Published: 09/02/2022
Clinical-year physician assistant students Valerie Russell and Ashley Saunders spent this past Saturday volunteering for the Special Olympics in Tampa, Florida.
Clinical-year physician assistant students Valerie Russell and Ashley Saunders spent this past Saturday volunteering for the Special Olympics in Tampa, Florida.
“Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit every day around the world through the transformative power and joy of sport. Through programming in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is tackling the inactivity, stigma, isolation, and injustice that people with intellectual disabilities (ID) face. Our work goes far beyond sports events, driving social change that enables full social participation for people with ID.”
About the Program:
Physician assistants (PAs) are medical providers who are nationally certified and state licensed to practice medicine as a member of a team with other healthcare professionals. Their specific tasks vary widely due to differences among state laws, hospital policies and utilization preferences of supervising physicians.
Generally, PAs are qualified to obtain patient histories, perform comprehensive physical examinations, order and interpret diagnostic laboratory tests, prepare a diagnosis, implement a treatment plan for common illnesses, deliver patient education and counseling, perform certain surgical procedures, and provide emergency care. PAs may assist in surgery and deliver pre-operative and post-operative care. Physician Assistants may deliver patient care in any setting in which the physician works.