The term “physician associate” seems to have cyclical comebacks, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. The American Academy of Physician Assistants changed its name in 2021 to the American Academy of Physician Associates and today simultaneously uses the acronym “PA” with both physician associate and physician assistant titles. However, the academy has changed its name before, reflecting membership and industry roles. The majority of urgent care visits—some 85%, according to Experity data—are delivered by either PAs or NPs.
Impressive growth: Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc, president of Experity Consulting and Practice Management Editor of JUCM, notes that employment of physician assistants/associates is expected to grow by 27% to 35% in the next decade. According to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the number of PAs has increased by 76% since 2013 to reach 168,318 at the end of 2022. “So while the number of PAs is rapidly growing, the available training programs restrict supply. By contrast, there are 5.2 million registered nurses in the United States, and the path from registered nurse to nurse practitioner has been well defined including through 100% online coursework,” Ayers says.