BY AAPA’S CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

ATLANTA, Ga. (August 17, 2020) –  The American Academy of PA’s (AAPA) Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management (CHLM) recently named ApolloMD as a 2020-2021 Employer of Excellence. The prestigious award recognizes 16 organizations across the nation who have exceptional workplace cultures and unique programs designed to promote the role of PAs within their organizations. Notedly, ApolloMD is the only non-hospital or health system recipient of this distinction. The program is the first and only PA-specific award program available to organizations.

“At ApolloMD, we create an environment where PAs can be successful and grow throughout their careers. Our Advanced Practice Clinician executive leadership team devoted countless hours to develop an industry-leading APC Advancement Program and build a culture focused on respect, transparency and confidence for APC team members throughout our organization,” said Evan Howell, MBA, MMSc, LSSBB, PA-C, Chief Clinical Operations Officer and Chief Advanced Practice Clinician. “We are honored to be a recipient of this year’s award.”

To determine the criteria for recognition, CHLM partnered with HealthStream, a leading provider of workforce, patient experience, and provider solutions for the healthcare industry, to gain an understanding of what PAs value in their place of employment. Based on the survey findings, criteria for the Employer of Excellence Awards focus on the following five key drivers:

  • Establishing a positive and supportive PA work environment
  • Providing opportunities for PAs to provide meaningful input that leads to positive organizational change
  • Keeping PAs informed about organizational activity and decisions
  • Involving PAs in leadership efforts to improve the quality of patient care
  • Creating processes for effective conflict management

“The PA profession is one of the fastest growing in the United States, and the importance of employer efforts to make the most of the PA workforce cannot be overstated,” said Lisa Gables, interim CEO of AAPA. “Especially in times like these, our country needs all healthcare providers working together to meet the demand for high-quality care, and the Employer of Excellence winners serve as outstanding examples of how organizations can establish modern, efficient workplaces that ensure patients the care they need.”

ApolloMD is a pioneer in the utilization and development of advanced practice clinicians, and steadfast supporters of top of license practice.  Our national APC Advancement program is structured to focus on the personal and professional growth and development of our PAs and NPs from new graduates all the way through their careers. Some of the initiatives built to support our APC program include:

  • Formal Orientation, Onboarding and Reviews: Starting from day one, the APC onboarding process builds a plan and sets goals for the individual focused on his/her expectations and interests. The individual is also provided with resources for education, growth and skill-building opportunities.
  • Continuing Education: Both internal and external, third-party opportunities are offered at no cost to the APC. For example, monthly didactic presentations, procedure training, documentation education, MIPS measure reviews, advance provider boot camp and more are all part of the available continuing education.
  • High-touch Communication: Each quarter, our CEO and Chief Advance Practice Clinician host a company update for all APCs in the organization. Individuals have the opportunity to submit questions, comments, suggestions and general feedback to be addressed by the executive team. In addition, the APC team members receive regular updates and communication at the local and national level. Annual roundtable discussions are hosted for all Lead APCs which provide an opportunity for collaboration, innovation, and dissemination of information with other practice leaders. Lead APCs also attend the annual leadership conference where all company leaders come together for networking, team building and educational opportunities.
  • Clinical and Non-clinical Leadership Development: All APCs who desire advancement have the opportunity to build this path beginning at the clinical level through local, system or regional leadership which can progress to a corporate track with associate, director, vice president and executive level opportunities.
  • Practice Support: APCs are deeply supported by our clinical operations, data analytics, quality and practice operations teams. All teams work together to provide real-time feedback and custom quarterly reports focused on quality, patient experience, documentation and more. In addition, we have a robust patient experience program designed for individual or practice-wide participation.
  • Ownership: Each full-time APC has the opportunity to become an owner of ApolloMD through ApolloMD Partners, Inc. With no ambiguity regarding who is eligible for partnership, the program offers increased potential return on investment over time. In addition to the financial benefits, our APCs enjoy working alongside other dedicated partners.
  • Wellness: The ApolloMD Personal Sigma Initiative is a program designed to enhance the overall well-being of our clinical team members. Through this program, our clinicians have access to wellness curriculum, high-performance coaching, peer-advocate networks, counseling and more.

“Our advanced practice clinicians are incredibly committed and highly-valued team members. I am proud to support our national APC program and to work with these individuals on both the clinical and administrative side to better their experiences as members of our team,” said Jennifer Goldbach, PA-C, National APC Program Director.

Each awardee is showcased as a top place to work for PAs and as a pioneer in the healthcare industry.  The awarded organizations are exemplary leaders in the healthcare industry who encourage collaborative healthcare provider teams and are committed to maintaining positive work environments for PAs. ApolloMD retains the designation as an Employer of Excellence for two years and then must re-apply to maintain the designation.

For more information about the ApolloMD APC Program, visit apollomd.com.

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