For Immediate Release:
July 20, 2009
Brooke Braun
American Academy of Physician Assistants
703-836-2272 ext. 3502
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American Academy of Physician Assistants Applauds Obama for Billing PAs as Heroic Health Care Professionals Working With America’s Children
WASHINGTON - The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), representing 75,000 clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) in the United States, applauds President Obama today for listing PAs, along with other health care providers, as valiant health care professionals who “are doing heroic work each and every day to save the lives of America's children.”
Obama made the remark at the National Children's Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he held a roundtable discussion on health care reform that AAPA member, Kathleen Quigley, PA-C attended along with other health care providers.
“American families cannot experience economic stability without affordable health care. Physicians cannot possibly do it alone. PAs are amassing in the medical workforce faster than physicians and are helping to offset the physician shortage,” said AAPA President Stephen Hanson. “We’re thrilled to hear the President openly recognize our vital role in a reformed health care system.”
The PA profession has doubled in the past decade and tripled in the last 15 years, according to AAPA. Currently in the United States, there is approximately one PA in practice for every 10 physicians. AAPA reports that in 2008 there were more than 73,800 PAs in clinical practice and more than 257 million visits to PAs.
“PAs are more qualified than ever before and the workforce is up to the challenge,” said Hanson. “America’s PAs stand ready to transform the health care workforce by serving in team-based care models that embrace providers at all levels.”
PAs practice medicine as delegated by and with the supervision of a physician. Physicians may delegate to PAs those medical duties that are within the physician's scope of practice and the PA’s training and experience, and are allowed by law. A PA provides health care services that were traditionally only performed by a physician. All states, the District of Columbia, and Guam authorize physicians to delegate prescriptive privileges to the PAs they supervise. AAPA estimates that in 2008, more than 257 million patient visits were made to PAs and approximately 332 million medications were prescribed or recommended by PAs.
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The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is the only national professional association that represents PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the armed forces and federal services. Founded in 1968, AAPA works to increase the professional and personal growth of the entire PA workforce by providing comprehensive support and advocacy for physician assistants so that they may, in turn, provide patients with increased access to quality, cost-effective health care. Learn more at www.aapa.org.
