The ranks of physician assistants are growing rapidly, helping health care providers treat more patients, say authors of a new report.
The United States had more than 83,000 physician assistants last year, about double the number of a decade ago, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Assistants often perform the same tasks as primary care doctors such as conducting physical exams, diagnosing illnesses, and ordering and interpreting tests.
"PAs are the only health care providers educated and credentialed with a primary care focus, providing a strong foundation for any specialty in which they may choose to practice," says Robert Wooten, president of the AAPA.
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Nearly one-third of assistants work in primary care, more than in any other clinical setting, and 40 percent have been in their current primary specialty for at least six years. That's important because of the shortage of primary care doctors.
"The PA profession is growing rapidly, and it is key to expanding access to quality health care for millions of Americans," Wooten says.
According to the report, PAs earn an average salary of $90,000, a 2.8 percent increase from 2009. The states with the highest salary increase in 2010 were Rhode Island, South Dakota and Missouri, all with increases of more than nine percent over the previous year.
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