The PA Advantage: The Workforce Evolution & The PA Difference

PA and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jenn Kolb introduces the current healthcare landscape, emphasizing the need to embrace a collaborative model that includes PAs. Highlighting their rigorous training and adaptability, she shares statistics on their growing presence and leadership roles, advocating for their integration into healthcare systems to meet rising demands.

Key Takeaways:

PAs deliver 590M+ patient visits each year and expand access to care.
The profession is growing faster than nearly every other, with more PAs in leadership roles.
Trained to be flexible and adaptable, PAs are central to the future of healthcare.

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Speaker

Click on the photo below to learn more about the speaker.

Jennifer M. Kolb, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

References and Additional Resources:

American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) & The Harris Poll. (2023). The patient experience: Perspectives on today’s healthcare system. https://www.aapa.org/download/113513/?tmstv=1684243672

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). (2024). Statistical profile of board certified physician assistants. https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2024-Statistical-Profile-of-Board-Certified-PAs.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Physician assistants: Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm

American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA). (2024). AAPA salary report. https://www.aapa.org/research/salary-report/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. (n.d.). Workforce projections – National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/nchwa/workforce-projections

Supported by

Jennifer M. Kolb, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Jennifer M. Kolb, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, is the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the interim Executive Director of the PA Foundation (the philanthropic arm of AAPA).

Dr. Kolb has served as a volunteer leader, patient advocate, and change agent of the PA profession and all of healthcare for more than 20 years. She has held multiple leadership positions at both the state and national levels and is the former president and chair of the AAPA board of directors. She is a strong advocate for health equity and improving patient care access and a champion of healthcare advocacy efforts on both the state and federal levels. She is an accomplished speaker, published author, and Op-Ed scholar.