A Physician Assistant (PA) is a graduate of an accredited PA educational program who is authorized by the state to practice medicine with the supervision of a licensed physician. Typically, PAs have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and more than 2 years of postgraduate instruction. PAs work closely with our physicians to assist in providing high quality care for their patients. Physicians may delegate to PAs those medical duties that are within the Physicians scope of practice and the PAs training and that are allowed by law.

Our PAs assist in perioperative patient care. Their duties include, but are not limited to: preoperative and postoperative examination of the patient, ordering and interpreting tests, assisting in surgery, writing prescriptions, documentation of patient progress, completing orders for care plans, harvest of arterial and venous conduits for bypass surgery, and assisting with discharge planning and education.

For more information about Physician Assistants click on the following links:

American Academy of Physician Assistants: http://www.aapa.org/about-pas

The Oregon Medical Association: http://www.theoma.org/Page.asp?NavID=253

Oregon Society of Physician Assistants: http://www.oregonpa.org/