Brandon McMullen, PA-C

07/30/2026

PAs Can Lead Practices

Many patients are surprised to learn that a PA can own and lead a medical practice.

At Sailwinds Medical, I am not only a clinician. I am also a practice owner responsible for staffing, operations, quality, patient access, and the long-term sustainability of primary care in our community.

PAs do more than assist with care. We diagnose, treat, prescribe, manage chronic disease, educate patients, lead teams, and operate health care organizations.

Greater public understanding of the PA role is an important part of health care advocacy.

07/28/2026

What the 2024 Law Changed

Maryland’s 2024 PA modernization law was meaningful.

It reduced portions of the advanced-duty approval process that previously required PAs to document procedures and seek approval for duties they were already trained and credentialed to perform.

It also replaced the terminology of physician “supervision” and “delegation” with “patient care teams” and “collaboration.”

Those changes reduced real administrative burdens.

However, the physician tether remains. A PA must still maintain a physician-signed collaboration agreement to practice.

Modernization should not stop halfway.

07/23/2026

Rural Patients Feel the Consequences

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore, patients may wait weeks or months for a primary care appointment.

During that time, blood pressure remains uncontrolled, diabetes goes undiagnosed, infections worsen, and preventive care is delayed.

PAs are already caring for patients in rural and underserved communities. However, Maryland still ties their authority to practice to physician-linked collaboration agreements.

When administrative requirements interrupt a clinician’s ability to work, patients are the ones who wait.

Rural health policy should make it easier for qualified clinicians to care for patients, not harder.

07/21/2026

Collaboration Is Not the Problem

Clinical collaboration is essential in medicine.

Physicians, PAs, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, and other professionals consult one another whenever a patient’s condition requires additional expertise.

But clinical collaboration is different from legally mandated administrative dependency.

One is based on the needs of the patient.

The other makes a PA’s ability to practice contingent on maintaining physician-linked paperwork.

Modernizing PA practice does not mean eliminating teamwork. It means allowing collaboration to occur because it improves care, not because a document requires it.

07/18/2026

I’m honored and grateful to share that the readers of Coastal Style voted me a 2026 Best of Coastal Style winner in two categories for Dorchester/Talbot Counties:

🏆 Healthcare Hero
🏆 Physician Assistant (Associate)

Being recognized by the community I serve is especially meaningful. Thank you to everyone who voted, to our patients for their trust, and to the entire Sailwinds Medical Group team. This recognition reflects the work our team puts in every day to provide accessible, patient-centered care across Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

I’m deeply grateful—and even more motivated to continue building a better model of independent primary care for our community.

07/16/2026

What Patients Already Know

Many patients refer to their PA as their "doctor."

I always explain that I am a physician associate, but I understand what they mean. I am the clinician who manages their blood pressure, reviews their laboratory results, treats their infections, and follows them over time.

Patients are usually less concerned about the letters after a clinician’s name than they are about whether someone listens, provides good care, and is available when needed.

Maryland’s health care laws should reflect the reality patients already experience: PAs are trusted medical clinicians and an essential part of the primary care workforce.

07/14/2026

Maryland Made Progress

Maryland made progress toward modernizing PA practice in 2024, but the work is not finished.

The law reduced some outdated administrative requirements, but PAs must still maintain a formal collaboration agreement with a physician to practice.

This is not a debate about whether clinicians should collaborate. Good clinicians consult one another every day.

The real question is whether a physician’s signature should remain a legal condition of another licensed clinician’s ability to care for patients.

Maryland took an important first step. Now it should finish the job.

07/13/2026

07/10/2026

“From Wooden Wheelchairs to Modern Mobility” The Evolution of Medical Supplies. 159 YEARS of Caring for Our Community! Craig’s Drug Store 1867-2026

07/06/2026

“I sent my provider a Facebook message. Why didn’t they respond?”

It’s a question healthcare offices receive all the time.

The answer is simple: patient privacy comes first.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X are not HIPAA-compliant methods of communicating about your healthcare. Even a direct message (DM) is generally not an appropriate place to discuss symptoms, medications, test results, appointment requests, or medical advice.

If a patient sends our office a message through social media, we intentionally do not respond with medical information. In many cases, we won’t respond at all. Instead, we ask patients to contact us through secure, approved channels, such as MyChart or by calling the office.

Why?

Because we cannot verify who is actually sending the message, who may have access to the account, or whether the conversation is being protected appropriately. Discussing personal health information through social media can place your privacy at risk and may create HIPAA concerns for the healthcare practice.

If you need medical advice, prescription refills, test results, or have questions about your care, please use MyChart or call your healthcare provider directly. Those systems are specifically designed to protect your confidential health information.

We understand that social media is convenient, but protecting your privacy is more important than convenience. Your health information deserves to stay secure.

www.sailwindsmedical.com
443-972-4204

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