Richard C. Rohrs, PA-C, a physician assistant (PA) from Parkton, Maryland, has been elected president elect of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the only national organization to represent physician assistants in all medical and surgical specialties. Rohrs will serve as president elect for one year, and then automatically step into the position of president in June 2005.

Rohrs serves as administrative director of medical affairs at Northwest Hospital Center in Randallstown, Maryland, where he has worked for the past 27 years. Active in AAPA, he has been a member of the board of directors since 2000, during which time he served as chair of the board�s External Affairs Committee and the International Affairs Committee.

Prior to joining the board of directors, he chaired several other AAPA committees, including the Conference Planning, Professional Certification, and Education committees, and the Subcommittee on Hospital Practice. He represented AAPA on the National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) Board of Directors from 1989 to 1998. He served as NCCPA president, member of its Executive Committee, and treasurer, and served on numerous committees for that organization. NCCPA is the national certifying body for the physician assistant profession.

There is no greater responsibility for us as a profession than to be advocates for our patients. We must work to continually improve the quality of and access to medical care. PAs are a potential solution to many of the problems faced by today�s health care delivery system,� said Rohrs. Rohrs has also been active in the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA) since becoming a member in 1977. He was president of MAPA from 1980 to 1981, and served as director of medical education, as well as a member of the Legislative, Reimbursement, and Development Committees.

Rohrs served as a member of the Maryland PA Advisory Committee to the Board of Medical Examiners from 1983-1986, serving as chair in 1986. He was named the Maryland PA of the Year in 1987 and the AAPA Outstanding PA of the Year in 2000.

Physician assistants are licensed health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications.

AAPA is the only national organization to represent physician assistants in all medical and surgical specialties. Founded in 1968, the Academy works to promote quality, cost-effective health care, and the professional and personal growth of PAs. For more information about the Academy and the PA profession, visit the AAPA Web site, www.aapa.org.