Jennifer M. Coombs

Factors Associated with Physician Assistant Practice in Rural and Primary Care in Utah

Physician Assistants (PAs) have become an integral part of the United States (U.S.) health care system since the profession began in the late 1960s. PAs have been suggested as solutions to predicted physician shortages especially in primary care. This study examined the predictors of primary care and rural practice patterns of PAs in Utah. A cross sectional survey design was utilized. The outcome variables were practice specialty and practice location. The predictor variables were age, gender, number of years in practice, location of upbringing, and professional school of graduation. There was a response rate of 67.7%. The Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) provided the list of licensed PAs in the state. Physician assistants who reported being raised in rural communities were 2.29 times more likely to be practicing in rural communities (95% CI 0.89–5.85). Female PAs had lower odds of practicing in a rural area (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.10–0.66). Female PAs had lower odds of practicing in primary care versus their male counterparts (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.33–0.96). Graduation from the Utah PA Program was more likely to result in primary care practice (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.34–3.49).

The changing physician assistant profession: A gender shift

ABSTRACTThe physician assistant (PA) movement originally served as an avenue for male veterans to transition into the civilian workforce. After a half-century of development, the profession in the United States is now predominantly female and nonveteran. Using archival data and other resources, this article documents the influences on gender and age shifts in the PA profession with related policy perspectives. Now entering its sixth decade, the profession continues to evolve as demand for PA services outpaces supply.

What do we know about retired physician assistants? A preliminary study

ABSTRACT Retirement generally means the complete end of employment. Retirement is a new phenomenon for physician assistants (PAs), as those trained in the 1970s exit their careers. To better understand retirement patterns of PAs, we undertook a survey in 2011 using a national database. A cadre of 625 respondents met the criteria of being retired and living; the mean age of PA retirement was 61 years (range 47‐75 years). Duration of a PA career was 29 years on average (range, 10‐40 years). Fortythree percent of respondents retired from family/general medicine and 11% from emergency medicine. Almost all reported receiving Social Security and Medicare; most had some form of a pension. Fewer than one‐fifth retired for health reasons. When asked about the timeliness of retiring, 20% wished they had retired later in life; 4% of the men and 7% of the women thought they should have retired earlier; 74% of the men and 73% of the women said they had retired at the right time. Reasons for retiring varied widely. Approximately one‐quarter reported volunteering in a medically‐related capacity. We suggest that retirement is a concept undergoing evolution in American society and that PAs represent a health profession that reflects the complexity of this evolution.

Central Application Service for Physician Assistants: Five-Year Report

Purpose: This study was initiated by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) to summarize the annual data collected by the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) and to highlight trends and data points of interest over the 5‐year history of the service. Methods: The data analyzed over the 5‐year period were collected via an online portal through which applicants complete and submit their applications to CASPA. All information was supplied by applicants as part of the application process. Academic information was verified by CASPA staff through official transcript review. The number of total applications and applicants varied with each application cycle, as did the number of participating programs. Results: During the 5 years between 2002 and 2006, CASPA experienced a 37% growth in the number of programs participating in the service. The number of unique applicants identified through CASPA also rose steadily throughout this period. Major demographic features of applicants, including age, gender, age by gender, ethnic composition, and disadvantaged status remained relatively constant. Conclusion: This first comprehensive analysis of the CASPA data will help the profession develop effective recruitment strategies at the local (program), state, and national levels. Several of the findings warrant secondary analyses to further explore particular data sets. To encourage further research, queries to the CASPA database will be available for PAEA member programs.

A survey of fellow members of the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants.

Income and productivity data of physician assistants (PAs) practicing in dermatology were measured by a survey instrument developed by the authors. The median income for PAs in dermatology was

Board review course as intervention: Impact on PANCE performance

100,000, and the median annual production was

Crafting a Profession: Moving From Innovative Model Programs to a Successful National Profession

500,000. PAs in dermatology appear to generate adequate revenue to be profitable to a dermatology practice.