Quality patient care is at the core of what physician assistants (PAs) do. The PAs at INTEGRIS Blackwell Regional Hospital give their patients an enhanced sense of responsibility by teaching patients critical information about their health care and providing guidance, support, and the most efficient and effective care at all times.

Physician assistants are licensed health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs prescribe medication, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, and assist in surgery.

During the week of October 6-12, PAs around the United States, including the PAs at INTEGRIS Blackwell, will celebrate National Physician Assistant Week. It was on October 6, 1967, that the first class of PAs graduated from Duke University in North Carolina. Currently, there are 141 such programs nationally.

For more information about the PA profession, visit the American Academy of Physician Assistants Web page at http://www.aapa.org/.