{"id":37452,"date":"2024-06-17T11:25:21","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=37452"},"modified":"2024-06-17T11:25:21","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:25:21","slug":"well-trained-physician-assistants-are-integral-to-goal-of-providing-quality-medical-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2024\/06\/well-trained-physician-assistants-are-integral-to-goal-of-providing-quality-medical-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Well Trained Physician Assistants Are Integral To Goal Of Providing Quality Medical Care"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Antoinetta Backus, physician recruitment and retention manager at Glens Falls Hospital, is responsible for ensuring that nurses and staff physicians have qualified PAs with whom to work.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Christine Graf<\/p>\n

During the past decade, the number of board-certified physician assistants (PAs) has increased more than 75 percent, with more than 168,000 currently practicing in the field. Each year, PAs are responsible for more than 500 million patient interactions, collaborating with physicians and\u00a0surgeons to diagnose and treat patients.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the PA profession will increase 28 percent from 2021 to 2031. Currently, the demand for PAs is so high that 75 percent of graduates receive multiple job offers upon graduation.<\/p>\n

In the late 1960s, Duke University established the country\u2019s first physician assistant program. There are now 245 accredited programs in the United States, one of them at Albany Medical College where 42 PAs graduate each year from the 28-month program. Established in 1972, Albany Med\u2019s PA program began as a collaboration with Hudson Valley Community College.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>According to the statistics compiled by New York\u2019s Department of Education Office of the Professions, there were more than 22,000 PAs practicing in New York as of January 1, 2024. That number includes 295 in Saratoga County, 84 in Warren County, 29 in Essex County, 16 in Washington County, and just 2 in Hamilton County.<\/p>\n

Glens Falls Hospital is one of the largest employers of PAs in the area, with 75 PAs working at its 20 locations throughout the region. With a service area of 6,000\u00a0 <\/span>square miles, the hospital provides services in Warren, Washington, Essex, Hamilton, and northern Saratoga counties\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Antoinetta Backus, physician recruitment and retention manager at Glens Falls Hospital, PAs are integral to the operation of the hospital.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPhysician assistants are essential to our practice. They are a huge part of our team here at Glens Falls Hospital. We have physician assistants and advanced practice providers in every specialty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Backus is currently working to fill two open PA positions at the hospital. A Certified Physician Recruiter, she has been in her current position since 2012.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been fairly successful with our most recent recruitment, and when it comes to the difficulty of filling a position, it depends on the specialty,\u201d she said. \u201cWe also have a fair number of new grads that have an interest in coming to Glens Falls Hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the hospital does hire newly-graduated PAs, certain positions require candidates to have experience within a particular specialty. PAs are trained as generalists, and it is not until working in the field that they have the opportunity to specialize in one of more than 60 specialties. Regardless of specialty or experience level, all PAs must work under the direction of a supervising\u00a0 <\/span>physician.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Glens Falls Hospital, all new PA school graduates must undergo a comprehensive orientation and mentoring process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognize the importance of mentoring and support for the new grads and want to be sure that these folks are going to be comfortable in their practice,\u201d said Backus. \u201cWe don\u2019t schedule them to be on their own. We have the support there for these new providers, and new grads need and deserve this kind of support. We want to help them be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within the hospital, Backus said the scope of practice for PAs varies by department.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEach department dictates how they want their PAs to practice. For example, in primary care, many of the PAs have their own patient panel. They are the primary care provider. Of course, their supervising physician is there for support as are the rest of the team. It\u2019s definitely a team approach in all of our departments. The providers support one another,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

According to Backus, when recruiting PAs, the hospital is very specific with regards to the expectations and responsibilities associated with all open positions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat adds to our retention which minimizes our recruitment needs,\u201d she noted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When recruiting\u2014whether it is for PAs, doctors, or nurse practitioners\u2014Backus must find candidates who are interested in practicing in a small community. It is something that she admits can be challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone is not familiar with the region, they don\u2019t necessarily realize what a gem we have. When they see that we are in northern New York, they may feel that we don\u2019t have the amenities that they would be used to. It\u2019s not until we can really talk to them about the community and the resources and the amenities that we have that they recognize that we have a wonderful community with great schools, kind people, lots of activities, and no traffic,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI do tell them that they have to be able to embrace the snow\u2014they don\u2019t have to like it, but they do have to embrace it. I\u2019m very up front and honest about everything because we want people to come here and stay. That\u2019s what\u2019s best for our patients and our community and our hospital,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Glens Falls Hospital has been very successful at attracting qualified providers to the area, Backus said many of their practitioners are \u201chome grown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are people who are from the area,\u201d she said. \u201cThey go away to school and to train, and maybe they work elsewhere and then come back home. That\u2019s always a wonderful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Christine Graf During the past decade, the number of board-certified physician assistants (PAs) has increased more than 75 percent, with more than 168,000 currently practicing in the field. Each year, PAs are responsible for more than 500 million patient interactions, collaborating with physicians and\u00a0surgeons to diagnose and treat patients. The U.S. Bureau of Labor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":37453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare"],"yoast_head":"\r\nWell Trained Physician Assistants Are Integral To Goal Of Providing Quality Medical Care - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2024\/06\/well-trained-physician-assistants-are-integral-to-goal-of-providing-quality-medical-care\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Well Trained Physician Assistants Are Integral To Goal Of Providing Quality Medical Care - Glens Falls Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Christine Graf During the past decade, the number of board-certified physician assistants (PAs) has increased more than 75 percent, with more than 168,000 currently practicing in the field. Each year, PAs are responsible for more than 500 million patient interactions, collaborating with physicians and\u00a0surgeons to diagnose and treat patients. 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