Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants (MAPA)

02/16/2026

MAPA President Duncan Daviau and Immediate Past President Thea Nolan had the honor of attending a meeting with Ayanna Pressley we discussed how federal policy changes will impact student loan availability for a swath of healthcare professions and the downstream impacts on the Massachusetts healthcare workforce.
American Academy of Physician Associates

02/07/2026

02/07/2026

One if by land. Two if by sea.
The white coats are coming to Mass.

On April 7, Physician Assistants from across the Commonwealth will gather at the Massachusetts State House for PA Lobby Day.

We come from clinics, call rooms, and communities across Massachusetts to speak directly with legislators about patient access, workforce sustainability, and the future of care.

Policy is shaped by those who show up.
This is our moment to be counted.

Register and join us on April 7.

02/02/2026

Calling all PA students!

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the Massachusetts Association of PAs will be at the Massachusetts State House for our annual MAPA Lobby Day and Advocacy Day.

This is an opportunity for clinicians, educators, leaders, and allies to come together, engage with legislators, and advocate for policies that strengthen patient access and the PA workforce across the Commonwealth. No prior advocacy experience is required. MAPA and our lobbyist organization Charles Group Consulting will provide guidance and talking points.

Sign up today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNKZkhSiQ1VNpa1vGEFHnkcGMU3c9mVZk6ExXgAKC7b12PBQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

As an added bonus MAPA will be applying for three Category I CME credits free of charge for fellow members who attend.

A strong showing matters. We hope you will join us and help ensure PA voices are represented at the State House.

Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program
MCPHS PASS
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Springfield College
Boston University
Westfield State University
Bay Path University
American Academy of Physician Associates
Mass General Brigham

01/28/2026

What is MAPA doing while our bills sit in committee?

A lot — and this week’s example is a strong one.

MAPA President Duncan Daviau has a new op-ed in CommonWealth Beacon that shows exactly what “the work between hearings” looks like.

While OTP and Interstate Compact move through the legislative process, MAPA isn’t sitting back and waiting. We’re actively shaping the conversation.

In the piece, Duncan connects PA workforce modernization directly to federal dollars. Massachusetts received $160 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program, while other states secured $230+ million. One reason? Outdated PA regulations that limit flexibility, access, and competitiveness.

That framing matters. Legislators don’t just hear “remove barriers to practice” ,they hear “Massachusetts is leaving money on the table.”

This is the behind-the-scenes work your MAPA membership supports:
• Strategic op-eds in publications lawmakers actually read
• Coalition-building beyond healthcare
• Hiring a lobbyist that ties PA policy to statewide priorities

When bills are in committee, the real work is changing minds, building support, and creating pressure from multiple angles. Testimony matters, but so do private meetings, stakeholder conversations, and making sure the policy and economic case is airtight before a bill ever hits the floor.

That’s MAPA advocacy: not just showing up, but playing chess while others play checkers.

MASSACHUSETTS HAS LONG benefited from its reputation as a national leader in health care policy and delivery. That leadership, however, also brings fiscal

01/23/2026

Yesterday, MAPA met with Marjorie Decker alongside some PA community constituents at her Office Hours. We discussed healthcare workforce issues, the Rural Health Transformation Fund, and improving primary care access.

01/23/2026

Calling all Mass PAs!!!

On Tuesday, April 7, MAPA will once again bring the voice of Physician Associates directly to the Massachusetts State House and we hope you’ll join us.

Lobby Day is our opportunity to meet face-to-face with legislators, share stories from the front lines of patient care, and advocate for policies that expand access, strengthen the workforce, and modernize PA practice in the Commonwealth.

This year, MAPA is advocating for three critical pieces of legislation necessary to advance PA Practice.
Optimal Team Practice for PAs (H.2371 / S.1502) – Modernizing PA practice laws to reflect team-based care and improve patient access.
PA Licensure Compact (H.2531 / S.1608) – Expands workforce mobility and improves access to care, especially in rural and underserved communities.
Section 12 (H.2206 / S.1387) – Enables PAs to authorize psychiatric holds and ensure adequate training on their use.

Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or attending Lobby Day for the first time, MAPA will provide the tools, talking points, and support you need. Your presence matters! Legislators consistently tell us that hearing directly from PAs who are constituents influences how they understand healthcare policy.

Lobby Day: Tuesday, April 7
Location: Massachusetts State House

Your involvement supports policies that allow PAs to continue providing high-quality, accessible care throughout Massachusetts. As an added bonus MAPA Fellow Members will be able to apply for Category I CME sponsored by MAPA.

Sign up today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNKZkhSiQ1VNpa1vGEFHnkcGMU3c9mVZk6ExXgAKC7b12PBQ/viewform?pli=1&fbzx=293291180141893726

We look forward to advocating alongside you and ensuring Mass remains the best place to practice as a PA!

01/14/2026

Massachusetts can’t lead in healthcare with a licensure system stuck in the past. Kudos to President Elect, Jess Britnell, of Mass General Brigham for highlighting the disparity

A new Boston Globe editorial makes it clear: patients don’t live within state borders, and care shouldn’t either. Outdated licensing rules restrict access, disrupt continuity of care, and hit rural and underserved communities the hardest.

This is especially urgent as Massachusetts begins implements its funding from the Rural Health Transformation Fund. Federal dollars alone won’t solve access gaps if clinicians are still blocked from practicing where patients need them most.

Thank you to our sponsors Senator Jake Oliveira and Lindsay Sabadosa, State Representative, 1st Hampshire District for their leadership in ensuring Mass is the best place to practice as a PA!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/13/opinion/interstate-compact-medical-doctors/

American Academy of Physician Associates

Interstate compacts could make licensing easier for doctors and physician assistants.

11/04/2025

🚀 Save the Date!
We’re proud to partner with Mass General Brigham for the 2026 APP Conference: Shaping the Future of Clinical Practice.

Advanced Practice Clinicians are redefining healthcare delivery across Massachusetts and beyond. This conference will bring together PAs, NPs, and healthcare leaders to explore innovative models of care, workforce sustainability, policy updates, and the evolving scope of clinical practice in our healthcare system.

📅 Friday, March 20, 2026
📍 Assembly Row – Somerville, MA
🟦 Registration opens December 2025

Whether you're a student, seasoned clinician or early in your career, this is your opportunity to connect, learn, and lead.

More details to come — stay tuned!

10/30/2025

In 2020, Massachusetts took an extraordinary step: through a federal Medicaid Section 1115 waiver, MassHealth launched the Flexible Services Program — an initiative empowering its 17 Accountable Care Organizations to partner with community nonprofits to deliver “Food Is Medicine” supports like medically tailored meals, grocery deliveries, and nutrition education.

The results were clear. Over three years, the program served more than 20,000 members and was associated with a 23 % reduction in hospitalizations and a 13 % drop in emergency-room visits. Adults enrolled longer than 90 days even generated net savings for the state. Massachusetts proved what public health experts have said for years: food is medicine — and when people can afford to eat, they stay healthier and out of the hospital.

Now, in the midst of a government shutdown, SNAP benefits have been put on the chopping block. For millions of families, that means staring into an empty fridge and making impossible choices — which child eats first, which meal gets skipped, and how to stretch a week’s groceries across two. These are not political abstractions they are realities felt at millions of kitchen tables across the country.

For anyone facing food insecurity below is a list of resources for anyone in need of some extra help.

SNAP recipients in need of food resources are advised to call or text the Project Bread hotline at 1-800-645-8333. For more information visit Mass.gov/SNAPFreeze.

10/28/2025

This week, MAPA provided testimony in support of S.1321, An Act clarifying the wage act to protect hospital workers from being deprived of their wages sponsored by Senator Paul Feeney . This legislation would extend Wage Act protections to hospital workers across Massachusetts.

Currently, hospital-based clinical staff often face inconsistent compensation practices, limitations on earned time, and a lack of access to the same legal protections available to most workers across the Commonwealth. These bills would help ensure clarity, fairness, and accountability in compensation for PAs and the broader healthcare workforce.

MAPA believes that supporting the healthcare workforce supports patient care. Fairness in compensation is part of building a stable, respected, and sustainable healthcare system.

We respectfully urge the Joint Committee on Labor & Workforce Development to report S.1321

10/24/2025

In 2020, Massachusetts took an extraordinary step: through a federal Medicaid Section 1115 waiver, MassHealth launched the Flexible Services Program — an initiative empowering its 17 Accountable Care Organizations to partner with community nonprofits to deliver “Food Is Medicine” supports like medically tailored meals, grocery deliveries, and nutrition education.

The results were clear. Over three years, the program served more than 20,000 members and was associated with a 23 % reduction in hospitalizations and a 13 % drop in emergency-room visits. Adults enrolled longer than 90 days even generated net savings for the state. Massachusetts proved what public health experts have said for years: food is medicine — and when people can afford to eat, they stay healthier and out of the hospital.

Now, in the midst of a government shutdown, SNAP benefits have been put on the chopping block. For millions of families, that means staring into an empty fridge and making impossible choices — which child eats first, which meal gets skipped, and how to stretch a week’s groceries across two. These are not political abstractions they are realities felt at millions of kitchen tables across the country.

Cutting nutrition assistance doesn’t save money — it shifts the burden to overcrowded emergency rooms and underfunded hospitals, fueling preventable hospitalizations and unnecessary suffering. And it does so at a time when our health-care system is already on life support — with record staffing shortages, closed community hospitals, and emergency departments overwhelmed.

We’re grateful that the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey is standing up today and calling on the federal government to keep food-assistance benefits flowing for Massachusetts families during this shutdown.

The governor said more than one million people in Massachusetts will need help finding food next month if the government shutdown continues.