ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

FISCAL YEAR 2006-2007
ANNUAL REPORT

9545 East Doubletree Ranch Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
(480) 551-2700 or toll-free (877) 255-2212
www.azpa.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter to the Governor, Janet Napolitano …………………………………………..……….. Page 2
.
ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
Board Membership ………………………………………………………………………….. Pages 3-6
Licensing ……………………………………………………………………………...……… Page 7
Regulation ………….………………………………………………………………………… Page 8

Page 1

LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR
JANET NAPOLITANO

Governor
Janet Napolitano

Members of the Arizona Regulatory
Board of Physician Assistants
Joan M. Reynolds, M.M.S., P.A.-C
Chair/Physician Assistant Member
Peter C. Wagner, D.O.
Vice Chair/Physician Member
Randy Danielson, Ph.D., P.A.-C
Physician Assistant Member
Michael E. Goodwin, P.A.
Physician Assistant Member
James E. Meyer, M.D.
Physician Member
Sigmund G. Popko, J.D.
Public Member
Anna Marie Prassa
Public Member
Albert Ray Tuttle, P.A.
Physician Assistant Member
Dr. Kelli M. Ward, D.O.,M.P.H.,FACOFP
Physician Member
Barry D. Weiss, M.D.
Physician Member

D

ear Governor Napolitano:
On behalf of the Arizona Regulatory Board
of Physician Assistants, I submit to you our 2007 Annual Report.

Last year, we reported the tremendous improvement we had made
in redesigning our investigative/adjudicative process and our licensing process. The results were a spectacular success with the Board
meeting all of its performance measures for the entire year.
The Board is now turning its attention outward, toward the
community. For the upcoming year, the Board will continue its
involvement in providing guidance to the community and working
with the community. Just a few of the projects the Board is working on includes: drafting a guideline for physician supervision of
physician assistants; rewriting the physician assistant rules and updating them; and drafting rules for PAs performing minor surgeries.
We believe these new rules, guidelines and the substantive
policy statement will enhance patient safety, while helping physicians understand what the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician
Assistants expects.

Executive Staff
Timothy C. Miller, J.D.
Executive Director

Sincerely,

Amanda J. Diehl, M.P.A., C.P.M.
Deputy Executive Director
Roger Downey
Media Relations Officer

Timothy C. Miller
Executive Director

Page 2

ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANTS MEMBERSHIP
Joan M. Reynolds, M.M.S., P.A.-C,
Board Chair, is a practicing physician assistant at
Mayo Clinic Scottsdale.
She has been employed as
a physician assistant since
1986, serving in primary
care settings.
Ms. Reynolds earned her
Physician Assistant degree
at Hahnemann University
in Philadelphia. She received her Masters Degree
in Medical Science through
Nova Southeastern University.
She is past-president of the Arizona State Association of Physician Assistants and has served as
an elected delegate to the American Academy of
Physician Assistants in the House of Delegates.
She serves as a preceptor for PA students in Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, and is
an Adjunct Faculty Member for Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, and for Arizona
School of Health Sciences in Mesa.

Peter C. Wagner, D.O., Vice-Chair and
a physician member, is Board-certified in Family
Medicine and is the medical director of the Gila
Crossing Clinic on the
Pima Indian Reservation
south of Phoenix.
Dr. Wagner is a member of
the clinical faculty at the
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, Arizona. He is also a
Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Dr. Wagner was the acting clinical director at Sells

Indian Hospital, a clinical lecturer at the UofA
Medical School, and the chairman of the Family
Medical Department at Mesa General Hospital.
Dr. Wagner has served on the Arizona Osteopathic Association Committee on Comprehensive
Planning. He is a published author and is the
recipient of numerous awards.
Dr. Wagner received his D.O. Degree from
Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in
Missouri and completed his residency in family
practice at Richmond Heights General Hospital in
Ohio. He is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of
General Practice.

Randy Danielson, Ph.D., P.A.-C is
Professor and Dean of the Arizona School of
Health Sciences (ASHS), a
School of A.T. Still University. He is a former
Chair in the Department
of Physician Assistant
Studies at ASHS. He is
the Chairman of the
Board of Directors of the
National Commission on
Certification of Physician
Assistants (NCCPA).
Dr. Danielsen has served on the NCCPA Board
since 1997 as chair of the Research & Test Development Committee, as Secretary of the Board,
and as a member of the Executive Committee.
He is also a member of the American Academy of
Physician Assistants.
Dr. Danielsen received his PA training at the University of Utah MEDEX program, his Masters in
PA Studies from the University of Nebraska, and
a Doctorate in Education from the Union Institute & University.
Page 3

ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANTS MEMBERSHIP
Michael E. Goodwin, P.A., is the founder
and owner of Occupational Assessments & Services, an occupational
medicine provider in and
out of the State of Arizona.
He is a licensed physician
assistant, having received
his training at the U.S.
Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri. He attended the University of
Cincinnati residency in
occupational medicine.
Mr. Goodwin is currently a member of the Executive Board, Section on Medical Center
Occupational Health for the American College of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He
is also a member of the adjunct faculty, Arizona
School of Health Sciences, and is a member of
the Advisory Board for the Arizona Valle del Sol
Association of Occupational Health Services.
Mr. Goodwin is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants in Occupational and
Environmental Medicine, is a founding member
of the Arizona State Association of Physician Assistants, and belongs to the American Academy of
Physician Assistants and to the Arizona Medical
Association.

James E. Meyer, M.D., a physician member
of the Board, is the Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Program and an Associate Professor for the College of Health Sciences at Midwestern University in Glendale. He is also an
Associated Medical Director of Hospice of Arizona.
Dr. Meyer received his medical education at the
University of Michigan Medical School and completed a medicine internship at the Milton S. Her-

shey Medical Center at Penn State University and
an Internal Medicine Residency at the University
of Colorado Medical Center. He also completed
extensive postgraduate
psychotherapy training.
Dr. Meyer is a Boardcertified Marriage and
Family Therapist and a
Diplomate of the American Board of Internal
Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy, the American
Medical Association, the American Academy of
Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and “Who’s
Who” in Medicine and Healthcare.

Sigmund G. Popko, J.D., a public member
of the Board, is an
Associate Clinical
Professor of Law at Arizona
State University in
Tempe. He received his
law degree summa cum
laude from the University
of Arizona College of
Law in Tucson. Prior to
assuming his current
position, he served as a
Visiting Attorney for the
United States Sentencing
Commission in Washington, D.C., and as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Federal
Public Defender’s Office, District of Arizona.
Mr. Popko is a member of Arizona Attorneys for
Criminal Justice. He is the co-author of a treatise
on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, “Federal
Sentencing Law and Practice.”
Page 4

ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANTS MEMBERSHIP
Anna Marie Prassa, a public member of
the Board, founded Executive Stress Busters,
Inc., and pioneered the 15minute, in-office massage
concept to combat computer and work related injuries.
She also opened
Natural Day Spa and is a
highly-trained motivational
speaker.
Ms. Prassa has a Bachelor
of Science Degree. She has
completed workshops and
medical programs at the Touch Research Institute
at the University of Miami School of Medicine
and has attended an internship program at the
University of Arizona in Tucson.
In the past, Ms. Prassa has served on the Arizona
Homeopathic Board of Medical Examiners and
on the Arizona Acupuncture Board of Examiners.
In April 2001, Ms. Prassa sold her businesses for
a less stressful life and to pursue her speaking
career.

Albert Ray Tuttle, P.A., is employed by
the Family Medical Center in Safford and parttime at the Emergency
Room of the Mount
Graham Regional Medical
Center in Safford. He has
been a licensed physician
assistant in Arizona since
1891 and formerly was a
medic in the U.S. Army.
In Arizona, he has
worked exclusively in
family practice in rural
settings and in the ER.
Mr. Tuttle currently serves on the City of Safford
Planning and Zoning Commission and has served
on the Special Olympics and is actively involved
as a Boy Scout Leader.

Mr. Tuttle is a member of the American Association of Physician Assistants, the Arizona Medical
Association, and the Arizona State Association of
Physician Assistants.
Mr. Tuttle has a special interest in the developmentally disabled and in 1998 became certified as
a lifestyle counselor for weight control and stress
management.

Dr. Kelli M. Ward, D.O., M.P.H.,
FACOFP, a physician member of the Board, has

had a medical practice in
Lake Havasu City since
1999.
She is Boardcertified in Family
Practice and has a Masters
Degree in Public Health.

Dr. Ward received her
medical degree from the
West Virginia School of
Osteopathic Medicine and
continued her education
with a family practice
residency, a faculty development fellowship and
clinician educator fellowship in Michigan.
Additionally, she completed the Osteopathic
Heritage Health Policy Fellowship in 2003.
Dr. Ward is the president of the Arizona Society
of the American College of Osteopathic Family
Physicians, the secretary-treasurer of the Arizona
Osteopathic Medical Association, and a member
of the American Osteopathic Association.
Dr Ward lectures nationally on subjects such as
bioterrorism, water safety, electronic medical
records, and obesity. She is active in her community, serving as a Chamber of Commerce
ambassador, singing in the Praise Team at her
church, and performing in community theater
productions. She is married and has two children.

Page 5

ARIZONA REGULATORY BOARD OF PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANTS MEMBERSHIP
Dr. Barry D. Weiss, M.D., a physician
member of the Board, is Board-certified in both
Family Practice and
Geriatric Medicine. He
maintains his practice in
Tucson and is a Professor
of Family and Community
Medicine at the University
of Arizona College of
Medicine.
Dr. Weiss received his
medical degree from State
University of New York at Buffalo School of
Medicine. After he completed his internship at
the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
in Tucson, he stayed to do his residency in Family
Practice.
Dr. Weiss is the editor of “Family Medicine,” the
Journal of the Society of Teachers of Family
Medicine, and the associate editor of the
American Academy of Family Physicians’ Home
Study Monograph program.

Page 6

LICENSING
The Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants issued 23% fewer
licenses in FY 2007 than it did in the previous fiscal year, and yet the number of
licensees rose 6.3%.
The role of physician assistants in Arizona has become very important to our state’s
rapidly growing population because of a continuing shortage of physicians.
The concept of physician assistants came
about in the 1960s when the seeds of the current
healthcare worker shortage began to take root,
especially in under-served rural communities.
Today, physician assistants help by extending a doctor’s practice. They see patients
who might otherwise have to wait days for

appointments with their supervising physicians.
Hospitals also use physician assistants to
work with physicians in their emergency rooms
and for other medical tasks.
And in some rural areas, they may be the
only available healthcare professionals.
When Arizona began licensing physician
assistants in the 1970s, the first group numbered
15 and came from an initial applicant group of 33.
More than 30 years later, the number of licensees
is nearing the 1,600 mark.

Licenses
FY 07
Total Number of Physician Assistants

1,572

Licenses Issued

191

Temporary Licenses Issued

20

Supervision Notifications Processed
Average Number of Days to approve a PA licensing application

1,103
17

(Date of receipt of fully completed application to final issue)

Page 7

REGULATION
The Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants opens an
investigation of a licensee when it receives a complaint and the allegation, if
true, would be a violation of the Physician Assistant Practice Act.
Compliance Monitoring is the Board’s
way of knowing that its orders involving
practice restrictions, limitations and probation
are being followed. The figure represents the
number of physician’s assistants being
monitored for these reasons.
Compliance
officers conduct random chart reviews, review
physician records and report to the Board any
findings of non-compliance.

Failure to obey a Board order can lead to more
disciplinary action.
Fourteen physician assistants participated in the
Monitored Aftercare Program (MAP) of the
Physician Health Program
Board Staff ensure PAs comply with program
requirements and are safe to practice medicine.
Findings of non-compliance are brought to the
Board’s attention.

PA Regulation
FY 06

FY 07

Investigations Remaining Open at Fiscal Year’s End

18

15

Number of PAs Monitored for Compliance

3

5

Number of PAs in Monitored Aftercare Program (MAP)

10

14

Number of PAs in Physician Health Program (PHP)

2

0

Fiscal Year 2007 Disciplinary Board Orders

5

5

4
3
Num ber of Cases

3

2
1

1

0
Loss of License

Pract ice Rest rict ion

1
0
Decree of Censure

Let t er of Repr imand

Pr obat ion

Page 8