Chris Norman, PA-C and medical director of ECU Health’s Transfer Center, said he always knew he wanted to work in health care. “My family had a lot of health issues when I was growing up, and I thought I’d be a doctor,” he shared. “Then as an undergraduate, I was introduced to the physician assistant (PA) role. What really drew me in was the idea of doing what I wanted without being in school for so long, and the flexibility to swap specialties.”
After working elsewhere, Norman found his way to ECU Health through the recommendation of a colleague. “She made the switch from our former employer to ECU Health, and she recruited me with her talk about the growth she made as a provider, the team cohesiveness and the overall way PAs are treated,” he said. That professional support has kept Norman in eastern North Carolina for 20 years and has offered pathways to advance his profession, which now include Norman’s work with the NCAPA as president.
The North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants (NCAPA) aims to, “strengthen the PA profession in North Carolina through advocacy, education and support to improve healthcare for all patients.” Norman helped write that mission statement, something he’s proud of. “If PAs want to advance our profession and help our patients, we have to advocate for ourselves,” he said. “The NCAPA is the only organization solely dedicated to the advancement of the PA profession in North Carolina, and our mission statement resonates with my personal values. We all have one goal for our efforts; our ‘why’ is singular, and that’s my life’s work.”
While Norman learned about the NCAPA in school, he said he didn’t fully appreciate the organization’s significance early on. “If you’re interested in your profession and leadership, you should get involved,” he said. “Once I stepped in, I was all in.”
Initially, Norman got involved by joining work groups and subcommittees, but when he wanted to do more, a colleague suggested he run for a board seat. “This is my fourth year on the Board of Directors, and from there I’ve continued to become more involved, including advocacy in the state legislature and the Leadership and Advocacy Summit with the American Academy of PAs – that is a national conference and you go to Congress. This has been my third year of doing that.” Because of his service and hard work, Norman was then approached about running for president of the NCAPA, a three-year commitment; he is now in his second year of service in that role.
In March, Norman participated in the state Lobby Day, where he, along with many PAs from across the state, advocated for bills that remove obstacles for the PA profession in the state and improve access to care, especially for the rural areas in eastern North Carolina.
“I enjoy my work in Raleigh,” he said. “I get to talk to and advocate with the legislators to have an impact on our mission. And if we keep having these conversations, we will impact the profession.” It’s important that PAs get involved because, he said, “no one tells your story better than you, and no one else understands your needs and concerns.”
Getting bills passed and increasing PA participation in the process have been Norman’s major goals. “Last year we had over 150 PAs and PA students participate in Lobby Day,” he shared. “This year, we had more than 200. A lot of the students came from East Carolina University’s PA program.”
Making this type of difference wouldn’t be easy without the support of ECU Health. “I have a deep-seated drive to learn and tackle new challenges,” Norman said. “ECU Health provides opportunities and encourages my desire to learn and contribute in new ways. Paired with being laser-focused on our mission and values, I love getting up and coming in to work every day, knowing we’re all focusing on the same mission.”
Norman also wants other PAs to get involved. “We need someone to do the work,” he said. “Getting involved with the NCAPA shows a passion that your profession should be the best it can be. Use your own voice, because you are a part of the solution. If you’re a PA and interested in furthering your profession, your first step is to become a member.”
To learn more about the NCAPA, visit their site here.