AAPA Celebrates 2025 Individual Excellence Award Recipients
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) is excited to recognize outstanding physician associates/assistants (PAs) and PA students who have made exceptional contributions to their communities, patients, and the advancement of the PA profession.
'These PAs embody the innovative, dedicated spirit that drives our profession forward,' said AAPA President and Chair of the Board Jason Prevelige, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA.
'From mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders to pioneering research initiatives, each award recipient demonstrates the profound impact PAs have in transforming healthcare delivery. These awardees aren't simply raising the bar for our profession – they're showing what exceptional leadership and service looks like.'
Each year, AAPA honors individuals who embody the highest standards of service, leadership, and advocacy in healthcare. The PA of the Year Award is presented to a PA who, over the course of a year, has demonstrated remarkable commitment to improving healthcare accessibility, delivering quality care, and positively shaping the public perception of the profession.
The 2025 Individual Excellence Award honorees include:
PA of the Year Award - Colonel James J. Jones, PhD, PA-C; Falls Church, Virginia
PA Student of the Year Award - Phoebe Zhang; Brooklyn, New York
Military Service Award - Brigadier General Bill A. Soliz, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, FACHE; Honolulu, Hawaii
Diversity Award – PAs of Color (ThePAC)
AAPA/PAEA Preceptor of the Year Award - Emily Monahan, PA-C, CPAAPA, ATC, OTC; Tampa, Florida
Publishing Award - James R. Kilgore, DMSc, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA; Hoover, Alabama
Outstanding Student Society Award - James Madison University Physician Assistant Student Society; Harrisonburg, Virginia
CO Outreach and Advocacy Award – Maine Academy of Physician Associates
The awards will be presented during the Main Stage Event on Monday, May 19. Visit aapa.org to learn more about the awards and this year's winners.
About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/physician assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.
CONTACT: Annie Mattix American Academy of Physician Associates 414-551-1738 amattix@aapa.org
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
29-05-2025
- Medscape
Physician Associates Continue to Embrace Telehealth
The use of telehealth continues to grow across the healthcare industry, including among physician associates (PAs). As noted in the American Academy of Physician Associates' (AAPA's) 2025 Salary Report, an annual survey that explores PA pay and practice insights, a remarkable 49% of PAs reported using telemedicine applications as part of their clinical work in the past year. Sean Kolhoff, senior research analyst with AAPA, said these results were not surprising, per se, but do show that there is now a growing acceptance of the efficacy of telehealth in PA practice. 'Compared to pre-COVID estimates of telehealth use among PAs — 9.6% in 2019 — it appears that PAs have been able to adapt the technology to best meet their specific practice needs,' he explained. 'This is emphasized by the specialties that have generally continued to use telehealth post-pandemic: 76.2% in primary care and 56.6% in internal medicine. These specialties perform many tasks, like initial diagnoses and patient follow-ups, that can effectively utilize telehealth.' About Medscape Data Medscape continually surveys physicians and other medical professionals about key practice challenges and current issues, creating high-impact analyses. For example, Medscape's Top 10 Telemedicine-Friendly States 2025 found that States have continued to update telehealth policies since the pandemic. A state's telehealth success also includes available connectivity for patients. States continue to invest in digital infrastructure to enhance connectivity. Tele-social work, tele-rehabilitation, and tele-occupational health are also on the rise. Dane Thomas, PA-C, MMS, a PA who specializes in hematology and oncology, said telemedicine use skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic — and showed its value to healthcare providers and patients alike. 'The rapid adoption of these tools, which were accelerated just out of necessity, helped us see the benefits,' he explained. 'You see that a lot of patients like the flexibility and convenience of telehealth. And, as a provider, it's nice to be easily connected with patients through telehealth. It really gives us more flexibility. When we can see patients from home or from the office a couple days of the week, it lends itself to a better work-life balance.' Critics of telehealth sometimes say that nothing can beat the quality of an in-person appointment. Yet, research studies, particularly in primary care, suggest its use does not negatively affect patient outcomes. And with continuing workforce shortages, as well as concerns about patient access to care, telehealth applications provide a way for PAs, as well as physicians and nurse practitioners, to reach more people. 'I'd love to see it expand more in rural medicine,' said Thomas. 'I think we can give better access to care to patients who live in rural areas with telemedicine. Not just with primary care but also with specialty medicine. As it is, it's just really hard to get doctors in those areas.' Yet, as healthcare organizations consider the best ways to implement telemedicine, Tiffany Ryder, PA-C, said, 'The devil is in the details.' Ryder, who does not use telemedicine in her current role but did conduct appointments online regularly during the pandemic, said many health plans and hospitals are looking at how to best increase access to medical care without sacrificing quality. So, in her nonclinical role, advising those organizations about how to strike such a balance, telehealth, she said, comes up again and again. 'When telehealth should be used really comes down to the details and nuance of the situation you are trying to address,' she said. 'It's definitely not a one-size-all tool that can replace in-person visits.' For example, she said telemedicine works best when there is continuity of care. For patients who have a chronic medical condition and see the same primary care provider regularly, telehealth applications can be of great benefit. 'When you know your provider and they know you, you don't always need to come into the office to have a question answered or a prescription filled,' Ryder explained. 'That not only is more convenient for the patient but it also increases a PA's availability to see other patients who may be coming to urgent care or the emergency room [ER] for a more acute issue.' Furthermore, she said, telemedicine can also act as a 'super-educated triage nurse' to help determine where to best allocate provider resources in emergency and urgent care settings. 'If you are a parent, and your child falls off a bunk bed and hits their head, you don't have the knowledge or skills to make a decision about whether your kid needs to go to the ER,' she said. 'But if you can connect via telehealth with a PA on your way to the ER, tell that person what happened and let them ask those important red flag questions; they can then tell you whether you need to come in or whether you can go home and monitor the situation. You can better manage your provider resources, and I think that's a really great place where telemedicine can shine.' Thomas, for his part, hopes that more organizations will work to identify both the positives and negatives of telehealth use to make sure it is deployed in the right scenarios to enhance patient care. And, as Ryder said, the devil may be in the details of its continued use; both she and Thomas agreed that telehealth adoption will continue to grow in the future. Kolhoff added the AAPA's finding that telehealth use continues to increase speaks to the fact that 'PAs are adaptable to new and emerging technology that can improve the patient's experience and ability to access high-quality healthcare in a timely manner.' 'What the future may look like, no one knows,' he said. 'What we do know is that PAs will continue to adapt to new technologies as needed to ensure that patient needs are being met.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
AAPA Celebrates 2025 Individual Excellence Award Recipients
ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) is excited to recognize outstanding physician associates/assistants (PAs) and PA students who have made exceptional contributions to their communities, patients, and the advancement of the PA profession. 'These PAs embody the innovative, dedicated spirit that drives our profession forward,' said AAPA President and Chair of the Board Jason Prevelige, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA. 'From mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders to pioneering research initiatives, each award recipient demonstrates the profound impact PAs have in transforming healthcare delivery. These awardees aren't simply raising the bar for our profession – they're showing what exceptional leadership and service looks like.' Each year, AAPA honors individuals who embody the highest standards of service, leadership, and advocacy in healthcare. The PA of the Year Award is presented to a PA who, over the course of a year, has demonstrated remarkable commitment to improving healthcare accessibility, delivering quality care, and positively shaping the public perception of the profession. The 2025 Individual Excellence Award honorees include: PA of the Year Award - Colonel James J. Jones, PhD, PA-C; Falls Church, Virginia PA Student of the Year Award - Phoebe Zhang; Brooklyn, New York Military Service Award - Brigadier General Bill A. Soliz, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, FACHE; Honolulu, Hawaii Diversity Award – PAs of Color (ThePAC) AAPA/PAEA Preceptor of the Year Award - Emily Monahan, PA-C, CPAAPA, ATC, OTC; Tampa, Florida Publishing Award - James R. Kilgore, DMSc, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA; Hoover, Alabama Outstanding Student Society Award - James Madison University Physician Assistant Student Society; Harrisonburg, Virginia CO Outreach and Advocacy Award – Maine Academy of Physician Associates The awards will be presented during the Main Stage Event on Monday, May 19. Visit to learn more about the awards and this year's winners. About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/physician assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. Learn more about the profession at and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. CONTACT: Annie Mattix American Academy of Physician Associates 414-551-1738 amattix@
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Forbes
Amid Doctor Shortage, Physician Assistant Pay Hits $130,000
Physician assistants are increasing in number and so is their pay, eclipsing $130,000 a year, according to new data from two groups. The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) said total median compensation 'across all earning types' rose 5.5% to $134,000 compared to $127,000 in in 2023 for physician assistants (PAs), also known as physician associates. As an hourly wage, the median pay has increased to $75 per hour, up from $70 in the previous year, AAPA said. The analysis is similar to a new report out this week from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), which said the 'mean income for PAs increased to $129,291 in 2024, up 12% from 2020.' NCCPA's report also said numbers of PAs are on the rise, increasing more than 6% to 189,907 as of the end of last year and up 27.8% over the last five years, The increasing numbers of PAs and the improving pay come amid a primary care shortage that is triggering states across the country to expand the scope of practice for healthcare professionals like PAs, nurse practitioners and pharmacists. Increasingly, states are allowing PAs to do more whether it be prescribing more medications and diagnosing certain illnesses to having more direct supervision of patients. 'There are now 56 PAs per 100,000 population in the U.S., compared to 45 in 2020,' said NCCPA President and CEO Dawn Morton-Rias. 'This continued growth reflects the increasing demand for PAs across various health care specialties. PAs play an indispensable role as patient care continues to rapidly evolve.' A physician assistant is nationally certified by the commission and must be licensed in the states where they practice. Most have a three-year master's degree, often from a program that runs about 27 months or three academic years, according to years and includes three years of healthcare training, according to the American Academy of Physician Associates. They work in doctor's offices, hospitals, surgery centers and other locations and their work includes diagnosing illnesses, writing prescriptions and counseling patients on preventive care. 'While primary care has long been a cornerstone of the PA profession, the latest data shows a slight shift in specialty distribution,' NCCPA said in a statement accompanying its report. 'Surgical subspecialties now account for the largest proportion of PAs (18.5%), closely followed by family medicine/general practice (16.3%). The overall representation in primary care saw a proportional decrease of 2.4% to 22% in 2024, a drop from 24.4% in 2020.'
