2025 2024 Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants became the Minnesota Academy of Physician Associates. Article 22 of Minnesota's omnibus health policy bill removed redundant language, thereby eliminating arbitrary limitations on PAs treating patients with mental illness. This change reinforced PAs' roles in mental healthcare without unnecessary restrictions. Minnesota became the 11th state to enact the Physician Assistant (PA) Licensure Compact, following Governor Tim Walz's signing of HF 5247. This compact allows licensed PAs to practice in participating states without obtaining multiple individual licenses, thereby enhancing healthcare access and workforce mobility Awarded AAPA Constituent Award
2023 Elise Haupt, PA-C, became the first non-physician elected President of the Minnesota Society of Hospital Medicine. First scholarship awarded for AAPA Executive Leadership Conference
2022 2021 MAPA President Jenifer Detert authored articles (1, 2) on PA leadership, care delivery, and practice barriers.
2020 Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester accepted its inaugural PA class. Tom Pahl, PA-C, was appointed to the State Trauma Advisory Council 2020-2024 The PA Modernization Act eliminated the physician supervision requirement, allowing a PA’s scope of practice and prescribing authority to be determined by their education, training, and practice agreement.
2019 2018 2017 Palliative Care Advisory Council was created with a mandated seat for a PA. Health Professionals Clinical Training Expansion Grant Program is established. PAs added to multiple statutes: home health services, vital records
2016 - (40th MAPA Anniversary) 
Significant revisions to 147A, including removing the PA-physician ratio and replacing physician's assistant with physician assistant in all statutes. PAs authorized to certify for temporary family care dwellings Department of Health Office of Rural Health and Primary Care published Minnesota’s Physician Assistant Workforce: https://www.health.state.mn.us/data/workforce/phy/docs/2016pa.pdf Alan Johnson, PA-C, is appointed to the State Trauma Advisory Council.
2015 Medical Assistance coverage for mental health services (statute 256B.0625, subdivision 28) was modified to allow PAs to bill in outpatient settings for 2,000 hours of clinical experience in evaluating and treating mental health. Legislation for PAs, including a list of professionals who can supervise clinical training for Community Medical Response Emergency Medical Technicians. Tracy Keizer, PA-C, co-authored The Benefits of a Physician Assistant and/or Nurse Practitioner Psychiatric Postgraduate Training Program, which was published in the April issue of Academic Psychiatry.
2014 Statutory language changed from “physician's assistant" to "physician assistant.". PAs are included in medical cannabis certification, utility medical necessity certification, and pharmacist protocols for vaccine administration and drug therapy. Reducing Avoidable Readmissions Effectively (RARE) campaign certificate of recognition
2013 2012 PAs are allowed to bill Medical Assistance for mental health services in inpatient hospital settings under psychiatric supervision. St. Catherine University in St. Paul accepted its inaugural PA class. Tracy Keizer, PA-C, wrote Five Things Physicians Should Know About Physician Assistants, which was published in the November issue of Minnesota Medicine. Jackie Osterhaus, PA-C, was appointed to the Minnesota Rural Health Advisory Committee 2012-2016.
2011 Mary Fargen, PA-C, was awarded the Humanitarian Award at the annual AAPA meeting. PAs are included in community paramedic training and care planning.
2009 The Respiratory Care Practitioner statute was updated to include PAs among the professionals who can order respiratory therapy. Changed PA registration to licensure Allowed up to five PAs per physician with board discretion Added PAs as examiners for 72-hour holds The duties of the Physician Assistant Advisory Council are expanded. Runner-up for AAPA Constituent Organization Awards of Achievement, Medium Chapter
2008 Wanda Andrews: Represented MAPA on the Health Care Reform Review Council. Dave Barlow: Served on the Healthcare Workforce Shortage Study Group. Lisa Benish: Participated in the Health Care Homes Criteria Work Group. Brooke Hovick: Contributed to the Total Knee Replacement Basket of Care Work Group. Health Care Reform legislation signed by Governor Pawlenty emphasized PA use in primary care. MAPA is authorized to appoint to the Health Care Reform Review Council AAPA Award of Achievement for a medium-sized chapter went to MAPA.
Physician Assistant Practice in Minnesota – Providing Care as Part of a Physician-Directed Team, written by Bev Kimball, PA-C and Walt Rothwell, PA-C, published in the May issue of Minnesota Medicine. Peter Lindbloom, PA-C, was appointed to the State Trauma Advisory Council 2008-2016.
2007 MAPA was a sponsoring organization for the Freedom to Breathe Act. MAPA joined the Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS) coalition. MAPA Reimbursement Committee met with PreferredOne to discuss concerns about coverage for physician services provided by PAs. Co-hosted PA Day on the Hill with MMA. Received AAPA Award of Excellence for medium-sized chapters.
2006 PAs added to the bill offering liability protection for providers serving civilly committed or incarcerated individuals. MAPA met with major insurers (HealthPartners, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medica) to address PA service coverage concerns. Augsburg PA Program launched a High School Curriculum Project. MAPA received the AAPA Chapter Excellence Award for medium-sized chapters. City of Duluth Proclamation: Physician Assistant Week
2005 Legislation removed weekly prescriptive reviews, phone number requirements, and supervising physician names. Minnesota State Trauma Advisory Council was created. Tom Hock, PA-C, was appointed to serve on the Minnesota State Trauma Advisory Council from 2005 to 2008. State of Minnesota Proclamation “Physician Assistant Week”
2004 2003 Legislation allowed PAs to sign disability parking permits and 72-hour psychiatric holds. Clover Schultz, PA-C, is elected Chair of the Minnesota Rural Health Advisory Committee. MAPA received the AAPA Chapter Excellence Award for large chapters. SAAAPA consituent organization award State of Minnesota Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day”
2002 2001 Legislation eliminated mandatory infection control continuing medical education. Weekly prescriptive reviews replaced daily retrospective reviews, allowing more flexible supervisory agreements. AAPA Constituent Award of Excellence for a medium chapter
2000 Contracted first lobbyist. PAs are allowed to staff specialized ground transport services. Term limits for the PA Advisory Council added Added PAs to the Medicaid provider list and clarified DOT exam authority. AAPA Constituent Organization Award of Excellence for a large chapter
1999 MAPA introduced House File 294 (H.F. 294), which proposed establishing a standing, annual appropriation to the Commissioner of Public Safety. This funding aimed to provide disaster relief aid to political subdivisions for extraordinary disaster-related expenses. The bill required the Commissioner to develop procedures for political subdivisions to apply for aid and mandated a local match of one dollar for every three dollars of state assistance. It passed. The Minnesota DOT ruled that PAs could sign DOT certificates if their supervising physician provided a letter with each certificate, explicitly delegating the authority to conduct the exam. Resolved Medicare restriction barring PAs from billing upper-level E&M codes
 MAPA received the AAPA Chapter Excellence Award for medium-sized chapters. MAPA created an intranet site to share information among members. The Student Scholarship Committee held the first annual silent auction fundraiser. The Student Relations Committee organized the first annual Challenge Bowl. Clover Schultz, PA-C, was appointed to the Minnesota Rural Health Advisory Committee, 1999-2003.
1998 Lobbying efforts successfully added PAs to professional corporations. Advocated for PA inclusion in pre-sports examinations. Minnesota Department of Transportation exams were restricted without proper delegation. The Department of Health required PA supervisory agreements to authorize the explicit ordering of radiographic exams. Steve Harr, PA-C, was elected President of the Minnesota Rural Health Association. MMA invited MAPA representatives to be regular guests on its Committees on Legislation, Ethics and Medical Legal Affairs, and Medical Practice and Planning. Third Place AAPA Constituent Organization Public Education Award
1997 1996 – 20th Anniversary 1995 The Board of Medical Practice assumed PA regulation from the Department of Health. PAs were granted delegated authority to prescribe controlled substances. On-site supervision requirements were eliminated. The article A Measure of Independence was published in the July 1995 issue of Minnesota Medicine (Volume 78), examining the roles of PAs and NPs with insights from MAPA and various PAs. The issue also featured the editorial Beating the Odds by Steve Rapatz-Harr, PA-C. Augsburg University in Minneapolis welcomed its inaugural PA class. MAPA established a scholarship committee. The first MAPA website was launched.
1994 Legislation was passed to clarify PAs' dispensing authority. 
MAPA secured a permanent Health Professionals Services Program Advisory Council seat. At a town hall meeting at HCMC, Senator Wellstone recognized PAs as vital to the future of healthcare, consistently including them in his definition of healthcare providers. Tamsen Morgan represented Minnesota PAs at the event. City of Rochester Proclamation “Physician Assistant’s Day”
1993 MAPA held the first PA Day on the Hill, actively lobbying for a prohibition on smoking in family day care centers. Steve Rapatz-Harr writes What Every Clinic Wants to Know About Physician Assistants for publication in Minnesota Medicine. City of St Cloud Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day”
1992 Delegated prescriptive authority was passed in 1990 and officially adopted in 1992. Augsburg College developed a proposal for a PA program. MAPA received the AAPA Membership Growth Award for medium-sized chapters City of Columbia Heights “Physician Assistant Day” City of Brooklyn Park Proclamation “Physician Assistants Day” City of Plymouth Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day” City of Rochester Proclamation “Physician Assistants Day” State of Minnesota Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day” City of St Cloud Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day”
1991 MAPA successfully advocated for PAs to be included in loan forgiveness programs. Mark Helgeson's article PAs Speak Out was published in Hospital News. The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) established an Interspecialty Council, appointing Gary Howe, PA-C. Governor Carlson formed the Rural Health Advisory Committee, with Mark Zellmer, PA-C, appointed member. MAPA won first prize in the medium-sized chapter category of AAPA’s Public Education Scrapbook Competition.
1990  Delegated prescriptive authority signed into law
MAPA allocated funds to support efforts to establish a PA program in Minnesota. MAPA joined the Minnesota Rural Health Coalition. Don’t Call Me Doctor appeared in the September issue of Minnesota Medicine volume 73, issue 9. State of Minnesota “Physician Assistants Day” City of Anoka Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day” City of Fridley Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day” City of Maple Grove Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day”
1989 
Conducted surveys of pharmacists and supervising physicians. Revised supervision rules to require 20% on-site time and included therapeutic ordering authority. Began sending MAPA observers to Board of Medical Practice meetings. City of Saint Paul Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day” City of Columbia Heights “Physician Assistant Day” City of Robbinsdale “Physician Assistant Day” State of Minnesota “Physician Assistant Day” City of Minneapolis Proclamation “Physician Assistant Day”
1988 Established a Legislative Committee and initiated a five-year plan to secure prescriptive privileges for PAs. Introduced the Past President’s Award, originally named the "Outstanding MAPA Member" award. Secured an official MAPA contact number through a secretarial service.
1987 
October 6, 1987, marking the 20th anniversary of the first PA class graduation from Duke University, was designated "PA Day." MAPA secured official PA Day proclamations from Governor Perpich, St. Paul Mayor Latimer, and Minneapolis Mayor Fasser.
1986 1985 Minnesota Rules 5600.2600 to 5600.2665 were passed, which governed the registration and practice of physician assistants in Minnesota. These rules outlined the requirements for PA registration, defined the scope of practice, and detailed the supervisory relationships between PAs and physicians. They also established the Physician Assistant Advisory Council, specifying its membership and duties. The first PA Advisory Council members were appointed: Steve Scott, PA-C; Steve Wandersee, PA-C; and Bob Adams, OPA. The Council and the Board of Medical Practice staff developed the necessary forms for implementing the new rules.
1980 1978 The first public forum on PA credentialing was held, leading to the creation of the Physician Assistant Technical Advisory Group. Work also began to develop rules to regulate PAs. Articles of Incorporation
1977 Change of name from Minnesota Society of Primary Care Physicians Assistants to the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants MAPA was formally incorporated by Don Reed, June Randall, and Tom Phannenstein.
1976 Efforts to credential PAs began through the Minnesota Department of Health and the Allied Health Credentialing Advisory Committee. The Minnesota Society of Primary Care Physicians Assistants met with a founding board that included Gary Borrell, Cindy Lundgren, Tom Pfannenstein, Barry Radin, June Randall, Don Reed, Dennis Vandermay, and Michelle Witt. IRS Number
1973 1971 A bill to establish a certification system for physician assistants and another bill to allow physicians to delegate tasks to aides and assistants were introduced and failed in the Minnesota Legislature. The first formally trained PA associated with MAPA began practicing in Minnesota. Bob Freeman,
1969
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