For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Alicia Quella, Director of Communications and PA Relations
website: nccpa.net
email: [email protected]
phone: 470-682-5111

PAs Report High Engagement with Mental Health Patients

NCCPA Specialty Report Showcases PA Versatility in Health Care  

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – July 29, 2024 – PAs play an important role in addressing the nation’s mental health crisis, according to the latest specialty report from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

The ninth edition of the “2023 Statistical Profile of Board Certified PAs by Specialty Annual Report” shows that 33.4% of PAs see patients daily who require mental health treatment and 26.7% of PAs initiate mental health disorder treatment.

“PAs are at the forefront of caring for patients with mental health concerns, regardless of their primary specialty,” said NCCPA President and CEO Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D., PA-C, ICE-CCP, FACHE.

The report shows that 59% of PAs in family practice/general practice have daily encounters with patients needing mental health treatment, compared to 9.9% in dermatology and 6.4% in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery care. For PAs working in psychiatry, 96.6% of patients are seeking treatment for mental health disorders.

However, PA contribution to health care extends beyond mental health. The report examined 24 specialties in addition to primary care and demonstrates the flexibility and far-reaching effects of the PA profession. Specialties such as psychiatry, critical care medicine, dermatology, plastic surgery and neurology have seen the largest proportional increase between 2019 and 2023.

Patient Care

A PA working in dermatology sees an average of 118 patients per week, while those in pediatrics and pain medicine see 96 and 93 patients per week, respectively.

“The impact PAs have on health care is real and extensive,” Morton-Rias said.

Collectively, PAs see 10.8 million patients each week, with many working in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). In general pediatrics, 37.5% of PAs work in underserved areas, followed by 36.9% in family medicine and 31.2% in psychiatry. PAs in primary care, in general, have a 35% representation in these areas.

Addressing Provider Shortage

“With health care provider shortages, the demand for PAs continues to increase in every specialty,” Morton-Rias said.

In response, there is a need for PAs across all areas. Critical care medicine, hospital medicine and oncology saw the highest increase in recruitment efforts, with 63.5% of PAs in critical care medicine, 54.6% of hospital medicine PAs and 54.3% of PAs in oncology reporting their primary place of employment is actively recruiting.

Career Mobility

The report also highlights career mobility within the PA profession. Overall, 30.7% of PAs have changed specialties two or more times. Among those in occupational medicine, 58.6% have switched specialties multiple times, followed by 45.4% in geriatrics and 45.3% in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Job Satisfaction and Burnout

Despite high levels of satisfaction with their career choice (86.7%), PAs are experiencing an increase in burnout symptoms across all specialties. Emergency medicine (42.2%), critical care medicine (38.5%) and gastroenterology (38.5%) reported the highest rates of burnout symptoms. Additionally, 33.7% of PAs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery reported increased clinical opportunities over the past year, followed by 31.8% in critical care medicine and 29.3% in cardiology.

“The data shows a slight increase in burnout, reflecting the high demands and pressures that PAs face,” Morton-Rias said. “Despite challenges, PAs across specialties continue to bridge health gaps and make a difference in the communities they serve.”

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About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for more than 178,700 PAs in the U.S. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. NCCPA also administers the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) program for experienced, Board Certified PAs practicing in ten (11 in 2025) specialties. For more information, visit https://www.nccpa.net.