The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) has announced that the number of Certified PAs grew 6.5 percent last year to 115,500. NCCPA also released the latest Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants by State showcasing the ongoing assimilation of PAs into healthcare systems, as well as where PAs in every state and the District of Columbia are employed by specialty and clinical setting. The survey also reports on hours worked, insurance coverage, ethnicity, salary and income.

The Statistical Profile, released by NCCPA in January, reports that over 93 percent of all the nation’s Certified PAs respond to the survey, making it the most robust and comprehensive overview of the profession in the nation. Highlights of the report include:

  • Primary care (including family practice, pediatrics and internal medicine) remains the largest practice area for PAs at 28 percent. However, surgical subspecialties (18 percent) and emergency medicine (13 percent) are rapidly growing areas of demand.
  • Over six percent of Certified PAs nationally work in community health centers or rural health clinics.
  • The state with the overall highest number of PAs is New York, with 10,843.
  • The state with the largest number of PAs per capita is Alaska, with a rate of 71.2 PAs for every 100,000 people; there almost 56 percent work in primary care.
  • Certified PAs are breaking down language barriers. The states with the top percentage of PAs who can communicate with patients in a language other than English are:
    • California—53 percent
    • New Mexico—39 percent
    • Texas—37 percent
    • Nevada—34 percent
    • New Jersey—32 percent

“PAs are providing a wider range of healthcare services in more settings and for more people than ever before,” said Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D, PA-C, president and CEO of the NCCPA. “We are a profession that is adapting to meet the needs of the patients and their communities. Our nation faces considerable uncertainty about the future of healthcare. What we do know is patients will need access to quality, affordable healthcare services, and that PAs can fill that need.”

Typical of PAs today is Hema Majeno, PA-C, whose patient population includes undocumented women who work in the fields and fruit groves in Central California. Hema, herself an immigrant from India, understands the healthcare needs and concerns of these women. Without her services, and her commitment to patients, these women would have nowhere to turn for healthcare. For more information on Hema’s story, see the NCCPA PAsDoThat website.

Read the full report.

About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for physician assistants (PAs) in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. There are more than 115,500 certified PAs in the U.S. today. The NCCPA also supports the PA History Society, dedicated to preserving the history of the profession. The PA profession celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. More information, including oral histories of PAs, is at http://www.pahx.org/.

Note to Editors: For graphics from the report, please contact Mary Rittle at maryr@nccpa.net