What is a Physician Assistant
What is a PA?
Since 1967, PAs have been improving patient outcomes and moving healthcare forward. Always innovative. Always flexible. Always ready for what’s next. While AAPA is celebrating 5 decades of PAs, Caswell Family Medical Center is proud to have one of the best PA’s in the area, Jenny Baucom.
What does a physician assistant do?
A physician assistant is fairly self-explanatory by name alone. A physician assistant shouldn’t be confused with a medical assistant because they are two totally different professions. The physician assistant works under a licensed medical doctor and has a wide range of duties similar to that of a doctor. The medical doctor will directly supervise the PA. The pa will provide patient examinations as well as diagnose and treat patients. The physician assistant is licensed to provide medical services that traditionally were performed only by medical doctors and are able to prescribe medication to patients.
Can I see a physician assistant as my primary care provider?
The simple answer: yes! Many patients at Caswell Family Medical Center have listed Jenny Baucom as their primary care provider (PCP) because she is a trusted healthcare provider. Jenny has undergone rigorous medical training to become licensed and certified in her field. Just like doctors and nurse practitioners (NPs), a PA has to complete extensive continuing education on an ongoing basis throughout their career making them experts in general medicine.
What can a PA do for me?
A physician assistant does what a doctor can do but are not able to perform extremely intricate and complex procedures.
Some of the job functions of a PA include:
- Primary Care
- Conduct physical exams
- Diagnose and treat illnesses
- Assist in surgery
- Write prescriptions
- Take a patient’s medical history
- Counsel a patient on preventive care
- Create a treatment plan for a patient
- Perform sutures
- Interpret X-Rays and lab tests
- Perform therapy
- Apply dressings and administer first aid
- and more…
Will insurance cover a physician assistant visit?
Yes. Physician assistants are primary care providers and they are covered by nearly all private payers, Medicare, Medicaid, and others. If you do not have insurance, CFMC provides a sliding scale fee for those patients who qualify. You can contact Barbara Bocik at (336) 694-1181, ext 227 for more information on sliding scales.
How do I set up an appointment to see a PA at CFMC?
If you are interested in seeing Jenny Baucom as your PCP, give us a call at (336) 694-9331 today to set up your appointment, or contact us online now. You’ll be glad you did!