Physician Assistant Week at St. John's
October 10, 2007
October 6-12 is Physician Assistant Week, and St. John’s is saying thank you to those that work so hard to help keep our community in good health!
Physicians Assistants (PAs) play a critical role in the delivery of health care, especially in rural areas where physician staffing is a challenge. “Having PAs on staff in our emergency department allows our physicians to concentrate their time and efforts on the most critically ill patients, without doing a disservice to the other patients who come in seeking medical attention,” commented Bill Patten, CEO at St. John’s. “With the additional medical professionals, we are able to bring you so much more in regard to the number of patients and the quality of healthcare we deliver.”
The role of the PA is to practice medicine, under the supervision of a physician. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise independence in medical decision-making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. To top that off, PAs are found in all areas of medicine. They practice in the areas of emergent, urgent, and primary care medicine, as well as assisting in surgery and surgical subspecialties.
St. John’s currently employs two PAs, Rosie Bergroos, PA-C and Tony Fantozzi, PA-C who practice emergent and urgent care medicine in the Emergency Department/Prompt Care Clinic, and one PA who works closely with Dr. Urvater in his Orthopedic practice. “I just love my job! I love the people that I work with, and the challenge. Every day is something new,” stated Rosie Bergroos PA-C at St. John’s Prompt Care when asked about her day-to-day life as a physician assistant.
“St. John’s is very fortunate to have these medical professionals in our employ,” added Patten. “They definitely add value to our delivery system and provide such a great service to this community.”
St. John's Lutheran Hospital Media Release
Related Link:
St. John’s Lutheran Hospital, www.sjlh.com
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