Improving and preserving access to quality healthcare is one of the most vital challenges Pennsylvania faces today.  This is especially crucial in our hospitals and emergency departments, the places that accept and treat individuals most in need of care.  When we can reduce or remove administrative burdens that impede the provision of care, we must consider those changes.
 
Currently, physician assistants (PAs) are licensed by the State Board of Medicine or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.  As such, the PA’s supervising physician must be licensed by the same board.  In hospitals, PAs often work with both allopathic physicians (MDs) and osteopathic physicians (DOs), forcing them to obtain a license from both medical boards if they want to have supervising physicians of both types.

This increased administrative burden can easily be remedied.  That’s why we plan to introduce two bills that will change the definition of a primary supervising physician, allowing a physician assistant to work with either type of doctor regardless of licensing board. We believe that the physician-led PA team provides a sound approach to healthcare.  Making this small change allows our PAs and doctors to work seamlessly together without burdensome extra licenses.

In the previous legislative session, this package received unanimous support in the House and was also passed unanimously through the relevant Senate committee, but did not receive final consideration in the Senate.

Please join us in sponsoring this legislation, which will enable our healthcare providers to focus on quality patient care and our hospitals to determine the most effective staffing arrangements for their needs.  

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0063: P.L.1109, No.261