HPD Physician Assistant Program - Jacksonville

Health Professions Division | 5 Physician Assistants Extending the Health Care Team THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROFESSION was born at Duke University in the mid-1960s and was conceptualized by Eugene A. Stead, Jr., M.D. At this time, there was a lack of primary care providers, especially in certain areas. Stead, along with many other physicians and educators, realized the need for a new medical professional who would work in collaboration with physicians. These professionals were called Physician Assistants (PAs). Today, according to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, there are more than 100,000 nationally certified physician assistants. Under the supervision of a physician, PAs practice medicine and provide health care to patients. Some PA duties include taking medical histories, performing physical examinations, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, diagnosing and treating illnesses, performing health maintenance screenings, performing medical/surgical procedures, assisting in surgeries, and writing prescriptions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, as published in the 2017 Occupational Outlook Handbook , employment of PAs is expected to grow 37 percent from 2016 to 2026. This “much faster than average” growth of the PA profession reflects the increasing need for primary health care providers and PAs resulting from increasing numbers of physicians entering specialty areas of medicine, a growing and aging population, an increase in the number of individuals with access to health insurance, and the cost-effectiveness of physician assistants.