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STRENGTHENING the role of pas in louisiana



Our story

In December of 1977, a group of seven military physician assistants from Fort Polk, Louisiana, and one civilian PA trying to obtain privileges from the State Board of Medical Examiners held their first organizational meeting with the hopes of forming the Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants. By March of 1978, the LAPA had formed, and in October of that year, the LAPA had incorporated. Those early meetings were attended by about a dozen PAs who saw the future of our profession in Louisiana. Over the years the organization grew, laws were challenged, and rules were rewritten. PAs were allowed to start practicing outside of the military, government, or public service arenas, and the numbers gradually grew. In 2004, the state legislature passed Louisiana's PA prescriptive authority act, and there are now over 1,500 licensed PAs in Louisiana with those numbers growing every month. Our annual CME conference draws 150 to 200 registrants who come to enjoy the good weather, superb educational events, and the eclectic nightlife of the French Quarter. The LAPA now has over 600 members, and the Academy continues to work with and for the PAs of Louisiana. 





Our Vision

The vision of the Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants is to promote and provide excellent quality medical services to all citizens of the state through growth and utilization of physician assistants as an integral part of the Physician-Physician Assistant Team.


Our Mission

The mission of the Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants, in association with the American Academy of Physician Assistants, is to promote physician assistants in their professional pursuit of excellence and to strengthen their role in health care delivery through public education, continuing medical education, physician education, member services, physician assistant student involvement, and legislative efforts.

Join Us

You can join LAPA through our secure online registration on this website located on the main page. Alternatively, you can download a printable version and mail it to LAPA. This is a PDF file, and you will need Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to print the form. The reader is free and can be downloaded from the Adobe Web site.

Once your application has been accepted, you will be emailed a link to access the Member's Only section of this site.



The Louisiana Academy of PAs highly values your input and eagerly seeks your feedback. LAPA is dedicated to advocating for and advancing the PA profession through professional development, education, advocacy, and legislative representation of all PAs in Louisiana. Your responses are crucial in shaping our strategic plans for the 2024-2025 leadership year.

Please complete the survey by September 1, 2024.

Your participation is anonymous; however, you can provide your email to enter a drawing for a complimentary year of LAPA membership. We encourage all members to participate for a chance to win!

The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

Take Survey Here


JOIN NOW!

Become involved with LAPA.

Membership Benefits

  • Public Education: The Academy actively promotes the concept of the PA as an important part of the health care team and works to increase the profession's visibility.
  • Leadership Opportunities: LAPA members are invited to play an active role in the future of the PA profession by becoming active in one of the committees and/or running for office.

  • Student Support: LAPA has always taken an interest in the future of the PA profession by encouraging and facilitating student membership. Students can attend the CME conferences at a reduced rate.

  • CME Conferences: LAPA is known for its high quality CME conference which is held each year in September. Respected professionals and health policy makers present information on cutting edge medical topics, procedures and issues. Members attend the CME conferences at a reduced rate.

  • Networking: The Academy's conferences, committees, and newsletters all provide excellent opportunities for PAs from different regions to meet professionally and socially.

  • Newsletter: The LAPA newsletter is the primary source of information to physician assistants in Louisiana. The newsletter provides up-to-date information on LAPA activities, legislative on goings, and CME updates.

  • PA Jobs:  The LAPA website provides a resource, as does our link to on this website, to look for jobs and or advertise listings for PAs for jobs located within the state.

Membership Descriptions

  • Fellow Members: A LAPA Fellow Member is an ARC-PA-accredited PA program graduate or NCCPA-certified Physician Assistant who is also a Fellow Member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Rights to vote and hold office in the LAPA are restricted to LAPA Fellow Members in good standing.

  • Associate Members: Associate Members shall include those physician assistants who are eligible for AAPA Fellow Membership, but chose not to join the AAPA. Also those physician assistants who have been granted the title of physician assistant under the auspices of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners are eligible for Associate Membership. Associate Members can not vote or hold office.

  • Dual Members: Dual Members shall include those physician assistants who are Fellow Members of the AAPA and another constituent chapter recognized by the AAPA. Dual Members cannot vote or hold office.

  • Affiliate Members: Affiliate Members shall consist of physicians (supervising and non-supervising), administrators and faculty members of any AAPA/LAPA recognized Physician Assistant Training Program. The LAPA will also accept, as affiliate members, any interested health care individual subject to the Board of Directors approval. Affiliate Members cannot vote or hold office.
  • PA/MD Team: The PA will receive LAPA Fellow status only if they are an AAPA Fellow. If not, they will receive Associate member status which does not include voting privileges. The MD will receive an Affiliate Member status.

  • Military Members: A Military Member is a current AAPA member (Fellow) with current or previous military service.

  • PA Student Members: PA students enrolled in any ARC-PA approved PA training program are eligible for student membership in LAPA.

  • Pre-PA Student Members: This membership option is for undergraduate students interested in the PA profession.
  • Honorary Members: People of distinction who have rendered outstanding or notable service to the LAPA or are those who have retired from the profession.







Contact LAPA

Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants 
9655 Perkins Road, Suite C PMB 177
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Email: admin@ourlapa.org

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