Dear Colleagues,
As we come to the close of PA Week (Oct. 6 – 12), I want to recognize with great appreciation the many PAs in our community and around the country who continue to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the patients they serve. At GW and beyond, PAs are making important contributions to accessible high-quality health care, global health and medical humanitarian initiatives, as well as serving as leaders within their own communities.
National PA Day was first celebrated on October 6, 1987 in honor of the 20th anniversary of the first graduating class of PAs. Now, National PA Week is a time honored tradition, established to recognize and applaud the great work of PAs across the country. We also remember October 6 as the birthday of the profession’s founder, Eugene A. Stead Jr., MD, who was a trailblazer within the profession, and was a good friend to many within the GW faculty.
This year, National PA Week takes on special meaning as it falls during a global pandemic. At GW and across the nation, PAs have made major contributions on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. During this important week, and each day, we honor those PAs and all patient care givers who have become ill or have lost their lives during this pandemic. PAs are flexible, adaptable, and collaborative and are essential to the U.S. health care system.
Today, I want to say “thank you” to all of the PAs and PA students at GW, within our school and who serve our patients at the GW Medical Faculty Associates and the GW Hospital, for the important work you do. Thank you for choosing this noble profession and for dedicating your lives and career to providing vital services to those in need. Thank you for standing up for health equity and social justice. I am honored to work with each and every one of our GW PAs.
With Sincere Appreciation,
Barbara Lee Bass, MD Vice President for Health Affairs Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences Professor of Surgery The George Washington University Chief Executive Officer, The GW Medical Faculty Associate
