Help For Future Physician Assistants

top 100 jobs in 2016

2016-03-22T07:21:00.001-07:00

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs

Check out #5

Top 5 healthcare jobs of 2015

2014-12-17T05:13:00.002-08:00

http://www.examiner.com/article/top-5-health-care-jobs-for-2015

NY Times Article

2014-08-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

Flora Traub is a 37-year-old mother of three with a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. But after years as a policy analyst, she found herself reflecting on her undergraduate premedical studies and the happy year she spent in AmeriCorps Community HealthCorps after college. She decided she wanted a new career, in medicine, but not as a doctor.

“I wouldn’t dream of medical school,” said Ms. Traub, who entered Boston University’s physician assistant training program this year. “Seven years of training and residency? I don’t want that much time away from my kids.” Another reason: “Doctors just seem to be running all the time, all day long.”

Think of it. No M.C.A.T., no residency, two years of professional school and you’re out making $100,000 a year. And like nurse practitioners and other “physician extenders,” P.A.s now carry out many duties once handled by doctors: They perform physical exams, diagnose illnesses, assist in surgery, order lab tests and prescribe medication.

With tens of millions of Americans newly insured under the Affordable Care Act, and a shortfall in the number of doctors to care for them, it’s little wonder that physician assistant is one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their numbers are expected to increase 38 percent between 2012 and 2022. Already, between 6,500 and 7,000 new P.A.s are joining the ranks each year. Schools have noticed. There are currently 187 accredited master’s programs across the country, with 78 more in the pipeline.

Boston University started its degree program in April, and had 1,024 applications for 25 slots in its first class. Duke, with the country’s top-ranked program, had 1,600 applicants for 88 seats. Like most of the programs, Duke’s requires applicants to complete coursework in pre-med science classes like biology and chemistry and to have hands-on experience with patients. “Six months is the bare minimum,” said Karen J. Hills, the program director. “Most competitive applicants have quite a bit more than that, like 13 to 40 months.” They have often worked as medical assistants, E.M.T.s or phlebotomists before matriculating.

Typically, programs consist of a year in the classroom, then a year of clinical rotations. The education follows a medical model, with emphasis on data gathering, diagnosis and treatment. After passing a national certification exam, physician assistants practice under a supervising doctor.

The Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest medical centers in the country, employs about 400 P.A.s and has openings for 30 more. “When I started here 10 years ago we had about 50 P.A.s,” said Josanne Pagel, executive director of physician assistant services. “P.A.s are critical for access to care.”

For many health care providers, they are also critical to economic success. “You’re really getting bang for your buck,” Ms. Pagel said. P.A.s generally make about half a physician’s salary or less, depending on specialty (an E.R. doctor makes on average $270,000, an emergency-room P.A. $112,000). But when a P.A. performs a procedure, insurance companies reimburse the clinic for about 85 percent of the charge, opposed to 100 percent for an M.D. Ms. Pagel said these numbers are similar nationwide. The difference is made up with higher patient volume. “When a P.A. comes into a practice,” she said, “we’re able to see many more patients.”

At the Cleveland Clinic, P.A.s assist in all disciplines of medicine and surgery, and have been heavily integrated into the emergency department to improve patient flow. Incoming patients are evaluated by P.A.s, who funnel urgent cases (strokes, heart attacks) to an M.D. and manage non-urgent cases (ear infections, sprained ankles) themselves.

Lynn Pagliaccio, the clinic’s P.A. manager for emergency services, described her work with physicians as “very collaborative.” “If somebody comes in with a simple toothache, we can manage that on our own,” she said. “But if they have a toothache and a high fever and their whole face is swollen, we have the doc come over and take a peek.”

Since instituting the fast-track system, wait time has decreased by two hours on average. Surveys show that patient satisfaction has increased, and reviews indicate no rise in misdiagnoses or malpractice suits, according to Dr. Stephen Meldon, emergency department director at the clinic’s main campus.

But not all patients embrace physician assistants. According to a national surveylast year by the American Academy of Family Physicians, 72 percent of Americans prefer physicians for information related to their medical care, viewing them as more knowledgeable and experienced.

Some doctors worry that patients are getting short shrift as the bottom line pushes physicians out of the examination room. Dr. Prakash Masand, a psychiatrist in New York City and C.E.O. of Global Medical Education, an online medical education resource, is a critic of their increasing role in mental healthcare while receiving only 6 to 12 weeks of psychiatric training in school. “This is one of the reasons misdiagnoses, underdiagnoses and the over-prescription ofantidepressants have flooded the mental health system,” he said. “Until P.A.s receive more specialized training, they shouldn’t handle patients who need a much more experienced doctor.”

Such concerns are echoed for other fields. Dr. Houtan Chaboki, a plastic surgeon in Washington, D.C., points to a growing trend of Botox injections and laser treatments being performed by physician assistants. “They might be under physician supervision, but the physician may not even be in the room,” he said. “They may just be reviewing the chart afterward.”

Training should keep P.A.s from overreaching, said Mary Warner, director of Boston University’s program. “P.A.s know what they can do,” she said. “They know their limits. And I think that the safety factor, having two brains rather than one, really improves the quality of care.” Studies have found that including physician assistants on health care teams can shorten hospital stays and decrease postoperative complications, among other improvements in care.

Like it or not, medicine is now a team sport, observes Dr. Reid B. Blackwelder, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. As his practice moves to team-based care, he may delegate more well-child visits to P.A.s or nurse practitioners. He enjoys seeing his healthy patients, he said, “but the paperwork takes a lot of time — as a physician, my time may be better spent with a patient who is critically ill.” And he can still keep his relationship with the healthier children, he said, “by a quick visit at the end.”

“We’re all challenged to recognize some new truths,” he said. “I was a solo family physician in a small town called Trenton, Ga., and there’s a badge of honor about that. But the reality is that no one in our current health care system is truly solo or truly independent anymore.”

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/education/edlife/the-physician-assistant-will-see-you.html?referrer&_r=1

Medscape Salary Report

2013-11-22T08:45:00.002-08:00

Medscape Salary Report

HAPPY PA WEEK 2013!!!

2013-10-09T13:06:00.001-07:00

Held every year from Oct. 6-12, National PA Week is a celebration of the PA profession. PAs across the country use National PA Week to increase awareness of both the PA profession and the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

Watch a video of Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) recognizing PA Week and the PA profession on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Download the free poster and planning guides available to help you celebrate PA Week this year and the latest version of the I'm a PA patient education brochure.

http://www.aapa.org/events/pa_week.aspx

Favorite iPhone apps

2013-09-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some awesome iPhone apps! Check them out! If you have any great ones please share!

Epocrates -FREE
Uptodate- FREE
Micromedex drugs - FREE
Micromedex interactions - FREE
Lactmed - FREE
EMRA antibiotic guide - $
EMRA rashes - FREE

PAS ON FORBES LIST

2013-06-11T04:53:00.004-07:00

PAs No. 3 on Forbes list of best master's degrees for jobs
obtained from : PAs Connect

For the third year, Forbes examined which master's degrees would provide the best long-term opportunities, based on salary and employment outlook. Physician assistants took the number 3 spot in 2013, behind information systems and physics, respectively.

PAs are in demand and can earn excellent salaries. The study cited an aging population, expanded access under the Affordable Care Act and the return on investment of a PA degree as reasons why the profession ranked so high.

"Similar to the IT sector, healthcare is another sector expected to see tremendous job growth," said Katie Bardaro, lead economist at Payscale, whose data was used to compile the list in addition to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers. "As our population continues to age and as more people seek healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, more and more medical workers will be needed. Additionally, these are not jobs that can be outsourced. They will need to be filled by people right here, right now. As far as return on investment goes, a PA master's degree is a real win."

The mid-career median pay for a physician assistant is $98,800, according to the study. Employment opportunities are expected to grow 30 percent by 2020 (from the 2010 employment numbers), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Graduating soon?

2013-04-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

Are you graduating soon and looking for a job? Here are some tips:

1. Generally you can take the PANCE 6 days after you graduate. Use study guides and practice with exam master. NCCPA perfectly outlines what you should study for the exam: NCCPA BLUEPRINT

PANCE EXAM - NCCPA specific information regarding the PANCE exam

PA National Certification - NCCPA website. Get information about the PANCE: information about the test, a test content blueprint, policies, facts, etc. Also get information about CMEs and certification processes.

2. After you pass the PANCE, you generally can apply for your state license. Depending on which state you live in, this can sometimes take some time. ( I think I waited 30 days for mine but I know others who waited longer)

NY State License Requirements - specific NY state PA license requirement. If you don't live in NY, just do a google search and you can find your state's requirements

3. There are plenty of great ways to search for jobs. Your PA program may forward job opportunities to you. Another good idea is to visit hospital websites and check the career opportunities section. You'd be surprised, but websites like www.indeed.com or craigslist also have private job listings - just be careful to verify they are reputable.

4. Jobs at certain locations can take several months for you to finish necessary paperwork and credentialing.

5. Remember to apply for an NPI number. This is your provider identifier number.

NPI - apply for your national provider identifier number

MORE TO COME!

2013-03-25T09:27:00.003-07:00

Look back soon for new updates and useful information!

Cities that offered most PA jobs

2013-03-06T11:25:00.003-08:00

The BLS reports these cities offered the most physician assistant jobs, as of the last survey:

10. Winston-Salem, NC, with 340 jobs and 1.73 PA jobs per thousand total employment positions;

9. Ann Arbor, MI-- 340 jobs and 1.77 PA jobs per thousand;

8. Charleston, WV-- 260 positions and 1.88 PA jobs per thousand;

7. Nassau-Suffolk, NY, with the highest number of jobs at 2,280 and the ratio of 1.88 PA positions per thousand jobs;

6. Anchorage, AK, at 320 jobs and 1.91 PA jobs per thousand;

5. Idaho Falls, ID-- 100 jobs, 2.07 PA positions per thousand;

4. Fayetteville, NC--270 jobs with 2.11 PA positions per thousand;

3. Rochester, MN, at 210 jobs with employment per thousand jobs at 2.15;

2. Lewiston, ID-WA-- 60 jobs, with employment per thousand jobs at 2.46;

1. Glens Falls, NY-- 140 jobs with a high 2.71 PA jobs per thousand jobs total.

http://www.healthecareers.com/article/10-best-cities-to-be-a-physician-assistant/172139

FACEBOOK

2013-02-14T11:28:00.004-08:00

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Help for Future PAs

Which States Have the Highest Concentration of Physician Assistants?

2013-01-19T14:39:00.003-08:00

Healthcare reform's focus on cost-efficient care paired with the nationwide shortage of primary care physicians is putting physician assistants in high demand. Here is the number of physician assistants per 100,000 people in each state, along with the District of Columbia.

1. Alaska — 75
2. South Dakota — 65
3. District of Columbia — 64
4. Montana — 62
5. Nebraska — 49
5. Colorado — 49
5. Maine — 49
8. Connecticut — 47
9. Vermont — 47
10. New Hampshire — 43
11. North Carolina — 42
12. Minnesota — 41
12. Wyoming — 41
14. Idaho — 40
14. North Dakota — 40
16. Washington — 39
17. Michigan — 38
17. Wisconsin — 38
19. Maryland — 37
20. Pennsylvania — 36
20. Kansas — 36
20. New York — 36
23. West Virginia — 34
23. Oregon — 34
23. Massachusetts — 34
23. Utah — 34
27. Delaware — 33
28. Arizona — 32
28. Iowa — 32
30. Oklahoma — 30
31. New Mexico — 29
32. Virginia — 28
33. Rhode Island — 27
34. Florida — 23
34. Nevada — 23
34. Georgia — 23
37. Texas — 22
37. Kentucky — 22
39. Illinois — 20
40. Tennessee — 19
40. South Carolina — 19
42. California — 18
43. Ohio — 17
44. Hawaii — 16
44. Louisiana — 16
46. Indiana — 15
46. New Jersey — 15
48. Missouri — 13
49. Arkansas — 9
50. Alabama — 8
51. Mississippi — 4

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/which-states-have-the-highest-concentration-of-physician-assistants.html

NYC To Restrict Access To Painkillers In Public Hospital EDs.

2013-01-11T17:22:00.001-08:00

The New York Times (1/11, Hartocollis, Subscription Publication) reports that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday a new city policy that will no longer allow most public hospitals patients to get "more than three days' worth of narcotic painkillers like Vicodin and Percocet. Long-acting painkillers, including OxyContin, a familiar remedy for chronic backache and arthritis, as well as Fentanyl patches and methadone, will not be dispensed at all." City officials explained the "policy was aimed at reducing the growing dependency on painkillers and preventing excess amounts of drugs from being taken out of medicine chests and sold on the street or abused by teenagers and others who want to get high." Critics warn that the restrictions "could deprive doctors in the public hospital system - whose mission it is to treat poor people - of the flexibility that they need to respond to patients."

Bloomberg News (1/11, Pettypiece) reports that the move is designed to reduce overdoes and prescription painkiller abuse. "The number of emergency room visits in New York related to painkillers almost tripled in 2010 from 2004 to 143 visits for every 100,000 people, the city said. The use of painkillers without a medical need in the U.S. increased 75 percent in 2010 from 2002, the Archives of Internal Medicine reported. More than 15,500 people overdosed on the pills and died in 2009, more than double since 2002, the study found."

The New York Daily News (1/11, Durkin) notes that "emergency rooms will also be barred from refilling prescriptions that patients say were lost or stolen."

2012-12-09T17:14:00.001-08:00

PA/NP Advance

Advance for NPs and PAs is a website I recently came across. There are excellent articles and you can subscribe for online access or even receive a monthly copy in the mail!

Top 3 Physician Assistant Specialties in Demand By Employers

2012-12-04T12:29:00.001-08:00

Top 3 Physician Assistant Specialties in Demand By Employers – 11/21/2012

November 21, 2012
By HEALTHeCAREERS.com

The physician assistant (PA) industry has come a long way from its meager military beginnings. Today, PAs hold one of the most coveted professional positions in the healthcare industry. PAs are able to diagnose and treat patients depending on state regulations, making PAs a practical and convenient alternative to physicians. With an anticipated anticipated 30 percent increase, healthcare industry options for PAs are abundant. PA positions continue to be one of the highest paying jobs in the healthcare industry, but many PAs are choosing to hone skills and boost pay by branching off into medical specialties.

Although the majority of PAs still practice primary care, the number of PAs moving toward specialty practices is growing. PA specialty trends often mirror practice areas chosen by physicians because PAs work under physicians’ supervision. A 2010 census study conducted by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) gathered comprehensive data on the most populous, profitable PA specialty areas. Here are three preferred specialties that have gained popularity in the PA field.

Emergency Medicine

The highly demanding field of emergency medicine is constantly fraught with patients and that may be part of why it is the most popular specialty for PAs to practice. PAs working in emergency medicine provide triage treatment and assist in trauma units. PAs can work on the ground in emergency rooms or other critical care departments, as well as in the air with airlift medical emergencies. Urgent health and crisis situations can occur at anytime; the inevitable events of medical crises keep emergency medicine PAs at the top of the high-demand list.

Orthopedics

PAs specializing in orthopedics help treat patients with musculoskeletal ailments. Scientific advancements have increased the medical industry’s ability to assist individuals with spinal cord injuries, joint replacements and other musculoskeletal issues, making orthopedics an increasingly attractive area for PAs. PAs assist in all orthopedic capacities, from surgeries to rehabilitative recommendations and care. A burgeoning generation of aging baby boomers adds to the urgency. Older populations experience more degenerative bone health and PAs are flocking to fill the growing medical need for orthopedic treatment. PAs that specialize in orthopedics are high on the healthcare industry’s most wanted list.

*An important note about PAs in orthopedic specialties: There is a big difference between orthopedic physician assistants (OPAs) and physician assistants in orthopedics. Excellent PA-training programs and degrees are alive and well, but accredited OPA programs are sparse and not as prestigious as accredited, traditional PA courses and degrees.

Cardiology

Heart health is a prioritized medical concern across the nation, all over the world. This also makes cardiology a high-priority field for medical professionals, particularly PAs. PAs specializing in cardiology serve as the "right hand" medical professional for many cardiologists. Whether it is taking extensive patient histories, conducting stress test and other cardiac measurements, providing intervention and preventive counseling and other medical duties related to cardiac health, these PAs take on front-line medical work of cardiology patients. As the field of cardiology addresses the heart, medical care and treatment for patients is often a matter of life itself. Heart disease is a prevalent issue and the discovery of once-hidden congenital disorders is growing due to advanced equipment and medical techniques. As is public awareness grows about the importance of cardiac health, the field will need well-trained, knowledgeable medical professionals. The high demand for cardiology PAs will increase with this heightened awareness.

While these specialties are very prominent on the large list of medical practices, they are but three on a very large list of specialized areas of medical expertise. Any PA seeking to go into a specialty practice will surely find one. However, these practice hot spots currently lead the list of PA specialties in high demand.

http://www.healthecareers.com/article/top-3-physician-assistant-specialties-in-demand-by-employers/171532?type=email&source=pa-120412

Interested in Emergency Medicine?

2012-11-25T17:22:00.003-08:00

Visit www.emedmag.com for up to date emergency medicine articles.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2012-11-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

From the NCCPA

2012-11-14T13:48:00.004-08:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and in honor and support of our veterans and active duty servicemen and women, for every PA and PA student who likes us on Facebook this month (up to the 10,000th), we'll split a $1 donation between the Wounded Warriors Project and the Fisher House Foundation.

Both charities support returning servicemen and women during difficult times in their lives. The Fisher House Foundation provides a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. The Wounded Warrior Project serves military service members who incurred service-connected wounds, injuries, or illnesses and their families as they adjust to their new life.

Thanks for helping us build this new online community on Facebook and for showing your support for these great organizations and those they serve.

LIKE THE NCCPA ON FACEBOOK!!!!

HURRICANE SANDY

2012-11-11T11:27:00.003-08:00

HELP THOSE AFFECTED BY HURRICANE SANDY

DONATE TO RED CROSS

If you can't donate but would like to volunteer your time, please search google as there are various opportunities to help - especially in NY & NJ

picture found at www.nydailynews.com

HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE?

2012-11-08T11:06:00.002-08:00

Do you have any good websites or resources others can benefit from?

Please share them.

Email me at KPABLOG@gmail.com

I'm a PA

2012-10-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

Post-Graduate PA Residency

2012-10-24T12:06:00.003-07:00

Thinking about a PA residency?

Here is a link with the current residency offerings throughout the US: PA RESIDENCY

SUGGESTED ITEMS TO KEEP IN YOUR POCKETS

2012-10-24T11:58:00.001-07:00

Are you about to start clinical rotations?!? Here are some suggested items to keep in your white coat. Having these will help get you through rotations successfully!

- 2-3 inexpensive black pens

- Pen light

- Stethoscope (which can also be used to test reflexes)

- Alcohol swabs to keep stethoscope clean

- Small 3x5 inch notebook to take notes and jot down information for patient logging

- Granola bar or small hard candies (especially for surgical rotation)

- Quickcards --> www.medquickcards.com (especially helpful during first rotations)

- Maxwells Quick Medical Reference (especially helpful during first rotations)

- Pharmacopoeia ISBN 9780763774394

- Pocket Medicine Book (especially during internal/primary/emergency medicine)

- For Ortho - goniometer and small tape measure

- For ER - trauma shears

National PA Week

2012-10-01T18:31:00.003-07:00

A celebration of the PA profession

Yearly from October 6-12th

Increase awareness of the the profession!

Healthcare Reform and PAs

2012-09-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

What Impact Will Healthcare Reform Have on Physician Assistant Jobs? – 9/13/2012

September 13, 2012
By Joyce Routson, HEALTHeCAREERS.com

Physician assistants can look forward to more jobs, pay with accountable care organizations. Under healthcare reform, team work, primary care emphasized.

Experts who study healthcare workforce issues believe that midlevel practitioners are becoming more common because the medical system is looking for more efficient ways to use physicians, who can be in short supply.

The new U.S. healthcare reform act is applying even more emphasis on the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Two types of organizations the government is promoting under the act will impact the physician assistant marketplace and their compensation.

One of the new team work models under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the patient-centered medical home. The second – known as accountable care organizations (ACOs) – is designed to trim spending for Medicare patients by tying reimbursements to quality standards and efficient care.

An ACO is a group of providers and suppliers of services (for example, hospitals, nurses, physicians, and others involved in patient care) that work together to coordinate care for the Medicare beneficiaries they serve. To be eligible, the ACO must serve at least 5,000 Medicare patients and agree to participate in the program for three years.

The goal of an ACO is to deliver seamless, high quality, patient-centered care for Medicare beneficiaries instead of the fragmented care that has so often been part of fee-for-service health care. The Affordable Care Act specifies the groups of providers and suppliers that can form an ACO. That list includes “ACO professionals,” who are defined as physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and physician assistants.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) announced in July that more than 100 ACOs are up and running.

“ACOs will require physicians and hospitals to be more deliberate about coordinating the total care of the patient in and out of the hospital with an emphasis on keeping them out of the hospital,” says Susan O’Hare, NP, a senior vice president with Integrated Healthcare Strategiescompensation consulting firm. “Primary care physicians and advanced practice clinicians (PAs, NPs, and midwives) will provide the absolute foundation of this model.”

Employment

With the emphasis on primary care – not just in ACOs – more providers will be needed. Since there already is a shortage of primary care physicians – midlevel providers – who typically spend about six years in training compared to the more than 10 for MDs – will be in greater demand to fill that primary care gap.

“We certainly think any time an organization decides to move an innovative model of care where there will be an increased need for efficiency this will benefit because PAs provide many of the same duties as physicians with lower salaries,” says Michael Powe, AAPA vice president of reimbursement and professional advocacy.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics predicts physician assistants will be the second-fastest growing health profession in the next decade (after home health aides). There are 84,000 certified PAs, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).

Today, slightly more physician assistants work in hospitals rather than with physician practices or in primary care, but that ratio could change.

According to the AAPA, close to 30 percent work in family medicine and general internal medicine, with the remainder in surgery or surgical subspecialties, emergency medicine or other internal subspecialties. About 40 percent work in hospitals.

There remains some reluctance among physicians to employ nurse practitioners or physician assistants. According to one survey, from healthcare staffing company Jackson Healthcare, only 36 percent of the physicians it asked used NPs and 25 percent used physician assistants. The AAPA reports that 29 percent of PAs nationwide work in group practices; only 11 percent work in solo practices.

O’Hare believes this ratio will change over time, although nurse practitioners, who may have more varied and less technical training than PAs, “will be probably see greater utilization in the primary care setting. But that will shift over the next couple of years and you will see both of them grow.”

Data released this year from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, found that 49% of office-based physicians worked with physician assistants, nurse practitioners and/or certified nurse midwives.

However Powe said because many hospitals own physician practices or have ACOs in their network, there will be a more jobs offered by those employers as well.

Compensation

The law of supply and demand would suggest that all midlevel provider salaries will rise in the coming years. Primary care PAs make about $75,000 a year, less than those in surgical subspecialties or emergency medicine, where the median is $90,000. Increases likely will be greater for those at the lower end of the scale than those at the higher, O’Hare says.

“Midlevel providers are cost-effective in primary care settings, where they can relieve physicians of the necessity of providing routine care,” O’Hare wrote in an article in Becker’s Hospital Review in 2010. “Midlevel providers are also cost-effective in specialty practice settings, providing much of the medical care patients need while allowing physicians to focus more attention on the complex issues that make the best use of their knowledge and experience.”

O’Hare also wrote that as PAs and nurse practitioners take on roles similar to physicians, they could expect incentive plans to become a standard component of reimbursement, in terms of awards for productivity, patient satisfaction, adherence to quality standards and achievement of other goals.

Scope of practice

As to whether their duties will change under ACOs, Powe says that PAs likely will enjoy an expanded role. “I think that we’ll see added incentive for all healthcare systems utilize PAs to full extent of their education and expertise – it will be an all-hands-on-board mentality and they’ll be asked to do as much as possibly can,” he said. Organizations will utilize them to the full extent of their license to gain those cost-savings, he says.

Both O’Hare and Powe said that PAs may likely also play an important role in transition care –caring for the patient after he or she leaves the hospital. ACOs have incentives to ensure patients follow instructions and improve at home and don’t end up back in the hospital for a visit that Medicare doesn’t pay for.

“They are well-suited to be a care coordinator; there is great need to help transition care more efficiently,” says Powe. In the traditional model, PAs are used in a “billable by encounter” way where they get paid for certain treatments – not for advising patients to take their prescriptions. “I believe that they can play a key role in educating, phone triage and treatment, and even home visits that can hugely impact keeping a patient on a prescribed therapy and healthy enough to stay out of hospitals,” says O’Hare.

“The use of NPs and PAs by primary care doctors can bridge that gap between the hospital and the next outpatient encounter.”

obtained from: http://www.healthecareers.com/physician-assistant/article/what-impact-will-healthcare-reform-have-on-physician-assistant-jobs/171066?type=email&source=pa-091812