Tangible Advocacy: A Silent Call for Informed Practice

Aisha Hussein, DMS, PA-C

Secretary of ADPA

DMS assistant professor, Lincoln Memorial University

Advocacy might be your signature on your annual national or state PA association dues, it might be your presence at local, regional, or national meetings and conferences, or it could even be the suit-clad lobbying in Washington and state capitals. Whatever form you practice, advocacy is truly much more: it extends into every single patient encounter. It is a tangible, daily practice.

When you understand exactly what those dues are fighting for, how they act as our legal shield, and how our day-to-day interactions either clarify or shape the perception of our profession, the term advocacy silently shifts from a vague, distant concept to an immediate clinical imperative.

An Example of Advocacy in Action: The June 2026 Student Loan Victory

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education attempted to implement the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) rule.¹ This rule sought to strip PA students (and several other healthcare professions) of their “professional” degree classification, reclassifying them into a different graduate tier.

The impact would have been devastating, establishing what legal filings described as a "restrictive, arbitrary ceiling" by capping federal student loans at a mere $20,500 per year—less than half the median annual cost of a PA education.² This administrative shift would have effectively locked the door to the profession for the estimated 76% of PA students who "rely entirely on federal funding choices beyond that baseline cap to finance their graduate training".³

Because PAs across the country paid their dues, the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the PA Education Association (PAEA) had the capital and legal infrastructure to fight back instantly. They filed a joint federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.⁴

On June 25, 2026, Judge Beryl A. Howell granted a preliminary injunction blocking the rule just six days before it was set to take effect. Your dues funded the legal teams, gathered the data, and successfully argued that the Department of Education had overstepped its legal bounds.

That is tangible advocacy on a macro scale.

The Imperative of Staying Present & Visible

Macro victories in federal courts or state legislative boards mean very little if we lose our visibility in our daily clinical environments. This is micro-advocacy.

To grow the PA profession—especially as we push for optimal team practice (OTP), autonomous state board regulation, and doctoral recognition—we should avoid operating with the guard of "I am just here to take care of patients." We need to intentionally listen to the discussions happening around us, whether they come from medical societies, hospital administrators, or health policy groups.

Why? Because if we don’t understand the prevailing perspectives, we cannot effectively contribute to the conversation.

Often, outside entities operate under a specific impression: that PAs lack a standardized depth of training, require rigid oversight to remain safe, or that advanced degrees create unnecessary role confusion. If we ignore these impressions, we risk accidentally reinforcing them through our day-to-day routine—perhaps by stepping back in interprofessional communication, hesitating to take on clinical leadership roles, or letting administrative boundaries obscure our true clinical value.

When you are aware of what is being expressed, you have a direct roadmap for how to show up on your shift. Your day-to-day consistency, precise communication, and visible leadership serve as the clearest affirmation of what our profession brings to the table.

4 Things You Can Do This Week to Advocate

Advocacy does not require you to become a full-time lobbyist. It requires a series of small, clickable, highly intentional choices. Turn your reading into action right now:

1.        Verify and Amplify the Loan Victory1.Verify and Amplify the Loan Victory:Keep current and future peers informed..

Read the official AAPA Federal Court Student Loan Ruling Update to understand the ongoing litigation status. Share this with your colleagues and students so they know exactly how professional organizations protect their financial futures.

2.        Track and Target Grassroots Alerts via PAEA VoterVoice

Want a highly visual, user-friendly tool to see exactly where your voice is needed? Head directly to the PAEA VoterVoice action center. This live hub lets you view open legislative campaigns, track active education priorities, and instantly see what needs immediate constituent backing.

3.        Deploy a Direct Letter via the AAPA Advocacy Center

Log into the AAPA Advocacy Action Center. Enter your address to instantly map your specific state and federal lawmakers, select your local active alerts, and send an automated message straight to their offices with a few simple clicks.

4.        Keep Paying Your Dues

If nothing else, pay your dues, stay informed, and get involved.

Dues keep the lights on and buy the lawyers. Your voice, your ears, and your daily practice determine whether we win the narrative. Don't just practice medicine—actively defend your right to practice it to the full extent of your training.

Sources  

1. Department of Education, 34 C.F.R. 685 (2026). Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Final Rule; execution of loan provisions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) of 2025. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/01/2026-08556/reimagining-and-improving-student-education-federal-student-loan-program-final-regulations

2.        American Academy of Physician Associates. (2026, June 25). Federal court delivers major victory for PA students, patients, and the future healthcare workforce. AAPA News Central. https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2026/06/federal-court-delivers-major-victory-for-pa-students-patients-and-the-future-healthcare-workforce/

3. PA Education Association. (2026, July 1). Frequently asked questions: Court decision on federal student loans for PA students. PAEA Public Resources. https://paeaonline.org/resources/public-resources/paea-news/frequently-asked-questions-court-decision-on-federal-student-loans-for-pa-students

4. PA Education Association v. United States Department of Education, No. 1:26-cv-01941 (D.D.C. June 25, 2026) (order granting preliminary injunction). https://www.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/07-Motion-for-Preliminary-Injunction.pdf