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Dear AAPA Members,
An insightful article titled “A History of the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants: Creating an Organization, Winning Hearts and Minds, and Building an Invaluable Profession” by Thomas L. Reilly, BHS, PA(ASCP)CM, and James R. Wright Jr., MD, PhD, has been published in Academic Pathology, the journal of the Association of Pathology Chairs.
This article is essential reading for every pathologists’ assistant as it underscores the challenges and resistance that our profession encountered upon its inception and how the “founding fathers” of the AAPA (president: Harvey L. Gibson; first vice president: Norman F. Gerard; second vice president: Coy W. Wagoner; third vice president: Robert P. Heineman; and secretary/treasurer: John R. McNamee) organized and officially formed the association nearly fifty years ago. This historical presentation demonstrates how our profession and the AAPA are one and the same as professional standards for PAs, standards for the training programs, the quest for national recognition, and significant milestones were established and accomplished by the leaders and members of the AAPA. The article also presents the parallel challenges that Canadian PAs have faced and the issues that remain.
The AAPA is incredibly grateful to long-standing former BOT member and current BOT Historian Adjunct Tom Reilly, as well as Dr. James Wright, for their work in writing this important article and getting it published.
Of note, the Academic Pathology journal also published an article titled “Pathologists’ Assistants: A Profession Comes to Maturity” written by pathologists and editors of Academic Pathology, Dr. Richard Conran and Dr. James Crawford. This article recognizes the historical maturation of our profession, our scope of practice, and the value that certified PAs provide along with touching on the challenges that currently face our profession.
We encourage you to read the articles, share them with your colleagues, and let us know your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter.
Sincerely,
John Eckman, MHS, PA(ASCP)CM
CFO, AAPA Board of Trustees
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