The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) in July sent a letter to the American Medical Association (AMA) requesting a meeting between the 2 organizations to talk through what AAPA believes is AMA’s “disparaging rhetoric” about the physician associate (PA) profession. The meeting never happened, and according to a follow-up letter, AAPA says, “the continued silence from the AMA raises concerns about your commitment to collaboration and finding solutions to strengthen America’s health care workforce and improve patient care.” For its part, AMA says its top priority is to vigorously defend the need for physicians to lead clinical care and pushes back against PA scope creep, citing expanded practice privileges for nonphysicians as a threat to patient safety. The AAPA found through a survey that 96% of PAs believe the AMA campaign against expanded practice is detrimental to workforce shortages, and 95% say it negatively impacts access to care.
Here’s the long and short of it: Certainly each organization is advocating for its own members. No one wants to cut corners on patient care or patient safety. At the same time, clinicians at every level are short staffed and universally burned out. Which side patients, politicians, and the public agree with likely depends on whose poll question they’re answering.