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About Us

WAPA's Mission

To cultivate a diverse and collaborative presence across all aspects of healthcare through advocacy, policy, and leadership. To exemplify professional growth, fortitude, and resilience in order to cultivate PA career development in WA state.

WAPA's Vision

The Vision of the Washington Academy of PAs is to empower PAs to practice, without barriers, at their highest level of education and experience while fully realizing PAs as integral members and leaders of Washington’s healthcare team.

 

What WAPA Does For You...

It is the hope of the Membership Committee that the highlights of this fact sheet will reveal to you what an active PA organization we have. Throughout the years, the efforts of many PA's have resulted in Washington State having one of the best Physician Assistant practice laws in the nation. Our aim is to increase the membership in our organization so that we continue to represent all PAs working in our state.

Accomplishments

SB 6445: PAs added to mental health code
The bill's key changes include:

  • Adding PAs to the definitions of "mental health professional" and "developmental disabilities professional,"
  • Allowing PAs to be court appointed to examine and testify on behalf of certain mental health patients,
  • Authorizing PAs to sign petitions for specified involuntary detentions,
  • Authorizing PAs to make determinations of incapacity, and
  • Adding PAs throughout the Mental Health Advance Directive form.


SB 6445 became effective June 8, 2016.

In April 2013, HB 1737 and HB 5524 passed.

WAPA went to Olympia to testify for Senate Bill 1737 and on April 4, 2013 HB 5524 passed the legislature! On April 22, 2013 HB 1737 passed as well!
HB 1737 will allow Physician Assistants in Washington to do 3 things:

  1. First it will increase the number of PAs a Physician can supervise from 3 to 5
  2. It will also allow PAs to practice in remote site without the supervising Physician being there at least 10% of the time
  3. Lastly the name "Practice Plan" (which is the document PAs have to submit to MQAC and BOOMS) will be changed to "Delegation Agreement".
HB 5524 will now allow prescriptions from PAs in other states, particularly the ones bordering our state, to be accepted by pharmacies in Washington.

Washington State PA's enjoy ONE OF THE BEST PA practice acts in the nation.

  • Single licensure for all Washington State PA's obtained in 1993
  • Prescriptive privileges, including controlled substances.
  • Two PA's sit on the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Committee. (MQAC)
  • WAPA is one of the few state PA chapters represented by a lobbyist.
  • WAPA sponsors PA Legislative Day annually in Olympia.
  • Three-time winner of the American Academy of Physician Assistant's (AAPA) "Award of Excellence" for a large state chapter.
  • WAPA passed 3 house bills this past year with the help of WA state Physician Assistants and our members!
  • House Bill 1722, effective 7/1/07 allows PAs to execute certain certificates and other forms for L&I
  • House Bill 1966 effective 7/22/07 allows PAs authority to sign and attest to documents
  • House Bill 1505 effective 7/22/07 allows PAs to determine disability for parking permits and other DOH forms

We maintain A CLOSE relationship with the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA).

  • Voting rights at the WSMA House of Delegates.
  • PA representation on the WSMA Interspecialty Council.
  • PA liaison to the WSMA Board of Trustees.

We develop diversity in leadership and membership and facilitate communication on a more local level by the CREATION of five (5) geographic regions.