The Iowa Physician Assistant Society (IPAS) is proud to announce the first recipient of the IPAS Lifetime Achievement Award. This special award is given to an individual selected by the IPAS Awards Committee and recognizes outstanding support of accessible, quality medical care and the highest level of impact to the Physician Assistant profession.

On October 7th at the Annual IPAS Business Meeting, IPAS honored James (Jim) Blouse, PA.

Jim was nominated for his outstanding leadership, as he was one of the founding members of IPAS in 1974, and has tirelessly worked towards increasing access to care over the course of his career.

PA Jim Blouse has provided medical care for the people in the small eastern Iowa town of Wilton (population 2800) for the past 36 years. After graduating from the Duke University PA Program in 1973, Jim practiced in Muscatine until 1979 when he began practicing as the sole full time medical care provider in Wilton. In 1980, he was joined by a full time physician.

In 1974 Jim and several PAs founded the Iowa PA Society. At that time there were 15 PAs in Iowa. While the statute recognizing PAs passed in 1971, Iowa PA practice rules were not enacted until 1974.

Jim was a key player in helping to make Iowa a state that allows PAs to use their skills to provide better care for their patients. When remote site PAs were leaving Iowa due to an unfriendly regulatory environment Jim pitched in by arranging a meeting with his state senator Dick Drake in 1988, gaining the key legislator’s crucial support for establishing an independent Iowa PA Regulatory Board with PAs on it. Due to his outstanding PA skills Jim’s reputation in the community continued to grow. In 1991 when Iowa PAs gained prescribing privileges Jim secured his state legislators’ support for that successful effort. His legislators said, “If Jim is ok with it, so am I.”

Upon his retirement in March of this year after 41 years of practice in Iowa, Jim was honored by the people of Wilton with an outstanding rural medical care award presented by State Representative Bobby Kaufmann, Jeff Kaufmann’s son. And Wilton is now has the services of another PA in Jim’s former position, Jason Thornburg.

Jim was always there for his patients and for his profession whenever he was asked to help. His pioneer work included educating legislators about the PA role in bringing medical care to Iowans. Thereby, he made Iowa a better place for PAs to practice. Most importantly, Jim made quality medical care more accessible to patients in Wilton and across the state.