PA Advocacy: 10 Ways for Busy PAs to Make a Difference
November 6, 2021 from 3:15pm EDT to 4:15pm EDT
As the PA profession in Canada continues to expand, there is an ongoing need for advocacy efforts to promote acceptance & meaningful integration of PAs.¹ During this session, attendees will be exposed to 10 practical ways to highlight the PA role within their organizations and healthcare communities. Examples of effective strategies used by current PAs, students & supporters will be presented. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage in a brief interactive brainstorming activity using the principles of Design Thinking to generate creative & innovative approaches for enhancing PA advocacy in Canada.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to:
Explain the importance of advocacy for the long-term growth and integration of PAs in Canadian healthcare.
Identify practical ways to contribute to PA advocacy in their institutions.
Apply Design Thinking principles to generate new ways of promoting the PA role.
Ohood Elzibak is a Physician Assistant in Orthopaedic Surgery, specializing in sports orthopaedics and arthroscopic surgery since 2010. She completed her undergraduate studies at McMaster University and was part of the inaugural PA cohort. In 2012, she went on to obtain her Master's degree in Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Ohood is an Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University and is involved in clinical skills teaching and preceptorship in Orthopaedic Surgery. In 2016, Ohood was the recipient of the national PA Educator of the Year award. She is a passionate advocate for the PA profession and for justice, diversity and inclusion in medicine.
Anna is a Canadian Certified Physician Assistant in Interstitial Lung Disease and Lung Transplant Medicine at St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. She is a three-time graduate of McMaster University, finishing her BHSc-PA in 2020, her MBA in Health Services Management in 2017 and her Arts & Science degree (with a combination in Health Studies) in 2013. In 2019, she received the CHE designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders, a program designed to support healthcare professionals to define and understand their leadership and the role they play in leading systems change.
Prior to her PA journey, Anna spent time in various organizations across the GTHA in quality improvement, strategic sourcing, and project management roles. Through her work and training, she has fostered skills in and recognized the power of design thinking (including brainstorming!) to support people closest to problems, generate more innovative solutions.
In her free time, you can find Anna spending time with her dog Daisy and her partner in the various parks and trails in Hamilton or volunteering as a Board Member with YWCA Hamilton, an organization that works to ensure women and girls have the rights, resources and opportunities to shape their own lives and communities.