Physician Assistants Filling the Healthcare Gap in Medically Underserved Areas

摘要

Both the downtown and South Tucson areas have high rates of poverty, unemployment and lack of health insurance. Each of these contributes to a category known as a medically underserved area, and is directly related to behavioral health issues. These issues include but are not limited to anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. My investigations into this topic have led me to understand that because of the increased amount of care‐seeking patients and shortage of physicians; further healthcare providers are needed to fill the gap. PAs are filling it, particularly because they have the unique ability of working in different fields of medicine without extra schooling. They also have the ability to fill positions in the three different categories in which I organized the patients in South Tucson and downtown Tucson. The categories include wellness and prevention, acute care and chronic health issues. The testimonies and information I received from healthcare providers, patients and public officials are all the patchwork of different people, places and programs that help patients overcome or cope with issues. PAs make up a large part of the thread stitching these patches together.