PAs are proven and integral members of the U.S. healthcare system. But what exactly do PAs do? And who decides? The boundaries of each PA’s scope of practice are determined by these parameters: education and experience; state law; policies of employers and facilities, and the needs of the patients. 

PAs in administration utilize leadership and management competencies above and beyond their clinical skill set to positively affect patient care; they are aspiring or current experts in the business of medicine, revenue cycle management, quality improvement, health information technology, and compliance. AAPA supports PA administrators by offering opportunities to acquire skills and knowledge.

Join PA Shayne Foley, co-founder of The PA Blueprint, LLC, in this interactive webinar that explores side gigs for PAs. Attendees can earn 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit.

Owning a practice or other healthcare business is complex and can present special challenges for PAs. The following information can help you decide whether practice partnership or ownership is right for you.

Clair Kuriakose, MBA, PA-C, is a high achiever. She sets goals for herself, achieves them, and then strategically lays out her next steps. She finished PA school, got her MBA and Lean Six Sigma certification, and now leads advanced practice providers at Stanford Health Care.

Nicole S. Cournoyer, PA-C, faculty member at Thomas Jefferson University, started her career in a community-based oncology office. Teaching patients and family members about disease processes, medications and interventions led to lecturing then teaching full-time at her alma mater.

A small Texas practice’s electronic health records were hacked and held for ransom. For days, while pen and paper kept the practice going, a PA wondered whether she’d face a financial hit from the cyber breach.

Huddle’s latest Ask Me session recruited virtual medicine PAs Desmond Watt and Amanda Shelley to engage in field-related discussions with AAPA members. Virtual health, or telemedicine, is an emerging healthcare space that PAs have the opportunity to not only join, but lead.

PAs who serve as medical and clinical science liaisons play a unique role in pharmaceutical and other medical organizations. They use their clinical skills to interpret clinical trials, medications’ chemical composition, safety matters, and help to educate clinicians.

A summary of PAs in team-oriented care models.

Be ready to explain PA practice to potential employers and share the ways you can contribute to medical care.

Andrea Lowe, MHA, PA-C, has a lot of ideas about raising PA public awareness and increasing career opportunities for PAs. Lowe practiced as a PA in emergency medicine and then transitioned to increasingly visible leadership roles.