Organizations across the globe have been sounding the alarm on looming healthcare workforce shortages. The US Health Resources and Services Administration projects a shortage of more than 180,000 full-time physicians — as well as more than 200,000 registered nurses — by 2037 if current patterns of training, graduation, and labor force participation hold at current levels. Yet, as healthcare stakeholders continue to worry about a future lack of doctors and nurses, there is one segment of healthcare providers that is slowly but surely growing: physician associates (PAs). And many hope PAs will be able to meet increased demand for skilled medical providers across the country.

As reported in the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Statistical Profile of Recently Board-Certified PAs 2024, set new records for the number of newly minted PAs entering the workforce. A whopping 12,400 PAs earned their board certification, up from 11,762 the year prior and a nearly 25% bump from the numbers posted in 2020.

Andrzej Kozikowski, PhD, senior director of research at NCCPA, said the continued increase of qualified new PA providers demonstrates “the demand side of the demand/supply model” coming to life.

Click Here to Read Full Article