Dear GAPA Members,

First, I would like to take the opportunity to thank our outgoing board members for their time, patience, and dedication to GAPA, without you we wouldn’t be where we are today and I hope you continue to take an active role in the organization! Secondly, I want to introduce our current board members and welcome our incoming board members: Brian Wingrove- president-elect, LeAnne Martinelli- immediate past president, Miles Gilbreath- treasurer, Amanda Prather- Secretary, and our board at large members -Shannon Jackson, Hanna Demeester, and Malatrice Montgomery. I am looking forward to working with all of you this year and know we will do great things! Lastly, I wanted to thank you, the members, for allowing me the privilege of spending this next year as GAPA president.

There are many changes happening in the world of medicine. More than ever, it’s imperative that we take an active part in lobbying for ourselves! As a profession, it’s important that we show our knowledge base, skill set, and passion for what we do, so we can work towards practicing at the top of our license. We can do this is by educating those around us about PA education, practice, and contributions to our healthcare teams. The only way we can make change is by being an active part of it! This year, I would love to increase membership and facilitate a “PAs take the Hill day”, where we go the GA Capitol to advocate and educate this coming spring.

In addition to Hill day, GAPA will continue to provide opportunities to obtain CME’s through our summer conference, with the plan to bring back the GAPA winter conference this year. We also anticipate encouraging more pre-PA students to sign up for our Engage program and grow our summer pre-PA conference track.

We are also considering starting a virtual pre-PA/undergraduate Advisor portion to our summer conference. We believe this will help those advising students become more knowledgeable on the PA application process and the rigors of PA school, making more students successful in their journey to becoming a PA. Ultimately, my goal is to encourage more PAs to get involved and get excited about being a GAPA member!

Overall, I am looking forward to a fun eventful year and can’t wait to see where we are in July of 2025! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the GAPA team with questions.

Always at your service,
Megan Timpone, MMSc, PA-C
GAPA President 2024-2025

Available Articles to Read 

The cost-effectiveness of physician assistants/associates: A systematic review of international evidence

Addressing Georgia’s Healthcare Disparities: The Benefits of Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants