In a state grappling with an aging workforce, careers in health care are defying the trend.
The demand for physician assistants in Connecticut is expected to grow 27% by the year 2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The state has five PA programs, which produce approximately 250 graduates annually and maintain about 90 PAs per capita. It's also a younger profession. The average age of a PA in the state is 37.
Nicholas Patino is the incoming president of the Connecticut Academy of PAs.
“There’s a provider shortage in healthcare, and PAs are doing a lot of the work to grow and fill in the gaps, get people the care they need," he said. "Maybe not in a place like Stamford or New Haven, but in the rural corners of Connecticut or rural parts of the country, especially, PAs are really working to fill in that gap.”
Oct. 6-12 is PA Week, raising awareness about the profession.
"I've only been a PA for four years, but I hear ten years ago, not everyone knew what a PA was," said Patino. "Everyone is realizing how great it is to be a PA — I get to guide people through their illnesses, get them out of the hospital and on with their lives. There's something really special about that."
State officials say Connecticut is also in serious need of new nurses, about 3,000 a year, as more residents head towards retirement.
