Message from the President and CEO

The NCCPA staff and I are passionate about the PA Profession. We learn of the many ways that PAs make a tremendous difference in the lives of patients through our outreach efforts to PAs, presentations and attendance at PA meetings, and feedback and insights received from our surveys, focus group meetings and the variety of subject matter expert committee meetings hosted throughout the year. Most of our empirical information comes from the aggregate data PAs share though the About Me and About My Practice profile portal. We appreciate the data on the profession that PAs provide and hold dear our obligation to share findings in aggregate and in the most responsible and professional manner, always maintaining PA confidentiality. We endeavor to provide meaningful reports that illustrate the key facts of the PA profession. The 2016 Statistical Report on Certified Physician Assistants by State sheds light on PA practice, at the local level.

The 2016 Statistical Profile on Certified Physician Assistants by State illustrates Certified PA demographics, practice disciplines and settings, patient load, and salary information, etc. from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings illustrate that the PAs are young, growing in numbers and increasingly agile. The findings also suggest that certified PAs enjoy the flexibility to practice across the specialty and setting spectrum; a fact that supports the PAs ranking as “one of the most desirable careers in today’s job market”.

In rural states like Alaska, Wyoming and North Dakota, Certified PAs continue to fill primary care gaps. Conversely, the most densely-populated states such as Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts, have the greatest percentages of PAs working outside of primary care. Like with our physician colleagues, there is a strong tendency towards specialization. In 2011, at the request of PA and and some physician specialty organizations, NCCPA introduced an additional credential called Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in seven specialties. The CAQ allows PAs to document and be recognized for their additional experience, CME and skills in their practice area. For the first time, this report includes a new data set that displays the number of PAs who’ve earned a CAQ, by state.

Upon review of the findings, it is reasonable to conclude that additional efforts are required by many, to increase the diversity of the PA profession. Interestingly, the data indicate that there is a higher percentage of minority PAs in states with large populations and in urban centers of California, Texas and New York. Multifaceted approaches are necessary to affect appreciable change in the ethnic, gender and human diversity of the PA profession. The good news is that the PA profession may leverage these statistics to inform ongoing efforts that promote diversity, and move-the-dial, in this regard. PAs, like our patients, reflect diverse perspectives, bound by a unifying desire for health, access to quality care and respect. The profession has achieved so much, in so many ways. Greater diversity of the PA profession could be our next great endeavor.

NCCPA can present these findings and hopefully stimulate thoughtful dialogue around these and other trends, owing to the more than 90% of Certified PAs who update and maintain their profiles. Their input is vital and has the potential to impact health policy, workforce planning and ongoing research. The NCCPA staff and I endeavor to continue to harness the information that PAs provide to help inform dialogue, discussions and decisions about the PA profession.

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About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for the over 150,000 PAs in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. NCCPA also administers the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) program for experienced, Certified PAs practicing in seven specialties. For more information, please visit https://www.nccpa.net.