Serving as President of the California Academy of PAs (CAPA) after 27 years of practice as a physician associate in this state has given me a unique opportunity to reflect on our history, my personal journey, and the road ahead. CAPA’s story is, at its core, a story about dedication to patient care and the relentless effort to remove barriers that keep PAs from providing the high-quality healthcare our communities deserve. 

My own connection to CAPA began in 1998, when joining the organization was an expected part of PA school. At that time, Cyndy Flores was CAPA President, and I was fortunate to complete my emergency department rotation with her in San Jose. That rotation fundamentally changed my life. I remember my first full trauma patient, my first code, my first laceration repair, and my first STEMI. More than the clinical experiences, I remember being able to ask very naïve questions of the CAPA President—someone who would become a lifelong mentor. 

Cyndy’s responses were always thoughtful. She consistently emphasized that our priority as California PAs must always be centered on our crucial role in delivering high-quality healthcare. Her role as a leader, she explained, was to help clear the way for us to provide that care. That simple idea—that organizational and legislative work exist to support patient care—has shaped my understanding of CAPA and my own professional philosophy. It is a lesson that has stayed with me throughout my career: focus on patients first and let that focus guide every decision. 

CAPA also played a pivotal role in my early career. After graduation, before cell phones and constant connectivity, I did not realize that a previous mentor hoped to offer me a position in emergency medicine. At my first CAPA conference in 2001, while I was working in family practice at Sutter, I ran into Cyndy once again. That encounter led to an invitation to apply for an emergency medicine position, which has remained my primary practice setting ever since. For me, CAPA conferences have never been just educational events; they have been life-changing opportunities to connect, to learn, and to grow as a PA. This year’s 50-year celebration in Palm Springs is another chance for our profession to gather, reflect, and look ahead. 

Over the past five decades, CAPA has consistently stood up for PAs in California, defending our ability to practice and, by extension, protecting our patients’ access to care. Today, we face a new and urgent challenge: modernizing outdated regulations that unnecessarily restrict our practice. To meet this moment, we need a strong collective voice, robust CAPA membership, and a shared commitment to patient-centered care. 

As we embark on our next 50-year journey, CAPA will continue working to eliminate unnecessary tethers that limit how we serve our patients. I am grateful for your confidence and support, and I invite you to recruit colleagues, join our efforts, and become more involved. Together, we can honor our past, strengthen our present, and build a future in which PAs are fully empowered to provide the high-quality care that Californians need and deserve.