PA = Patient Access
PAs are educated and licensed to see patients in every age group, in every clinical setting, and in every clinical discipline.
New York State is experiencing a severe healthcare provider shortage
In the coming years, 1 in 5 physicians and 2 in 5 nurses are planning to leave the healthcare workforce. Meanwhile, the PA profession, known for providing high quality, cost-effective healthcare, continues to grow.
PAs are a critical part of the solution.
They expand access to care, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patient outcomes. And yes — you can ask to schedule a visit with a PA.
Choose better access. Choose a PA.
It is time to modernize New York State's practice laws so that PAs can work in true partnership with physicians and other healthcare providers.
Modernizing practice laws would increase access to high-quality care, address gaps in the healthcare workforce, and expand access for the underserved populations across New York State.
PAs are not seeking “independent practice.” While we work autonomously, we reaffirm our commitment to team-based practice by ensuring that decisions on how PAs practice are made at the practice level rather than by rigid state laws.
New York State Needs PAs
More than 23,000 licensed PAs provide preventive health services, diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patients’ principal healthcare providers. PAs practice in primary care, all surgical specialties, critical care, rural health, hospice, telehealth, palliative medicine, and mental health. These healthcare professionals provide high-quality care and have similar health outcomes as physicians, with the ability to see patients of all ages, in any setting or any specialty. On top of that, 40% of primary care PAs work in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) across the state.
PAs are versatile and improve patient access to care.