The Continuing Medical Education (CME) is a standing volunteer leadership committee dedicate to building and providing quality clinical and non-clinical content for PAs in order to support their licensing and continuing medical education requirements.
 
CAPA hosts three annual conferences, some specialty and community conferences, and an online library called the Education Hub.
 
CAPA at Napa – One day general medicine winter meeting in Northern California
 
Virtual Rounds – Two month, all virtual general medicine summer meeting, via live webcast or streaming
 
CAPA Con – Three and a half day general and specialty medicine fall meeting in Southern California
 
Specialty – Half or full day specialty medicine meeting at committee-selected locations

Community – Half or full day general and specialty medicine meeting at committee-selected locations
 
Education Hub – Online library hosting general and specialty medicine lectures that may be accessed on-demand via streaming throughout the year
 
Practicum – In-practice activity that elevates the procedures and policies of practices, generally accredited for PI-CME.
 
The CME Committee is tasked with:
 

• Designing and approving the programmatic content for all CAPA conferences and CME activities
• Developing and monitoring the educational outcomes of CAPA CME
• Ensuring CAPA’s CME activities meeting AAPA accreditation guidelines and the needs of PAs
• Regularly seeking new and quality speakers to add to CAPA’s speakers bureauEncouraging CAPA members and PAs to participate in CAPA educational activities

The Professional Practice Committee is a standing volunteer leadership committee dedicated to serving as the source of non-clinical professional practices information that includes, but is not limited to, scope of practice, reimbursement, legal and regulatory compliance, labor law, and public policies affecting the PA profession.
 
The objectives of this committee are carried out in the resources, white papers, toolkits, and information it provides via the CAPA magazine, the monthly CAPA digital newsletter, the Practice Support section of the CAPA website, and CAPA’s general member support.
 
The Committee Chair is appointed each fiscal year by the CAPA President and approved by the Board of Directors. Committee members are selected by the Chair and approved by the Board of Directors. Committee commitment is largely via email with an occasional in-person meeting
as circumstances require.

The Professional Practice Committee is tasked with:

• Responding to the questions of membership regarding non-clinical aspects of PA practice
• Identifying and creating content that is relevant to PAs and their professional practice
• Research PA practice issues and draft articles, white papers, or resources that will inform and educate CAPA members
• Write and contribute articles/content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms
• Writing articles or curating content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms.
• Recommendation professional practice topics for CAPA events and conferences

The Membership Committee is responsible for the general recruitment and retention of CAPA members. Its goal is to support existing efforts while recommending and developing new methods of maintaining member satisfaction while attracting more PAs to CAPA, with the ultimate objective of growing a strong member base.

The Membership Committee oversees and collaborates with four sub-committees that similarly serve to retain and recruit members from specific groups of PAs.

• PA Schools Sub-Committee: Responsible for activities relating and affecting the 16 PA schools/programs in California
• Early Career PAs Sub-Committee: Responsible for activities most relevant to and affecting students about to graduate from PA school and those PAs practicing six years or less
• Student Affairs Sub-Committee: Responsible for activities most relevant to and affecting PA students
• Diversity Sub-Committee: Responsible for activities that focus on the holistic inclusion of PAs from a variety of backgrounds, including race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and culture.
• The members of the Membership Committee are composed of the Chairs of each sub-committee and up tot three more CAPA volunteers, as appointed by the Membership Chai

The Membership Committee is tasked with:

• Assisting the Board of Directors, staff and any other leaders of CAPA with matters that pertain to membership.
• Identifying the needs of members and developing services to meet those needs.
• Gathering information on and analyzing non-member needs and perceptions of CAPA.
• Recommending and developing strategies to meet non-member needs in order to increase CAPA membership.
• Recommending and participating in activities that acknowledge new members and encourage participation in CAPA activities.
• Writing articles or curating content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms that remind members or introduce non-members of CAPA member value.

Committee Chair: Vincent Caserio

Committee Members:

Lisa Soria-Palacios
Catherine Dam
Mayngan Stone
Sara Wiens
Stephanie Saldivar

The PA Schools Sub-Committee is an adjunct of CAPA’s Membership Committee. Its goal is to recruit new members to CAPA by working with PA schools to create and provide services that are valued by students and alumni. Each year, CAPA also puts forth calls for applications for CAPA PA Scholarships and the Ruth Webb Memorial Scholarship. The PA Schools Sub-Committee will convene for the purposes of awarding the general scholarships. The Sub-Committee on Diversity will convene with the PA Schools Sub-Committee for the purpose of selecting the Ruth Webb Scholarship.

CAPA has a Student Affairs Sub-Committee composed of all the student representatives of the 16 California PA schools. The PA Schools Sub-Committee may occasionally collaborate with the Student Affairs Sub-Committee, should the activity call for it.

The PA Schools Sub-Committee is tasked with:

• Assisting the Board of Directors, staff and any other leaders of CAPA with matters that pertain to PA schools and students.
• Helping to maintain regular communication between CAPA, PA Program Directors and PA Program Faculty.
• Developing strategies to increase CAPA membership among PA faculty and PA students.
• Helping to identify synergistic needs/benefits between PA Programs and CAPA that are consistent with CAPA’s mission and vision.
• Writing articles or curating content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms.

Committee Chair: Sunayana Pydah

Committee Members: Iris Orion

The Early Career PAs Sub-Committee is an adjunct of CAPA’s Membership Committee. Its goal is to retain graduating student members and recruit new members to CAPA by developing and providing services that are valued by early career PAs (defined as PA school graduates and PAs practicing under six years.

Due to the transitional nature between PA education and practice, the Early Career PAs Sub-Committee may occasionally collaborate with other volunteer committees, most notably the PA Schools Sub-Committee, the Student Affairs Sub-Committee, and the Professional Practices Committee.

The Early Career PAs Sub-Committee is tasked with:

• Assisting the Board of Directors, staff and any other leaders of CAPA with matters that pertain to early career PAs.
• Identifying the needs of early career PAs and developing services to meet those needs in order to recruit new members and grow a strong membership base.
• Encouraging early career PAs to participate in CAPA activities.
• Writing articles or curating content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms that are relevant to early career PAs or spotlight CAPA programs that remind early career PAs of member value.

Committee Chair: Samantha Minkewicz

The Student Affairs Sub-Committee is an adjunct of CAPA’s Membership Committee. It is composed of the student representatives of the PA schools currently accredited by ARC-PA and chaired by CAPA’s elected Student Representative.

CAPA also has a PAs Schools Sub-Committee that works with PA schools’ administration, faculty, and alumni. The Student Affairs Sub Committee may occasionally collaborate with this and other committees should the activity call for it.

The Student Affairs Sub-Committee is tasked with:
• Assisting the Board of Directors, staff, and any other leaders of CAPA with matters that pertain to student PAs.
• Identifying the needs of student PAs and developing services to meet those needs in order to recruit new members and grow a strong membership base.
• Encouraging student PAs to participate in CAPA activities.
• Writing articles or curating content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms that are relevant to student PAs or spotlight CAPA programs that remind student PAs of member value.

Committee Chair: Aaron Hunro

The Diversity Sub-Committee is an adjunct of CAPA’s Membership Committee. Its goal is to promote the values of inclusion and equity within the PA profession by bringing awareness of the profession and its opportunities to individuals from all backgrounds. This sub-committee conducts events and activities that educate the public about the PA profession, recruit potential future PAs from underrepresented groups, and support said groups in their PA endeavors.

Due to the transitional nature between PA education and practice, the Early Career PAs Sub-Committee may occasionally collaborate with other volunteer committees, most notably the PA Schools Sub-Committee, the Student Affairs Sub-Committee, and the Professional Practices Committee.

The Diversity Sub-Committee is tasked with:

• Advising and/or supporting the Board of Directors, staff and any other leaders of CAPA with matters that pertain to diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.
• Collaborating with the PA School Sub-Committee in selecting and awarding recipients of the Ruth Webb Memorial Scholarship
• Performing outreach to pre-PA and college organizations
• Writing articles or curating content for CAPA’s various publications and communication platforms that are relevant to the goal of this sub-committee
• Collaborate with gender and race-based PA associations or constituent organizations

The goals and focus of the Committee are:

• To promote the PA profession in California
• To create and promote projects and events which promote physician/PA team practice
• To seek out and develop conduits of communication with the physician communities of California
• To promote membership in CAPA
• The terms and conditions of service on the Public Education Committee are:
  • You must be a CAPA member.

The terms of service on the Public Outreach Committee are:
Appointment to the Committee is on an annual term, from July 1st through June 30th. Members may be appointed at any time during the year to fill a vacancy. Interest in reappointment to the Committee should be sent to the chair by early June.

Meetings, via conference calls or in person, normally occur 2 – 3 times annually. Members will be reimbursed for approved expenses relating to participation on the Committee.

Tasks:

• Educate the public, organizations, other health professions, etc., about the profession and its role in the health care delivery system.
• As requested by the Board in conjunction with CAPA staff, provide advice on the development and distribution of materials regarding the profession and the Academy.
• Carry out specific tasks as requested by the Board in conjunction with CAPA staff. (i.e., reading program and elementary schools, speaking at high schools, health clubs, PA Week activities, etc.)
• Submit articles for publication when assigned to do so by the Editor of the CAPA News.
• Encourage members to use all opportunities to educate various audiences about the PA profession in California

The Political Action Committee (PAC) is a separate organizational entity from CAPA, known as a 527 organization. The PAC is separate from CAPA, because, by law, associations are prohibited from providing direct political support. The PAC is able to do so because the funds are considered to be from members, not CAPA itself.
 
The objective of the PAC is to pool campaign contributions from CAPA members and donate those funds to support candidates for elective office who share CAPA’s interests and concerns about legislative issues.
 
The PAC is tasked with:

• Authorizing all contributions to candidates, using CAPA’s advocacy goals as a framework
• Providing general oversight of the PAC
• Promoting the PAC and positively represent its work to fellow CAPA members and other stakeholders.
• Operating with transparency in screening and authorizing contributions