Skip to content
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
  • Trustee Login
  • Associate Login
PA logo
DONATE

search

  • About The Society

    Who Are We

    Dedicated to the history and legacy of the physician assistant profession

    Collection Description

    Chronicles the development of various professional organizations

    Founding Members

    Individuals who joined us during our first year

    Mission, Vision & Values

    Learn about our mission, vision & values

    PA Veterans Garden

    Visit the McElligott PA Veterans Garden

    PAHx History & Projects

    Explore our history and projects

    News & Events

    See what’s new at PAHx
    X icon
  • Information & Links

    Initial State Recognition of Physician Assistants

    Find out when your state started recognizing the PA profession

    Our Associates

    View the Associates of the PA History Society

    Past Presidents of the National Organizations

    View our past presidents

    National Conference

    View the locations & dates for the National Conference

    PA Glossary

    Abbreviations, acronyms & titles associated with the physician assistant profession

    Preserving History

    Find several resources for preserving, documenting & archiving historical documents and materials

    Trivia

    Test your PA history knowledge

    Newsletter

    Read the most recent issue

    Helpful Links

    Find links and additional resources

    Search Options

    View our different search options

  • Illustrated History

    Archival Research

    Use finding aids for our collections

    Biographies

    Read our numerous biographies

    Collection & Exhibits

    Our collection features artwork, artifacts and exhibitions

    Oral Histories

    Listen or watch oral history interviews from PAs or those close to the profession's history

    Research Library & References

    Library collections, books and serials

    Videos

    Our moving image collection includes film and video

    Photos

    Slides, photographs, negatives & others

    Historical Perspectives

    Essays, personal narratives and long articles on aspects of PA history

    PA Timeline

    View important milestones and events

    International PA Timeline

    View international milestones and events

    Historical Highlights

    Orgs that are saving and preserving their history

    Celebrating 50

    PA programs that have celebrated their 50th anniversaries

  • Support The Society

    How To Support Us

    Help our staff work with organizations, institutions, researchers and archivists

    Friends of the Society

    View our friends and find out how to become one

    Our Associates

    Become an active partner

    First Class Photos

    First class photos of our Associates

    PA History Books

    Find out how to order your copy

    PA History Products

    Lapel pins, posters, and art prints

    Become an Active Participant

    Learn how to support us
    X icon
  • Contact

Eugene S. Schneller, PhD

X icon

Eugene S. Schneller’s book titled Physician’s Assistants: Innovation in the Medical Division of Labor was published in 1978. He was the first sociologist to analyze the newly emerging PA profession which he felt, at the time, was a significant innovation in the medical division of labor. The way PAs had to negotiate their roles and scope of practice with their supervising physician fascinated him. Schneller coined a new sociological term, “performance autonomy,” to describe how PAs advance their careers, unlike that of any other health professional. The book is cited as a milestone in the development of the PA profession and was used to shape public policy in favor of PAs during the 1980s.

Schneller became interested in PAs when he joined the Department of Community Health Sciences at Duke University in 1972. He helped craft the social science curriculum for the PA program and the concept meshed well with his research interest on professional role development. To determine how changes in the health sector would influence PA role development and career satisfaction over time, Schneller began a longitudinal study of graduating PAs in 1975. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation he surveyed a target group of PAs about the realities of their work compared with their original expectations, the adequacy of their training and overall career satisfaction. Follow up studies were conducted again in 1986, 1999 and 2000. He found that although over 30% were no longer working as PAs in 2000, most felt that their expectations about autonomy had been realistic; they expected to be given more autonomy as they proved themselves and were given it.

Schneller earned his bachelor’s degree at C.W. Post College (a branch of Long Island University) in 1968 and his PhD in sociology from New York University in 1973. In addition to Duke University, he has held academic appointments at Union College, Schenectady, New York and the University of Arizona. He chaired the Department of Sociology at Union College and is currently Professor and former Director, School of Health Administration and Policy, College of Business, Arizona State University and former Director of the Division of Health Administration and Policy in the Arizona College of Public Health. He was formerly Counselor to the President of Arizona State University for Health Professions Education, Associate Dean for Research and Administration at the College of Business and Director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute. Schneller served two terms on the state Medicaid advisory committee and the Health Care Group and was appointed Primary Care Fellow, U.S. Public Health Service for 1995 and was selected by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration to occupy their seat as a commissioner on the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration. In 2007 he was named Dean’s Council of 100 Distinguished Scholar in the W. P. Carey School of Business.

He has authored numerous papers in the health field, served on many commissions and boards and served as a consultant for health professional organizations. Schneller’s recent research has focused on standardization for clinical preference items and on the emergent and changing role of hospitalists. Other projects have included scrutiny of the health care supply chain, group purchasing organizations, and models of change in the health professions and inquiry into factors affecting graduate medical education. His recent books, Strategic Management of the Health Care Supply Chain , and Orchestrating Change in the Public Services provide guidance and a penetrating analysis of large scale innovation in health and education that have occurred in the US, England and Canada.

For his ground-breaking work, Schneller has received numerous honors including being made an honorary PA by the Duke University PA program in 2004. He is a recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives’ Regent’s Award and is recognized as a Distinguished Faculty Fellow at the Public Procurement Research Center, Florida Atlantic University. Schneller’s wife Ellen worked at Duke University Medical Center as a speech pathologist during his years in Durham. His son AJ, born in Duke University Medical Center, is an environmentalist with a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. His son Lee, who studied media in both the U.S. and England, is the creative producer for E! News. Schneller has lectured and carried out development programs in a wide range of countries including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Russia and Dubai.”

Acknowledgments: This biographical sketch was prepared by Reginald Carter with the assistance of Eugene S. Schneller and submitted to the Society on May 1, 2008. The photograph is courtesy of Dr. Schneller, circa 2005.

When using information from this biography, please provide the proper citation as described within the PA History Society Terms of Use.

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
PA logo
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

About Us

  • Who Are We
  • Collection Description
  • Founding Members
  • Our Mission, Vision & Values
  • PAHx History & Projects
  • Newsletter

Information

  • Initial State Recognition Of PAs
  • Past Presidents
  • National Conference
  • PA Glossary
  • Preserving History
  • Helpful Links

Support Us

  • How To Support Us
  • Friends Of The Society
  • Our Associates
  • PA History Books

Contact Us

(678) 417-8682

Contactus@pahx.org

12000 Findley Road Suite 100
Johns Creek, GA 30097-1409

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Notice
  • Collection Development Policy

© 2023 Physician Assistant History Society® All Rights Reserved