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This week is an opportunity to celebrate the PA profession which was begun 50 years ago, on 6 October 1967, with the first three graduates of Duke University's PA program.
Since that time, the profession has grown significantly:
There are now more than 160,000 practicing PAs in the US alone, and the profession is expanding to other countries.
PAs practice and prescribe in all 50 states.
There are now more than 250 PA programs educating future PAs.
US News and World Report ranked the Physician Assistant career as #2 in the Best Health Care Jobs of 2020 and #3 in 100 best jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that the PA profession will grow 31% between 2018 and 2028.
PAs are nationally certified and state licensed medical providers trained to diagnose and treat patients as well as prescribe medication. Thanks to an education modeled on the medical school curriculum, PAs learn to make life-saving diagnostic and therapeutic decisions while working autonomously or in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team. PAs are certified as medical generalists with a foundation in primary care. Studies have shown that PAs help reduce hospital readmission rates, lengths of stay, and infection rates. Ninety- three percent of patients who recently interacted with a PA agreed that PAs are trusted healthcare providers.
PAs practice in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, and the uniformed services. Today, there are more than 160,000 certified PAs in the United States.
PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, write prescriptions, perform medical procedures, counsel patients on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery, and make rounds in nursing homes and hospitals, among many other medical services.
PAs are proven to create access, elevate health outcomes and increase patient satisfaction. Studies identify high-quality care with physician-PA teams and have shown that the quality of care provided by PAs is comparable to that of physicians, that PAs enhance care coordination, and that practices relying on PAs are more cost-effective than those without PAs.
The states with the greatest number of recently certified PAs include: New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California and Florida.
Content from: National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. (2020). Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants [Brochure]. Retrieved October 04, 2020, from https://prodcmsstoragesa.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/files/2018StatisticalProfileofCertifiedPhysicianAssistants.pdf
American Academy of PAs. (2017). PAs PRACTICE MEDICINE [Brochure]. Retrieved September 27, 2017, from https://www.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CM-18.019-PA-Week-2017-fact-sheet-pas-practice.pdf
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