Long Island Medical Care Staff and Schedule
Long Island Medical Care has a professional and caring staff. Below are links to their schedule and profiles.
Office Schedule (opens in new window)
Our Physicians
- Dr. Arnold D. Panzer - Medical Director
- Dr. Jodi Scher Pirro - Associate Physician
Our PA's
- Karen A. Homan, RPA-C
- Vanessa Iadevaio R.P.A.
Information About PA's
read more about it below
Information about Physician Assistants
What is a "PA"?
PA stands for Physician Assistant. PA's are licensed health professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of a physician/PA team, PA's exercise autonomy in diagnosing and treating illnesses. PA's deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in both rural and urban settings throughout the United States. Their focus is patient care, and their practice may include education, research, and administrative activities. In most states, including NY, PA's can treat patients when the physician is away from the practice and can write prescriptions.
The Role of the Physician Assistant
PA's are highly skilled professionals educated to use the same medical procedures as their physician counterparts. For example, PA's take medical histories, perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret laboratory tests, perform minor surgery, and in most states, including NY, can prescribe medications. PA's practice in virtually every medical and surgical specialty, from family medicine to surgery.
To allow the PA/Physician team to be more efficient in extending care to their patients, most states do not require the PA and physician to be at the same location. For example, the PA may be seeing patients in a rural clinic while the supervising physician is at the hospital or in a central office. All state laws require the supervising physician to be immediately available for consultation, usually by telephone, while a PA is seeing patients.
A hallmark of physician assistant practice is that PA's practice as part of a team. They are educated to recognize when patients need the attention of a supervising physician or another specialist. PA's enjoy a collegial relationship with other providers because they have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their competence in delivering quality care.
Education
Physician assistant education is modeled on that of physicians, although it is shorter. All PA programs must meet the same stringent requirements for national accreditation. Today the typical PA student already has four years of health care experience prior to entering a PA program. Students undergo a rigorous education to become a PA. The typical program is over 24 months long, and the first year includes classroom and laboratory instruction in the medical sciences. The second year involves structured clinical rotations, providing the PA student with direct patient contact in a variety of medical disciplines. Before they can practice, graduates of accredited PA programs must pass a national certification exam. Only those individuals with current certification may use the designation PA-C. To maintain certification, PA's must earn 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and sit for a recertification exam every six years. These requirements keep them abreast of medical advances.
For more information about PA's, visit the web site of the
American Academy of Physician Assistants
at www.aapa.org
