department for a non-life-threatening emergency, it seems impossible to predict how long the wait could be to see a medical provider. But now patients in New Britain, Connecticut, can plan their care by checking their iPhone. Physician assistant Jeremy Allen talks with host Lisa Dandrea Lenell about his role as lead developer on an iPhone app for the Hospital of Central Connecticut. They discuss the benefits to patients and ER staff, as well as how to expand the technology for other medical sites.

Retail health clinics are popping up all over the United States in grocery and drug stores. More than 10,000 NPs and PAs are employed by these clinics— and they are the largest employer for NPs nationwide. So why do nurse practitioners and physician assistants want to work at these clinics? Dr. Roger Green, division western region vice president of the Little Clinics in the Kroger grocery store system, joins host Mimi Secor to discuss why so many NPs and PAs want to work in retail health, who these companies are recruiting and the global expansion of these clinics.