PA student Michael Nolan performs a blood pressure screening on a NewYork-Presbyterian employee.
More than 100 people attended a free blood pressure screening on Oct. 4 in the Greenberg Lobby of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center as part of National Physician Assistant Awareness Week. Sponsored by the Class of 2005 and 2006 Weill Cornell Physician Assistant (PA) Program, 24 students participated in the event, administering screenings to more than 70 staff, patients and community members. In addition, they provided information on hypertension, preventive medicine, stroke and the physician-assistant profession to many more visitors who passed through the lobby.
Students and faculty from Weill Cornell's Physician Assistant Program celebrate National PA Awareness Week. (Seated, from left) Jennifer Summers, Louise Austin, Katherine Gebhardt, Agnieszka Lantowski (Standing, from left) Sharon Lai, Melissa Amsellem, Ryan Villamater, Memorie Nichols, Kimberly Turner, Erin Bomba, Elliot Silverman, Jennifer Cummings, Skarlett Paiz, and Luis Garcia.
Physician assistants are licensed health-care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of physicians. As part of their services, PAs conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, assist in surgery and can write prescriptions. The American Academy of Physician Assistants estimates that, in 2004, PAs managed 206 million patient visits, up from 192 million in 2003.
"The number of patients being treated by physician assistants continues to grow," says Katherine Gebhardt, PA-S, vice president of the PA program student society at Weill Cornell. "We felt it was important to have a visual presence in the Hospital during PA Awareness Week."
Established in 1973, the Weill Cornell PA program has seen a steady increase in applicants over the past three years. "Our program is unique," says Luis Garcia, PA-C, clinical coordinator of the PA program. "Our students receive the same medical education as other programs offer, but there is also a greater emphasis on surgical training."
Photos by Marie Wallace.