For Immediate Release:
May 08, 2009
Brooke Braun
703-836-2272 ext. 3502
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Melia Dayeh
703-836-2272 ext. 3501
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California Physician Assistant to Receive PA Service to the Underserved Award
American Academy of Physician Assistants Announces 2009 PAragon Award Winners
(Palo Alto, Calif.) - The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) will award the 2009 PA Service to the Underserved Award to Margaret Allen, PA-C, who heads Ravenswood Family Health Center's "Health Care for the Homeless" program in East Palo Alto, Calif., and serves as lead clinician at their Belle Haven Clinic.
The PA Service to the Underserved Award, which will be presented Friday, May 22 in San Diego at AAPA's 37th Annual Physician Assistant Conference, honors a PA who has provided accessible, quality health care to the underserved in a rural community or an inner city setting of the United States.
For 17 years, Allen has worked as a PA, treating the poor, uninsured, and undocumented in Chiapas, Mexico; San Jose; and now East Palo Alto.
"I am delighted and humbled to win this award, but really, I am part of an amazing team effort," said Allen. "Poverty is inexcusable, and not to have health care when it is needed is terrible. No one should have to live in pain, or afraid that they might not live to see their children grow up because of a chronic disease that is not treated."
Prior to her work with the homeless, Allen served as clinical research fellow in the U.K. for an innovative National Health Service (NHS) program training allied health professionals to undertake medical assessments, diagnoses, and treatment. Before becoming a PA, she served as project director of an agricultural program based in a Mexican orphanage, where she also taught local women about family planning and other health matters.
In addition to her professional work, Allen is a volunteer teacher at the student-run Arbor Free Clinic; a volunteer lecturer at the Stanford Primary Care Associate Program, where she was honored twice as "Teacher of the Year;" a peer reviewer and contributor to the Journal of the American Association of Physician Assistants; a Board Member of Opportunity Health Partnerships; a member of the California Association of Physician Assistants smoking cessation taskforce; and a registered volunteer with Project Hope. She also has volunteered with the Department of Health Services, providing services to victims of the Hurricane Katrina Disaster.
In recognition of her achievements, Allen will be presented a crystal PA Service to the Underserved Award, a check for $2500 and a matching donation to Canopy, a non-profit urban forestry group, and the Free At Last Recovery and Rehabilitation Center in East Palo Alto - all of which is made possible with support of Pfizer Inc. 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, Federal Service PA of the Year, and the Physician-PA Partnership Award.
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The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is the only national professional association that represents PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the armed forces and federal services. Founded in 1968, AAPA works to increase the professional and personal growth of the entire PA workforce by providing comprehensive support and advocacy for physician assistants so that they may, in turn, provide patients with increased access to quality, cost-effective health care. Learn more at www.aapa.org.
