Doctors, Physician Assistants Align In Support Of Physician-Led Team Based Healthcare

  • Monday, October 27, 2014

The Tennessee Medical Association and the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants announce their mutual commitment to improve healthcare in Tennessee by promoting and participating in integrated healthcare delivery teams. TMA and TAPA will work together to advocate for patient-centered, physician-directed teams that deliver quality, cost-effective healthcare to all Tennesseans, said officials. 

The governing boards of each organizations have approved a joint statement released Monday. 

We, the Tennessee Medical Association and the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants, are mutually committed to continuing to improve access to safe and effective, patient-centered quality care within an integrated, coordinated, physician-led team. 

“Our healthcare industry is experiencing a much-needed shift from a fragmented, inefficient delivery system to one that provides more efficient coordinated care. We recognize the value of a more integrated healthcare delivery network in our state in terms of reducing costs and, most importantly, improving quality care for the patient. This is the future of U.S. healthcare and it’s time for us to lead the way in Tennessee,” said Douglas J. Springer, MD, FACP, FACG, TMA president. 

“Physician assistants are highly-trained medical providers who have a long history of providing excellent care in conjunction with their physician partners,” said Frank Warren, PA-C, TAPA President. “Since its inception, the PA profession has promoted a team-based approach to healthcare while realizing the incomparable value of physician-led collaboration in medicine.” 

Coordinated care models continue to take shape across the U.S. as healthcare providers are challenged to find ways to deliver better care at a lesser cost. Provisions in the Affordable Care Act and payers shifting from fee-for-service to value-based payment models create a need – and opportunity – for better collaboration between physicians, PAs and other health professionals, said officials. 

“Coordinated medical care under a team delivery model, utilizing a patient-centered approach, provides the best possible patient outcomes,” said Mr. Warren. 

Physician-led teams also improve patients’ access to the care they need without compromising the quality, said officials. TMA and TAPA officials stress the importance of drawing upon the medical training of all members of the healthcare team to maintain compliance with state laws and regulations, and achieve the best possible outcome for the patient. 

TMA and TAPA represent a combined 9,000 members in Tennessee.

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