Fort Bliss Physician Assistants celebrate PA Day with training and graduation

Photo By Amabilia Payen | Maj. Melissa Young (left), Interservice Physician Assistant Program Phase II coordinator, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, gives the oath of office to newly appointed 2nd Lts. and IPAP graduates, Cecilia Morales and Cody Benavidez during an IPAP graduation held at a PA Day event on Fort Bliss, Oct. 6, at the Fort Bliss Centennial Banquet and Conference Center.  

FORT BLISS, TX, UNITED STATES

10.06.2022

Story by Amabilia Payen 

William Beaumont Army Medical Center

FORT BLISS, Texas – Army Physician Assistants on Fort Bliss honored National Physician Assistant Day, or PA Day, on October 6 by convening in a medical, professional, and development training event at the Fort Bliss Centennial Banquet and Conference Center.

“A year ago we had a small event,” said Maj. Zebulon Wilkin, 1st Armored Division senior division physician assistant. “PAs usually work really hard and so we don’t really plan things for ourselves and so we realized last year we really should try to have an event where the PAs on post could get together and celebrate PA Day.”

The event was strategically planned to bring together all unit physician assistants for networking, training to get continuing medical education credits and to allow senior PAs to mentor junior PAs in the their field of medicine.
“A reason (to have this) is to get all the PAs on post together so that they can kind of network and socialize and learn lessons from each other because each one learns different things as they are doing their jobs and battalion and brigade levels. A day of talking to each other is very helpful professionally,” said Wilkin.

Throughout Fort Bliss, there are an average of 60 to 70 physician assistants throughout the year, and Wilkin mentions that at least half of that population carry out different deployed missions, each, around the world.

“The importance of a PA is the same as the importance of the physician in the unit,” said Lt. Col. Ezella Washington, 1AD, division surgeon. “The PAs really take care of our Soldiers and they also take care of the docs as well. They are the ones front-lined and pushed far forward in the fight, and they are the ones who work closely with the medics and training and teaching them how to develop their skills. The PA is always the one who sees the patient on the front line and informs the doc of what needs to be done afterwards.”

Throughout the day, PA participants heard special speakers on topics such as military assignments and PA careers, command communications, emergency medicine cases, PA history, and life as a civilian PA after the Army.

“National PA Day I think is a great time to allow for things like this to happen, so we’re not having to do too many trainings that may take us away from units,” said 1st Lt. Kyle Louye, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1AD. “I think it’s great to have a meeting of the minds where we can see what everyone is doing in their other units and how to improve our individual units and care for Soldiers. There is always something new to learn. We should all be life-long learners. If we get to the point where we think we know everything, then I think that is a danger to ourselves and everyone else.”

The event also hosted an Interservice Physician Assistant Program graduation, where two newly appointed second lieutenants became PAs. 2nd Lts. Cecilia Morales and Cody Benavidez graduated with degrees from the University of Nebraska, were pinned with their rank by their families, and gave their first dollar salute to their chosen individual. The graduation was an added event that helped remind PAs, who were in attendance, of the hard work and sacrifices they do for their families and the Soldiers of their units.

“I hope they take away the feeling of how much we appreciate them,” said Washington, in reference to the training event. “I think sometimes we don’t show a lot of appreciation to our medical comrades, I want them to get a sense of appreciation, a sense of comradery among the PA world and community on Fort Bliss, and then also hopefully they will learn something as well.”

Washington confirmed that there are plans to continue to do PA Day events such as this one, annually.

• Date Taken: 10.06.2022
• Date Posted: 10.17.2022 13:46
• Story ID: 431482
• Location: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: EL PASO, TX, US
• Hometown: ESCONDIDO, CA, US
• Hometown: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: SOCORRO, NM, US