In April, Oregon’s Governor, Tina Kotek, signed a bill into law that officially changed the title of “physician assistants” to “physician associates”. This switch is the first of its kind in the United States and comes on the heels of a decision made in 2021 by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA} to change the meaning of “PA” to “physician associate” from “physician assistant.”
According to the AAPA, the change came about to better reflect the work PAs do not only in “assisting” physicians but in working independently with patients as well. Some people felt that the word “assistant” implies dependence. However, despite associate’s more accurate reflection of the job, some PAs remain split on whether they like the new name. Some long-time PAs say that they prefer the title they’ve always had and they believe that explaining the new associate title may be confusing for some patients. Some PAs worry that patients may think they’re a business associate of the physician.
The name change took effect on June 6, 2024 and the Oregon Medical Board has established regulations and guidance for PAs adopt the new name in their practices. The law only changed the name of PAs in Oregon, not in other states.
We want to give a big shout out to our very own, Jess Meyer, PA- C He is an integral part of the team at Advantage Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. He sees patients in his own clinics a couple of days a week and also assists with surgical cases in the operating room. This month, he celebrates 15 years as a PA at Advantage Orthopedic and Sports Medicine.
- Note: Some of this information is republished from an article by Jennifer Nelson –Features Editor, Reports at Medscape