Local Air Force Physician Assistant Revolutionizes Medical Standards In Combat Care

American Academy of Physician Assistants Honors Veteran PA with 2012 Federal Service PA of the Year Award

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over the course of her 20-year career as a physician assistant, Air Force Lt. Col. Pamela Lucas, PA-C, has improved disaster and humanitarian response worldwide and streamlined the standards for medical care in the Air Force.

For her exemplary performance in the federal service sector and for expanding the boundaries of the PA profession, the American Academy of Physician Assistants will honor Col. Lucas with the 2012 Federal Service PA of the Year Award. She will receive the award on May 28 at AAPA's Annual PA Conference in Toronto, Ontario.

"Col. Lucas has devoted her life to providing her patients with the most compassionate care possible, as well as training medical providers to be the best they can be when they are called upon to act," said Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green, surgeon general of the Air Force. "Col. Lucas' efforts can be credited with directly and indirectly saving countless lives in combat and through humanitarian disaster relief."

During her service as medical director of a coalition medical clinic in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Col. Lucas drafted the first memorandum of understanding between the United States and Bosnia – an instrumental step that ensured the provision of care to soldiers and patients from more than 30 nations. As the chief of medical disaster preparedness and plans, Lucas was also responsible for developing and implementing the plans for evacuating more than 20,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency evacuees during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In addition to her disaster and humanitarian work, Lucas serves as a credentialing review board member and participates on the Air Force malpractice review board. She rewrote the Self‐Aid and Buddy Care curriculum for the Air Force, making certain that immediate life-, limb- and sight‐saving care could be provided by medical and non‐medical personnel to casualties on the battlefield and in any type of disaster. Lucas also revamped the medical kit carried by all deployed Air Force personnel in order for them to have the tools required to provide medical treatment during the crucial minutes immediately following traumatic injury.

The Federal Service PA of the Year Award honors a PA who has demonstrated exemplary service in the federal service sector of the PA profession. The award is one of five PAragon Awards presented annually by AAPA to recognize members who have demonstrated distinguished service to patients, the community and the profession. Other awards include: Humanitarian PA of the Year, Outstanding PA of the Year, Physician-PA Partnership Award, PA Service to the Underserved Award and three Publishing Awards.

About the American Academy of Physician Assistants
Founded in 1968, the American Academy of Physician Assistants is the national professional society for physician assistants. It represents a profession of more than 84,000 certified PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the majority of the U.S. territories, and within the uniformed services. AAPA advocates and educates on behalf of the profession and the patients PAs serve. It works to ensure the professional growth, personal excellence and recognition of physician assistants and to enhance their ability to improve the quality, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of patient-centered healthcare. Visit www.aapa.org to learn more.

SOURCE American Academy of Physician Assistants

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