John DeFrancisco of Quinnipiac University wants to advocate for patients, close gaps in the healthcare system and help his fellow students advocate for their causes in their communities. Photo courtesy of John Pettit
In a dizzyingly complex health care system, medical professionals and their patients often recognize the gaps they face on a daily basis, making advocacy and policy change an important part of the work of professionals like physician assistants. John DeFrancisco, a local student at Quinnipiac University’s School of Health Sciences, will become more involved in this type of progress through a fellowship program aimed at advocacy and implementing change.
This fall, John will participate in the Physician Assistant Education Association’s prestigious Student Health Policy Fellowship, a program for PA students like him who are committed to making a significant impact on the health care system, its professionals, and education.
John is a second-year student at Quinnipiac after beginning his undergraduate studies in the Master PA entry-level program there.
“It’s their direct entry program. I spent four years getting my bachelor’s degree and then went straight in after graduating. I think 12 days later we started graduate school classes,” John says.
John was a very involved person at Quinnipiac both in and outside of the classroom, and proactively taking on various opportunities and leadership roles was an enjoyable part of his studies. He was involved in the university’s student-led EMS program and was twice captain of the school’s men’s rugby team. John thanks the teaching staff at Quinnipiac for nurturing the leadership skills of their students and providing many opportunities for personal development for students like him.
This reached a new high for John when he was elected to the student delegation to the American Academy of Physician Associates Delegate Convention, representing students in the PA discipline at the national level.
“This annual meeting is where policy statements are adopted on behalf of the profession,” he says. “It was a really important opportunity for my professional development because I had the opportunity to participate in these discussions and hear a lot of different viewpoints and opinions from a lot of representatives from all over the country.”
John says this experience ignited the fire in his passion to pursue new leadership positions in health policy and advocacy – an aspiration he will continue with the PAEA fellowship.
The scholarship consists of two halves, explains John.
“In September, we will hold a three-day virtual workshop,” he says. “There we will meet with various leaders in the field, with various members who are involved in health policy development and advocacy.”
John has the opportunity to learn about health policy from legislators and also learn how change is promoted and implemented from the local to the state level.
The second half consists of a project developed by the fellows “to demonstrate a positive impact either on the PA profession or the local or state community or on various PA programs in the region, and we do that under the guidance of a faculty member of the program,” John says.
John is grateful that Bill Kohlhepp of Quinnipiac will be his mentor during this half of the scholarship.
“I’m very grateful that he guided me through this. He’s very knowledgeable in the field, a very experienced professional and has worked in many different advocacy roles, from the national to the state level and everything in between,” says John.
Through his fellowship, John hopes to amplify patients’ voices and advocate for legislation to close gaps in healthcare.
For PAs, advocating for positive change in America’s healthcare system begins with advocating for patients—a responsibility that John says “goes beyond the responsibilities of a senior care provider.”
“I like to describe it this way: We have shown that PAs can be part of the solution to closing gaps in healthcare. However, many of these advances cannot be achieved and developed if we are not able to fully implement our academic and professional training,” says John.
John believes that supporting more fulfilling practice, starting at the “grassroots” level of patient advocacy, is something that can then reach the national level of conservation.
“I think it’s important for every PA to get involved when it comes to advocating for the profession, representing the interests of their patients and working to pass legislation that will move us forward,” he says.
John also recognizes that in any profession, it can be difficult to get into advocacy later in life, so John knows it’s important that students who play a unique role in scholarships like his start early in their careers, which is another cause he wants to champion.
“I hope to help other students discover this undiscovered passion and develop the skills they need to become leaders in their communities and healthcare teams,” says John.
