IAPA PAST PRESIDENTS

YEAR    NAME
2011    Carmen Kaufman
2010    Sarah Smalley
2009    Sharon Blattner
2008    Kathy Dodd
2007    Sherie S. Turner
2005-06    Ann Browning
2004    Randall Wilcoxen
2003    John Morgan
2002     Dave Senf
2001     Marsha Meiners
2000     Sharon Blattner
1999     Elaine Rynders
1998     Barbara J. Miller    
1997    John E. Lopes, Jr.
1996    R. Scott Chavez
1995    Mary Lou O'Keefe
1994    Barbara Clark
1993    Steven R. Kuhn
1991-92    Mary Lou O'Keefe
1991    Gordon Eggers
1990    Lily Gage
1988-89    Kris Healy
1987    George Steffen
1986    Laurie Lipsig
1984-85    Joan Schulhoff
1982-83    Michael Brown
1981    Joyce Martin
1980    Jerry Burger
1979    Ed McCammack
1978    Robin Morgenstern
1977    Harvey Felman
1976    Edward Farrell

IAPA History & Accomplishments


The following is a brief overview of the chronological growth of the PA association in Illinois. 

1977
•    Articles of Incorporation - Edward Farrell serves as first official president.
•    CME was done in Champaign IL in September.
•    Dues were $40. 
•    45 members.
•    Cash Balance of $1,200.
•    Legislation was pass on HB 616, regarding the use of NCCPA PAs in mental institutions and SB 350, amending the current Practice Act as clean up language.  Both bills passed.
•    IAPA had a lobbyist, Dick Lockhart.

1978
•    Robin Morgenstern serving as president.
•    CMEs are planned for Spring and Fall.
•    Balance of #2,120.
•    Legislation was suggested that PAs be added to the Good Samaritan Law.
•    Associate and Affiliate members were added to membership. 

1979
•    Ed McCammack serving as president
•    CME is planned for November in Champaign.
•    46 members.
•    Balance is $4,080.
•    Legislative opposition was given by members for HB 2225 and SB 1225 that would drop PAs hired by teaching hospitals.

1980
•    Jerry Burger serving as president.
•    CMEs are planned for March and November. 
•    Balance is $5,135.
•    Membership has 46.
•    Legislative committee attends the ISMS Reference Committee.  Testimony was given before the Illinois Board of Medical Examiners.  A resolution was passed by ISMS (79N-1) that recognizes PAs as a highly trained health professional that may be employed by hospitals.

1981
•    Joyce Martin serving as president.
•    CMEs in Chicago and Champaign. Recognizes that CMEs are profitable.
•    Balance is $10,100.
•    42 members.
•    Legislation included opposition to NP legislation that supports independent practice.   Committee wants to form a Political Action Committee.


1982
•    Michael Brown serving as President.
•    Balance is $14,277.
•    56 paid members
•    CMEs in Chicago and Springfield and Champaign
•    Legislation proposed to allow non-board certified PAs to be licensed.

1983
•    Michael Brown serving as President
•    CME in the Fall in Chicago
•    40 members.
•    Balance is $7,045. 
•    Legislation was centered on the sunset status of the Practice Act. 

1984
•    Joan Schulhoff serving as President
•    Balance of $10,265.
•    52 members.
•    CMEs in Fall and Spring
•    Legislation has the sunset of the Practice Act in 1986. 

1985
•    Joan Schulhoff serving as President.
•    CME in the Spring and Fall
•    57 Members
•    Balance of $9,953.
•    Legislation, SB 1152, is discussed to grandfather non-certified PAs to become licensed

1986
•    Laurie Lipsig serving as President.
•    Balance is $13,523.
•    CME in Fall in Chciago.
•    65 Members.
•    Legislation was the sunset bill of PA Practice Act.  SB 1152 is not re-introduced.

1987
•    George Steffan serving as President
•    79 Members.
•    Balance of $16,463.
•    Legislation had the PA Practice Act eventually signed by Governor. 
•    CME Spring and Fall.

1988
•    Kris Healy serving as President
•    Balance is $15,406.
•    87 Members.
•    CME October and Spring
•    Legislation has the formation of the PA Advisory Board. 

1989
•    Kris Healy serving as President
•    CMEs in Peoria and Chicago.
•    Balance is $17,494.
•    92 Members.
•    Legislation has no appointments to the PA Advisory Board.

1990
•    Lily Gage serving as President
•    Balance is $20,763.
•    116 Members.
•    Legislation had discussions on prescriptive privileges.
•    CMEs were Spring and Fall.
•    Membership adds student category.

1991
•    Mary Lou O'Keefe serving as president
•    Legislation has HB 2581 creates IDPH program for grants, scholarships and loans to PA students.  HB 2578 requires HMSA by the IDPH after each decenial census.  IAPA supported these bills.
•    Balance is $25,866.
•    79 members.
•    CMEs Fall in Oak Brook and Spring in Peoria.

1992
•    Mary Lou O'Keefe serving as president
•    93 members.
•    Balance is $24,982.
•    Legislation has PA Advisory Board closer to appointment. 
•    3 CMEs were done.

1993
•    Steven Kuhn serving as president
•    CMEs Fall Chicago, one in Mt. Vernon
•    Balance is $23,123.
•    Membership is 103 fellow and the drive for students was 103. 
•    Legislation was supporting HB 2048, 1693, 0214 and getting involved with the Illinois Rural Health Association meeting. 

1994
•    Barbara Clark serving as president. 
•    CME in Mt. Vernon and Chicago.
•    Balance is $20,134.
•    91 Fellow and 88 students.
•    Legislation passed Rules & Regulations and have gone out for public comment.

1995
•    Mary Lou O'Keefe serving as president.
•    Balance of $42,094.
•    110 Fellows and 130 students.
•    CME Spring in Peoria to host North Central Regional Meeting & Fall in Chicago.
•    Legislation involved discussions on laws for PA reimbursement, increasing the ratio and prescriptive rights.

1996
•    Scott Chavez serving as president.
•    Legislation hiring lobbyist Margaret Vaughn.  IAPA speaks to the ISMS about increasing ratios
•    CMEs in Spring in Peoria, Fall in Chicago.
•    170 fellow members and 180 students.
•    Balance is $51,246.

1997
•    John Lopes serving as president.
•    CME in Spring in Peoria and Fall in Chicago.
•    206 fellow members, 161 students
•    Legislation was very active, increased ratio of supervising physician to PA 1:2; Required third-party reimbursement from payers for PAs;  Order lab tests directly; Prescriptive Authority, all legend drugs; Prescriptive Authority, Schedules III-V.

1998
•    Barbara Miller serving as president.
•    CMEs were Fall in Chicago and Spring CME in Bloomington, SIPAC has CME in Southern Illinois.
•    Balance is $37,543.
•    231 Fellows, 141 Students.
•    Legislation: Rules were negotiated for Prescriptive Authority; Created the IAPA-PAC Committee to raise funds and make contributions to campaign.

1999
•    Elaine Rynders serving as president.
•    CMEs Spring in Bloomington, Fall in Chicago, SIPAC has their own meeting in Southern Illinois..  AAPA comes to Chicago in 2000.
•    288 fellow members, 230 student members.  Development of Regional chapters.
•    Legislation: Prescriptive Authority Rules were approved; Amended Good Samaritan Act making PAs exempt from Civil Liability care; Tried unsuccessfully for two years to pass signature authority;  Worked on Rules for Prescriptive Authority for three years before implemented. 

2000
•    Sharon Blattner serving as president
•    CME in Chicago for Fall, Spring in Bloomington, IL, SIPAC has own meeting in Southern Illinois.
•    286 Fellow members, 186 student members.
•    Balance is $40,425.
•    Legislation for signature authority is presented and lost; a conflict of interest is presented with lobbyist and is terminated; new lobbyist is hired, Jim Martin.

2001
•    Marsha Meiners serving as president.
•    CMEs in Spring in Bloomington, Fall in Chicago, SIPAC has Cme in Southern Illinois.
•    Legislation SB 929 for signature authority is presented and opposed by ISMS.
•    Balance is $16,507.
•    Membership is 328 fellow and 170 student members.

2002
•    David Senf, Libertyville, serving as president.
•    Legislation: Signature authority on medical exams for school children and bus driver.
•    Balance is $46,888.
•    337 Fellow and 170 student members.

2003
•    John Morgan, Champaign, serving as president.
•    319 fellow members and 202 student members.
•    CME Fall in Chicago, Spring in Peoria.
•    Balance is $11,240.
•    Legislation: Language clarification that PAs see any patient in the practice regardless if patient is patient of Alternate or supervising physician; Amends Vehicle Code to accept PA signatures on medical exams for a disability card; Amends Radiation Protection Act giving PAs authority to do x-rays on a limited basis with rules to be written. 

2004
•    Randall Wilcoxen, Canton, serving as president.
•    326 fellow members and 201 student members.
•    Balance is $12,218.34.
•    CME Fall in Oak Brook and Spring in Peoria.
•    Legislation:  Amends Physical Therapy Act allowing PAs to order physical therapy referrals.

2005
•    Ann Browning, Carterville, serving as president.
•    327 fellow members and 189 student members
•    Balance at end of the year is $23,674.00.
•    CME Fall was at Midwestern University in Downers Grove.  Spring CME was in Peoria at the Par-A-Dice Hotel.  Southern Illinois PA Chapter has day-long seminar at Robert Logan College in Carterville, IL.  Movement of CMEs to community colleges and movement to day long seminars.
•    Legislation:  Four pieces of legislation failed for the IAPA.  There was legislation that did pass, P.A. 94-0350, that allowed PAs to sign for school district employee physical exam forms. 
a.    IAPA introduced a number of bills in the 2005 General Assembly.  HB 2557 introduced by Rep. Saviano, amended the PA Practice act to remove the ratio of 2 PAs to 1 supervising physician.  Bill may not make it very far since it was re-referred to the House Rules Committee.  SB 1496 introduced by Sen. Demuzio and amends the PA Practice Act to allow 4 PAs to 1 supervising physician.  Bill fails.
b.    HB 3834 introduced by Rep. Osmond amends the PA Practice Act to allow a PA to respond to medical emergencies in case of a national disaster or other emergency.  Bill is re-referred to House Rules Committee and subsequently ended.  SB 1496 is the same as above . 
c.    SB616 introduced by Sen. Crotty and HB 3619 introduced by Rep. Coulson amends the "Medical Corporations Act"  allows PA to be shareholder of medical corporations.  It ended in both houses in committees.

2006
•    Ann Browning, Carterville, serving as president for second year due to the departure of Kevin Lohenry, President-elect to Arizona.
•    324 Fellow Members / 183 Student Members / 9 Sustaining / 26 Associate 10 others
•    Fall CME was held October 6-8, 2006 at Midwestern University.  The Spring CME was held March 25, 2006 at the Holiday Inn in Peoria, IL.  SIPAC held a day long CME at John Logan Community College in Carterville, IL.  The regional chapters continue to have regular meetings.  McHenry County is a subchapter of the NEIPAC
•    Legislation:  two pieces of legislation failed for the IAPA.  HB 4549 amends the Medical Corporations Act to allow PAs to become shareholder in medical practices.  This was soundly defeated.  The other bill, HB 5517 was to amend the Emergency Disaster Act.  It was defeated early in the session.  Board decided not to renew the lobbyist contract, and hire the executive director full time.  She will work as the lobbyist for 2007. 

2007
•    Sherie Turner, Chandlerville, serving as president. 
•    Largest membership in IAPA history with 632.  384 Fellow, 177 Student, 14 Sustaining, 39 Associate, 4 Physician, 4 Corporate.
•    Spring CME was held March 30-31, 2007 at the Par-A-Dice in Peoria, IL
•    Fall CME was held October 5-7, 2007 at Midwestern University.
•    SIPAC had their annual CME on September 8, 2007 at the John Logan Community College in Carterville, IL
•    Legislation, HB 1284 renewed the PA Practice Act of 1987 for ten years in Amendment #1.  It became Public Act 95-0703. 

2008
•    Kathy Dodd, Carbondale, serving as President.
•    HB 4829 is introduced as shell bill to gain prescriptive privileges for Schedule II.    Bill fails.
•    In September, IAPA hires new lobbying firm, Thomas Nolan & Associates.  Goals are to accomplish Schedule II privileges, remove supervising physician/PA ratio, add emergency disaster language to the PA Practice Act, and redefining the PA Advisory Committee in the PA Practice Act.  Other issues that are in need of legislative revision are amending the Medical Corporations Act to allow PAs to be shareholders in medical practices, and revisions in the radiology laws allowing PAs to perform interventional radiology procedures. 
•    IAPA has 327 Fellow Members; 167 Student Members, 68 other members in Associate, Physician, Pre-PA, and Affiliate members, for 550 members.
•    Spring CME was held at the Peoria Embassy Suites on February 22 & 23, 2008. 
•    Fall CME was held at Midwestern University on October 3-5, 2008. 

2009
•    Sharon Blattner, M.Ed, PA-C, President
•    Three bills were introduced.  SB 1486 amended the PA Practice Act and strengthened the PA Advisory Board and is now Public Act, 96-0720.
•    SB 1487 added emergency disaster language to the PA Practice Act and is now Public Act, 96-0070.
•    HB 2247 gained prescriptive privileges for Schedule II Controlled Substances, pending rules to be written for PAs, and is now Public Act 96-0268.
•    IAPA had 458 Fellow Members, 190 Students, and 80 other members, for a total of 728 members. 
•    Springfield CME was held at the Dove Center, St. John's Hospital on February 27 & 28, 2009, with 43 attendees.  IAPA made a profit by having it at the hospital.
•    Fall CME was held on October 9-11, 2010, at Midwestern University and had 112 attend.
•    IAPA received a grant from the AAPA for $20,000 to assist with the lobbying contract of $36,000 annually.