Hello CAPA Members!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for stopping by and taking a look at our website. We try and keep this website up-to-date and as informative and as helpful to our CAPA members as possible. We provide quick links to commonly-used websites, information for job opportunites throughout the state, conference information, legislative updates as well as lots of other important information just a click away from your fingertips.

I would first like to introduce myself as your CAPA President for the term beginning July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012. I follow our Past President, Mr. Miguel Medina, who was President for a 2-year term. He is a great mentor to me to help me serve our members the best way possible.

I graduated from Quinnipiac University’s PA Program in 2003 and returned back home to practice here in California. I have been practicing in Newport Beach in Orthopedic Surgery since this time.

I joined the CAPA Board of Directors several years ago to help do the work that many leaders have done before me and help keep our profession here in California as a PA strong and viable. We are constantly being challenged as a profession and it’s the work of CAPA over the past 34 years that keeps us alive and well as a profession. In the grand scheme of things, we are still a young profession having only been around for 43 years now compared to doctors and nurses. Many patients have still never encountered a PA or even heard of a PA and it’s the hard work of now over 7,500 PAs across California that are getting to these patients and treating them with the great care we provide. This is the best possible PR for us. We don’t need huge advertising campaigns or commercials or billboards explaining who we are and what we do. Each patient contact shows we provide great care to our patients. It’s a slow progression, but I have seen over the past several years that the knowledge of the PA profession is growing.

CAPA works hard for you every day to make sure that we are always looking out for your best interest. We have a lobbyist, an attorney and strong PAs reviewing legislation, updating state laws and making sure our profession will continue to be leaders in health care in California for years to come.

There are many different levels and ways to get involved with CAPA and CAPA activities. We offer two wonderful conferences each year; one in the fall in Palm Springs and one in February in beautiful Napa. These are wonderful opportunities to get your required CME hours as well as connect with other PAs across the state, and of course maybe get some golfing or wine tasting in while you are at it. We also are always looking for submissions for our very own CAPA magazine which is published every other month. If you would like to submit an article, you may submit your articles (typically 500 words or less) to the CAPA News Editorial Board for consideration. Please email your article to capa@capanet.org or call the CAPA office with any questions you may have.

Also we could not do what we do without the support of funds to the Political Action Committee. But the most basic way to stay involved, support CAPA by being a member and make sure that your profession is safeguarded here in California for years to come. Plain and simple, we cannot do what we do day-in and day-out without dues dollars. This is such a simple thing to do that every physician assistant in California should be a member, year-in and year-out. We need you and your colleagues to be members!

Thank you again for taking the time to read this, visiting our website and for continuing to support CAPA. We could not do it without you. And, thank you for letting me serve you as President for the next two years. I promise to work hard for you every day and do what is best for California PAs.

Eric V. Glassman, MHS, PA-C
CAPA President