Our Physician Assistants play an important role here at France Avenue Family Physicians. 

 

Suzanne Runkel, Ellie Price, and Lindsay Emmerich, our Physician Assistants, are valuable members of our team.

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Physician Assistants are not physicians, nor are they in the process of becoming physicians.  They are known as advanced care providers, and are recognized health care professionals.  Their education and clinical experience enables them to offer a broad range of services to patients, always under the supervision of a licensed physician.  You should see our Physician Assistants for things such as:

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• Well child exams

• School/Sports physical exams

• Routine health evaluations

• Annual pap smear exam

• Diagnosing and managing common illnesses and injuries

• Patient education 

• Monitoring of chronic diseases

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Physician Assistants graduate from an accredited PA program, usually three years in length.  This includes 9 - 12 months of classroom study and 12 - 15 months of supervised clinical experience.  Prior to attending their Physician Assistant training, PA's have completed a four-year bachelor's degree.

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All PA's receive certification after passing an examination developed by the National Commission on the certification of Physician Assistants.  They maintain their certification by earning 100 hours of continuing education every two years, and by passing a re-certification exam every six years.

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Physician consultation is available to the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant at all times.