Health Equity

Students at Dimmitt Middle School got a crash course from physician associates during their lunch hour last Wednesday. Held during National PA Week, the event was part of Project Access, a national outreach initiative through AAPA and the National CARES Mentoring Movement, an in-school mentoring program.

Jonathan Baker, PA-C, MPAS, is a physician associate (PA) at NYU Langone Health, where he has become a leading authority in his specialty. In addition to specializing in anorectal health, infectious diseases, and colorectal surgery, he is also a leading advocate for LGBTQ+ health care and access.

The first university graduate physician associate program in Montana started its classes on Aug. 24 at the University of Montana. Its main goal, according to program director Marci Contreras, is to improve access to health care for those living in rural Montana areas by training physician associates who want to stay in the state.

Students from the New Orleans region were among 40 Louisiana middle and high schoolers from the CARES Mentoring Movement network — a mentoring initiative founded in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina — who joined the American Academy of Physician Associates for immersion and hands-on learning about the physician associate profession at AAPA 2026.

To gauge how the changing landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy is affecting LGBTQ+ patients, [The Clinical Advisor] spoke with Carlos Gutiérrez, EdD, MMS, PA-C.

Before starting physician associate (PA) school at the Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, California, Sydney Kasner worked as an x-ray technician in a small town in rural Oregon.

The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) is piloting a new program called PAthways to connect minority students and recent graduates with a local physician associate/assistant (PA) mentor who can provide valuable insights into the PA profession and help students navigate the process of applying to and completing PA school.

Diversity among health care professionals is important. PAthways is a program that pairs minority graduates with mentors. The goal is boosting the number of PAs in underserved communities.