BWH Celebrates Physician Assistants

BWH and DFCI physicians, leaders and colleagues celebrated their talented and dedicated physician assistants in October at the Museum of Fine Arts.

“We are eternally grateful to all of our PAs for their contributions in almost 20 sections and divisions throughout the hospital,” said Chief Medical Officer Andy Whittemore, MD. “As integral members of the care team, you help us take better care of our patients.”

This year, David Rosenthal, PA-C, chief PA for Interventional Radiology, and Chris Liu, PA-C, chief PA for Interventional Cardiology, received the second annual PA Recognition Award for their leadership and dedication.

PA Recognition Award recipient Chris Liu, PA-C, left, and Frederic Resnic, MD.

Liu is the chief PA for a team of seven PAs in the cardiac catheterization lab. “He serves as an example not only to the PA team, but to all health care professionals in our laboratory through his dedication to patient care and his unwavering professionalism in dealing with all members of the multidisciplinary care team,” said Frederic Resnic, MD, MSc, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

Liu pioneered the development of the interventional cardiology inpatient service, managed by the PA team for the past eight years. The unit consistently receives high scores in patient satisfaction, and Liu’s dedication to patients is noticed by all who work with him. “The greatest compliment I can give to Chris is that I look to him as one of my role models for the type of leader I would like to be in the catheterization laboratory and hospital,” Resnic said. “It is a privilege to work with him.”

Rosenthal began at BWH on the same day as his supervising physician, Richard Baum, MD, director of Interventional Radiology. “Over the past six years, David has become the cornerstone of our division,” Baum said. “His empathetic, compassionate and high quality patient care serves as a model for the group.”

Rosenthal marked his 1,000th procedure at BWH in October. In addition to performing routine patient care and complex minimally invasive procedures, Rosenthal serves on hospital committees, including the ethics committees. His work has been recognized on a national level, as he pioneered a new minimally invasive procedure for patients with malignant ascites and presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s annual meeting in 2004. Last year, he was invited to author a position statement on physician assistants that will be published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

“David has had 23 years of clinical experience, and, with that, he is able to easily establish excellent rapport with patients and their families, instill confidence in them and allay their fears,” said Michael Stecker, MD, of Interventional Radiology.

PA Practice Continues to Grow

In August, state legislation passed allowing physicians to supervise four PAs—increased from two—as part of the Cost Containment Bill. “This increases the number of PAs that can be employed in each department,” Heather Trafton, PA-C, manager for PA Compliance and Development, said.

More than 100 PAs practice at BWH, and that number continues to increase because of limits on residents’ work hours and the high level of skill and ability of PAs. Their scope of practice is expanding at BWH.

“BWH and DFCI have increased the scope of practice for PAs to mirror the state’s laws and regulations,” said Trafton. “After the appropriate training, PAs will be allowed to order restraints, be the operator for moderate procedural sedation and have more responsibilities in the OR.”

David Rosenthal, PA-C, chief PA for Interventional Radiology, and Chris Liu, PA-C, chief PA for Interventional Cardiology, who received recognition awards this year, have been working with the Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants to have both Department of Public Health and the Board of Registration regulations updated to better reflect PA practices and the safe utilization of fluoroscopy. Proposed changes would modernize state regulations allowing PAs to utilize ionizing radiation for procedures delegated to them by their supervising physicians after receiving the appropriate radiation safety training. Updating state regulations to allow for the delegation of such procedures to PAs is a nationwide trend.

“Physician Assistant Services continues to research and develop opportunities for continuing education for our PAs,” said Debra Leven, director of Physician Assistant Services at BWH. PA Grand Rounds continue to be well attended by up to 50 physician assistants each month. This March, BWH is a sponsor for a three-day CME course “Medical and Surgical Update for Hospital Based Clinicians,” in Attitash for PAs and nurse practitioners. For more information, visit www.cmr4cme.com