(WBRE/WYOU) We are in the midst of National Physician Assistant Week (October 6th-12th). A week set aside to honor those in one of the fastest growing and one of the top careers in medicine.

The theme this year is PA’s Go Beyond in 2023. Physician Assistants are vital members of the healthcare team and practice medicine in every medical and surgical specialty.

The profession has grown from the first handful of graduates out of Duke University back in 1967. This is the 56th anniversary of the profession.

Official Release

The Physician Assistant (PA) profession is growing faster than ever at a time when Americans need quality medical providers in every community. The profession will honor PAs invaluable role in transforming healthcare during National PA Week.  Held every year from October 6 – 12, PA Week is a time when PAs and PA students celebrate their profession through local and national events designed to increase awareness of the value PAs bring to today’s healthcare team.  

 This year, marks the 56th anniversary of the profession – and 56 years of providing the best possible care to patients.  

PAs are vital members of the healthcare team who provide quality medical care, improve patient access to care and are valued by the healthcare providers they work with and the patients and families they treat. This week, National PA Week, celebrates all that PAs do to deliver the best of care in this evolving healthcare system.   

This PA week emphasizes “ PAs Go Beyond in 2023 “ to showcase the high-quality patient care Physician Assistants provide and the value they bring to the nation’s healthcare system. PAs Go Beyond because they believe expanding access to quality care is more than just a job.  It is the idea that inspires them, and the call to service they never tire of answering.    

 Part of the mission is to get the word out about PAs in Pennsylvania and all over the country by informing the public about who PAs are and why they are an essential part of our healthcare team.  

 There are currently more than 168,300 + PAs nationwide, who are nationally certified and licensed at the state level to practice medicine, and are authorized to prescribe medication in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. PAs practice medicine in every work setting from hospitals and urgent care centers to outpatient offices. PAs practice medicine in every medical and surgical specialty.     

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report named the PA profession as one of the top two healthcare professions in the country for the sixth year in a row.   

For 56 years, the Physician Assistant profession has provided quality medical care in this country and has made an important impact on patient access to care. The profession has grown from the first handful of graduates from Duke University in 1967. They were former Navy corpsmen returning from Vietnam. Dr. Eugene Stead created the profession to maximize utilization of their existing skills and experience as civilian healthcare providers during a shortage of primary care physicians. Dr. Stead based the curriculum of the PA program on his knowledge of the fast-track training of doctors during World War II. 

Among many medical services, PAs obtain medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, establish and carry out treatment plans,   perform medical procedures like joint injections and suture wounds, counsel patients on preventive healthcare, assist in surgery, write prescriptions and make rounds in nursing homes and hospitals. 

PAs are educated through intense graduate-level accredited programs that require the same prerequisite courses as medical schools. As part of their education, PAs complete at least 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. To maintain their certification and licenses, PAs earn 100 hours of CME every two years and recertify through a national exam as medical generalists every 10 years. 

Studies identify high-quality care with physician-PA teams. The studies show the quality of care provided by PAs is comparable to that of physicians, PAs enhance care coordination and practices and institutions relying on PAs are more cost- effective than those without PAs. 

Learn more about this dynamic profession by visiting the American Academy of Physician Assistants www.aapa.org or the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants www.PSPA.net