PA access to provider health programs.

Abstract

This study assessed the availability of provider health programs (PHPs) for physician associates/assistants (PAs), as well as the accessibility of information about these resources through state licensing boards and PA constituent organizations. Data were collected through audits of the websites of the PA licensing board and state/district constituent group for each state and the District of Columbia from October to November 2022. Every state except Massachusetts has a PHP that serves PAs. Review of the 51 respective state licensing board websites revealed that 23 states (45.1%) list PHP information; only 9 states (17.6%) have PHP information listed on state PA constituent organization websites. The results of this study indicate that PHPs for PAs are widely available. Unfortunately, the broad availability of PHPs may be limited by the lack of accessible information about these programs in many states.