Even though AAPA president Stephen Hanson never imagined that he would ascend to the highest leadership level of his profession, he knew early on what type of career he would pursue. His grandmother, Ana Mae Garcia, set a strong example of determination and commitment to service that encouraged him to enter medicine.

In the 1930s, Garcia applied to Fresno General Hospital's registered nursing program and was the only Hispanic applicant. The program's administrators nearly turned her away, insisting that nobody would agree to share a room with her, until a nursing student stepped forward and declared that she would be Garcia's roommate.

"My grandmother persevered, dedicated her life to her patients and continued to volunteer with the Red Cross well after her retirement," Hanson says. "Her example of service inspired me to enter the medical profession as a paramedic and continue my education to become a physician assistant."

As a PA--a career he calls "a blessing"--Hanson has practiced in many specialties, including public health, obstetrics and gynecology, urgent care and emergency medicine. The Bakersfield, Calif., resident has held leadership roles for the California Academy of Physician Assistants and for the AAPA, where he has served in the House of Delegates since 1992.

In 2005, Hanson ran for AAPA president but lost to Mary Ettari. At that point, he believed his tenure on the board of directors was up, so that year he switched gears and established a successful PA staffing corporation. But a few years later, tragedy changed the course of Hanson's life: His best friend and AAPA president-elect Paul S. Robinson, of River Falls, Wis., died suddenly on Nov. 12, 2008, leaving a void that many colleagues and friends encouraged Hanson to fill. Hanson ran in the special election and won, and on Dec. 22, 2008, he assumed the position of AAPA president-elect to complete Robinson's term.

ADVANCE recently spoke with Hanson about his unique career path and his experience so far as 2009-2010 AAPA president.

What was it like to run for and accept the presidency on Paul's behalf, and how does his memory inform your role as AAPA president?

Paul and I had a deep friendship over two decades. We shared the same leadership track (in our state chapters and the House of Delegates) and developed a strong bond with each other that extended beyond professional life to our personal lives. When he died, it was as if a piece of me died, too.

Running for president was the furthest thing from my mind in the weeks following his death, but I slowly came to realize that there was a certain symmetry to the concept of me stepping into Paul's shoes and carrying forward his passion for the profession we both loved. Paul and I were very different people, but we shared much experience in life as PAs, leaders and fathers. He taught me that leadership is simultaneously an honor and a privilege as well as the repayment of a debt that accrues from all the good things being a PA has brought me and my family.

You've worked in various settings and held a variety of roles, including at Planned Parenthood and now at the Grossman Burn Center. How did you get to this point in your career?

I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a PA these past 29 years. I can honestly say that I have never looked for a job since I became a PA. Every PA job that I have held has found me.

I absolutely love my current position in plastic and reconstructive surgery with the Grossman Burn Centers, which is the largest private burn center in the United States. I have known the Grossmans for 13 years and had been a referral source for them during that time. They contacted me in the spring of 2008 to see if I would assist in opening the new Grossman Burn Center in Bakersfield, and I jumped at the chance.

Burn surgery is a special calling, and you forever share a lifelong bond with the patients you care for. The Grossmans have built the model of their burn centers around PAs, and we are treated as full clinical and surgical partners in the care of our patients. Working in the Grossman Burn Centers is the best job I have held in my entire adult life.

How does your work at the Burn Center differ from the other work you've done?

It is intellectually challenging, physically demanding and relaxing all at the same time. I come from the emergency fast track /urgent care world, where there is a premium on volume and speed. The hours were long and the work was hard. At the burn center, I have fewer patients with more complex and challenging problems, and with a variety of co-morbidities complicating their care and surgery. Surgical intensive care provides the opportunity to demonstrate clinical knowledge as well as procedural skill, and this suits my personality perfectly.

Has your experience as a media spokesperson for Planned Parenthood prepared you for your role in the public as AAPA president?

My role as a media spokesperson provided me with strong communication skills, which have served me well as AAPA president. But there are many other experiences that have prepared me for this role as well. I served as president of one of the largest state chapters, California, in 1995, at a time when the transmitted prescribing bill was passed but still very much in regulatory limbo and not a sure thing. We snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with grass roots organizing, excellent legal counsel and the help of stellar AAPA staffer, Ann Davis. My three years on the AAPA Professional Practice Council and as lead author of the Guidelines for Ethical Behavior of the PA Profession gave me an understanding of the policy role the Academy plays. Most importantly, my 29 years of full-time practice as a PA in a variety of specialties has kept me grounded and familiar with what it really means to be a PA.

How would you describe an average day in your life?

It begins early! A typical day for me starts in the pre-op department at the San Joaquin Community Hospital, where I make sure consents are signed, orders are written and patients are ready for our morning of surgery. Between surgeries, we make rounds on our patients in the burn unit who are not having surgery that day, caring for a variety of grafts, wounds, infections and medical problems. Before and after lunch, we see patients for follow-up in the outpatient burn department and respond to the emergency department for initial evaluation of new burns.

I'm also president of the AAPA, so I have to squeeze in a steady stream of phone calls and e-mails related to the many ongoing activities of the AAPA, not the least of which are advocacy efforts on behalf of the profession related to health care reform. It is a very full day.

How has this year been different?

Stepping into the role of president has been a challenge, but I am blessed with great colleagues on the AAPA board of directors, a strong AAPA leadership team and the best association staff in the business. The biggest adjustment for me has been the proper allocation of time to meet all responsibilities. Chief among them, of course, is attention to the needs of my patients. But from early on in a PA's career, we are taught to use our time effectively and productively. So you could say that I'm just being a good PA.

That said, I have always aspired to serve my profession in repayment for all the opportunities and good things in life the profession has given me and my family. To serve at any level in leadership is an honor. To serve as AAPA president is a dream come true for me.

What do you think is the most important issue facing the PA profession today?

A critically important issue is to ensure that federal (and state) laws and regulations in a changing health care environment allow patients to continue to rely on the quality medical care provided by physician assistants. This will require the diligence and active participation of PAs as advocates for their profession and patients. Health care reform is far from over, and it will take the combined efforts of all PA--not just AAPA members--to ensure that our profession's voice is heard and our issues addressed.

Heather Simons is an assistant editor at ADVANCE.