AAPA President Writes to USA Today
In response to an article in USA Today, "Doctor shortage looms as primary care loses its pull," AAPA president Stephen Hanson wrote a letter to the editor explaining what every PA knows and most of the public--and Congress--have yet to understand: PAs can and should be able to fill the gaps in primary care. That letter appeared on the USA Today Web site this morning. Hanson writes:
Doctor shortages threaten the viability of every health care reform option on the table, yet physician assistants (PAs) continue to get short shrift as we debate possible solutions.
Discussions about the cost and time it takes to produce physicians are distracting at a time when solutions should be sought. PAs can provide 80% to 90% of the services offered by physicians, at the same level of care, and are able to enter the medical system much more quickly. PA education programs produce close to 6,000 graduates each year - more than five times the number in family medicine residency programs - building a medical workforce that can help to fill critical gaps in care.
If Congress is serious about its health care goals, we need more PAs to deliver primary care to America. We need legislation that removes barriers to PA care and increases funding for PA education.
Link to Hanson's letter, along with two others, on the USA Today Web site.
Link to the original article.