Keahey Named to Prestigious VA Council
PAEA’s Chief Policy and Research Officer Dave Keahey, MSPH, PA-C, is the first PA educator ever appointed to the Veterans Affairs National Academic Affiliations Council (NAAC).
Created in 2011, the NAAC is charged with advising the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on matters affecting partnerships between the VA and its academic affiliates. For example, NAAC develops recommendations to enhance the longstanding partnership between the VA and health professions education on a wide variety of issues, including clinical site placements — a key issue for PA education
In January, PAEA published a solicitation for PA educators interested in being nominated to serve as a representative of PA education on the NAAC. After reviewing the applications submitted by a number of well-qualified candidates, the Government Relations Steering Committee recommended that PAEA submit letters of nomination for two applicants.
Following the submission of these nominations, PAEA was pleased to learn that Keahey had been selected as the first PA education representative on the Council since its inception.
“This is a great honor for the PA profession and reflects the major role that the Veterans Administration — and the PAs practicing there — play in caring for our nation’s veterans and the education of our students,” said Keahey.
Keahey, a U.S. Army veteran who did a rotation with the Salt Lake City VA Hospital in 1981, will formally join the NAAC on October 1 for a three-year term. With this appointment, he joins the ranks of representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and dental education, among others.
“This appointment reflects our efforts to achieve representation on the NAAC and complements the major focus PAEA has placed on working at the national level to address the clinical site shortage our programs face,” said Keahey.
