Takeaway
Exceptional patient care is a team endeavor, built on trust and a shared commitment to addressing every patient's unique needs. This is especially true when navigating complex health disparities.
Passion in the Medical Profession | June 18, 2025 | 2 min read
By Carey Roesler, PA, Johns Hopkins Medicine
On the impending eve of the retirement of the surgeon I’ve worked with for almost a quarter century, I reflected on all the patients our practice has touched. I’m a sports medicine orthopedic PA at Johns Hopkins who’s had the privilege of working with an outstanding team captain. Surgeons practice in many roles, including teaching, research, team physician roles, division chiefs, and/or departmental chairs. Some dare to do all of the above. And they will tell you, they do not practice alone. They will tell you that practicing medicine at this level is a team endeavor, as it’s impossible to attend MLB spring training and maintain excellent patient care in a vacuum. The surgeon I work with built a team to support one another and improve patient care.
Physician assistants also practice in many roles. They diagnose, treat, and take care of patients. They also can support larger practices, a position that at times is harder to define. This role requires the PA to be nimble and identify the needs of the patients and the practice outside of a set matrix. It’s a role that is invaluable and can be difficult to quantify.
A team’s success practicing at this level is often dependent on the surgeon’s ability to develop and lead, based on the trust instilled between the members. PAs help to fill in the gaps when the surgeon is on the road when the O’s are in the playoffs, pass on the skills learned from the surgeon to the next generation of surgeons, as well as taking the time to do the insurance peer to peers, answer critical EHR messages, and obtain prior authorizations.
All the while a good captain encourages their team to grow to the top of their field. One of the unexpected blessings of practicing as a team is when faced with a patient with an unfortunate health disparity, one team member is able to take an extra moment to slow down and find the best pathway forward for the best possible outcome, while the other moves on with the many other needs of the day.
In the end, what’s constant on the team is the patient. The captain and team members work together to all do what they do for the patient. Being a PA is a privilege, taking care of patients is a privilege, and practicing on a team with an extraordinary captain was a dream come true. Thank you to my true team captain; you will be missed.
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This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.