A Champion for PAs: Alum Takes on Dual Role in Healthcare and Advocacy

Duncan Daviau is working to ensure Massachusetts lawmakers consider physician assistants when creating and passing healthcare policy laws.

There are two parts to Duncan Daviau’s career as a physician assistant (PA). One is in emergency medicine, treating patients at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. The other is on Beacon Hill, giving his profession a voice in the legislative process.

“Some people would say I have two distinct roles, but I see them as one and the same,” he said. “It’s part of my professional and moral obligation to get involved and engage in advocacy.”

Daviau, MPAS ’17, is President-Elect of the Massachusetts Association of PAs (MAPA), the only organization in the state that represents the profession. When lawmakers consider bills related to healthcare, Daviau and the group’s team of leaders make sure its members’ interests are heard.

“While doctors, pharmacists, and nurses have been around for hundreds of years, PAs are the new kids on the block in healthcare,” he explained. “Oftentimes, we are not immediately included in the rooms where decisions are made, so our focus is to make sure our interests are represented.”

Daviau joined MAPA while studying at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). His peers elected him to be a student representative of the organization. He has been involved ever since.

“I was impressed by what they were able to do, advocating for the profession and improving access to care,” he said. “I found my niche.”

After graduating, Daviau served as a delegate to the American Academy of PAs, then treasurer, and next year, he’ll begin his second stint as president. Over the last decade, he has witnessed a noticeable shift in how PAs are received.

“Today, we are more visible in hospitals and clinics, and legislators are really starting to understand what we do and how we increase access to healthcare,” he said. “More people are reaching out to us to make sure we are included when promoting healthcare bills.”

Daviau has worked on or advocated for numerous pieces of legislation in Massachusetts. This year, the group focused on an Optimal Team Practice Bill, which aims to remove administrative constraints on PAs, such as the requirement for them to register with the state under a supervising physician. This mandate was lifted during the pandemic but has since been reinstated.

As he prepares for his second term as president, Daviau has his sights set on larger, systemic improvements to the healthcare system.

“Working in the emergency department, I can see how our healthcare system is not working for patients,” he said. “That motivates me to promote change.”

Daviau is already a part of this work. MAPA and other professional provider groups, including the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians, are laying the groundwork to fundamentally change primary healthcare in the state. They support replacing the current fee-for-service model with a prospective payment model, which would pay providers a fixed amount for care.

One bill they support would increase primary care spending over the next several years and create a task force of various healthcare providers to oversee the changes. While these efforts are focused on Massachusetts for now, Daviau said he believes it could become a national model for healthcare transformation.

“It puts the provider-patient relationship ahead of everything else,” he explained. “I believe we can address the root causes of health issues and make our system more efficacious for patients who need care.”

Daviau and MAPA need help making these fundamental changes, so they rely on their members, including working and aspiring PAs. Every year, they invite students from across the state to the State House for Lobby Day, when they teach students about current legislation that could affect PAs and how to advocate for them.

“I encourage all healthcare students to get involved in their professional organizations in some capacity,” Daviau said. “We all have a voice. Investing in yourself and your profession will pay dividends going forward. It certainly has for me.”