DC Board of Medicine Removes Unnecessary Barrier to PA Practice

May 22, 2018

The District of Columbia’s (D.C.) Board of Medicine (BoMed) recently modernized and streamlined PA practice.   In a post on its website, BoMed announced that it will no longer issue letters “approving” delegation agreements. Effective immediately, receipt of delegation agreements will simply be confirmed via email. This change removes unnecessary delays to PA entry into the clinical workforce and enables practice-level decision making about PA-physician team-based care.  It also gives D.C. its fifth of AAPA’s Six Key Elements of a Modern PA Practice Act. Efforts are currently underway to have the PA licensure application amended to reflect this change.

While many access to care and PA practice barriers are typically resolved through the legislative and regulatory process, this development is a prime example of how an administrative decision can also solve a major problem. In addition to participating in advocacy endeavors and having an official observer at every meeting of the agency that regulates PA practice in your state, we encourage PAs and PA students to check the regulatory agency’s website often for similar critical announcements and improvements that may not otherwise be publicized.

For more information on PA practice in the District of Columbia, contact Stephanie Radix, senior director, constituent organization outreach and advocacy.