Ruth Ballweg

Mercy Flights--America's first not-for-profit air ambulance service--was created in 1949 in direct response to the polio epidemic and medical transportation problems in Southern Oregon and Northern California. At that time, two small general hospitals provided basic medical care for the community of 17,000 residents. The nearest specialty hospitals for injuries and more complex care were in Eugene (167 miles), Portland (274 miles), and San Francisco (363 miles). Since the Interstate Highway System had not yet been built, these distances were very slowly traveled on two-lane roads. George Milligan, a young air traffic controller--and a pilot himself--mobilized the community to create Mercy Flights and recruited volunteer pilots and nurses to staff the service. The story of Mercy Flights is a grassroots account of heroism, service, creativity, tenacity, and strong community leadership.

The Preceptor’s Handbook for Supervising Physician Assistants is a helpful guide for clinical preceptors of physician assistant (PA) students during their educational program and for physicians who supervise PAs in their practice. This work encompasses the experience and passion of four dedicated PA educators with combined experience of over 100 years. This indispensable resource addresses current practice as well as future projections and provides guidance for new styles of supervision in evolving health care systems including distance supervision, supervision in teams, and patterns of supervision in home care and geriatrics. Covering a wide variety of topics including supervision in the team environment as well as in individual practice, this handbook will provide the physician and physician assistant with the information and skills needed to be an excellent preceptor for students and a supervising clinician for graduate PAs. Features • Case Studies • Job Descriptions • Performance Agreements • Evaluation Tools • Professional Improvement Plans “The uniqueness of the physician-PA team paves the way for effective physician assistant practice. The Preceptors Handbook: A Guide to Supervising Physician Assistants presents a comprehensive model to help physicians reap the benefits that PAs bring to their practice, their patients, and the health care team. This clear and accessible resource provides step-by-step guidelines for building relationships with PAs, including tips on how to hire and work effectively with a PA, how to give constructive feedback, and how to apply coaching strategies. The authors, all leaders in PA education and practice, provide the essential information for building and sustaining a successful physician-PA team." ~ Janet J. Lathrop, MBA President, National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)