First few Article Sentences
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Administration (VHA), one of the largest healthcare systems in the country, released an updated directive designed to enhance utilization of PAs while continuing to embrace a patient-centered and team-based approach to practicing medicine.
The directive establishes new policy by authorizing PAs to practice medicine within defined levels of autonomy and to exercise autonomous medical decision-making. PAs practice medicine similarly to physicians including conducting physical exams, diagnosing and treating illnesses, writing prescriptions and providing follow-up care among many other services. More than 95,000 PAs practice in every medical and surgical setting and specialty.