As the Physician Assistant profession celebrates its 50th anniversary, it is an excellent opportunity to commemorate and highlight the contributions made by Army PAs. Army PAs continue to serve at the Tip of the Spear for those serving on the line while also supporting Army Medicine's four Lines of Effort ensuring our forces are ready to fight today and prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. Army PAs serve from the Battalion Aid Station to the Corps Headquarters, from the Pentagon to the White House, transcending the spectrum of warfighting from the tactical to the strategic level.
Army Medicine's Vision is to be "the Nation's premier expeditionary and globally integrated medical force ready to meet the ever-changing challenges of today and tomorrow."2 Army Medicine's mission is to provide "sustained health services in support of the Total Force enabling readiness and conserving the fighting strength while caring for our Families and Soldiers for Life."2,3 Army PAs support Army Medicine's vision and mission by providing sustained health services from the tactical to strategic level in support of the Total Force enabling readiness, conserving the fighting strength, while caring for our families and Soldiers for Life.
The Army Medicine 2025 Campaign Plan includes four Lines of Effort for meeting its end state, as an integrated system for health, and the Nation's first choice for prompt and sustained expeditionary health services.3 These Lines of Effort include Readiness and Health, Health Care Delivery, Force Development and Take Care of ourselves, our Soldiers for Life, Department of Defense (DA) Civilians, and Families.3 Army PAs support all four.
Readiness and Health
Ensuring Readiness and Health of the Force is a Decisive Operation.3 Army PAs directly support this objective through care of the Warfighter while focusing on Readiness as the #1 priority in support of the Army Chief of Staff's priorities allowing focus on the long war. Army PAs are dual-focused providers treating and educating the Warfighter while enhancing the fighting capability of the unit through ensuring tough and realistic combat casualty care training that incorporates leaders, first responders, medics, physicians and PAs providing care and evacuation from point of injury through Role 2+ and/or Role 3 medical channels.
Healthcare Delivery
Healthcare delivery on the battlefield and in garrison promotes, improves, conserves and restores the behavioral and physical well-being of those entrusted to our care.3 Army PAs serve on the front lines in garrison providing care that directly decreases the number of non-deployable Warfighters and while deployed returns personnel to duty allowing unit's to continue the fight. Regardless of the skillset of a provider, if they are not available, care cannot be delivered. The assignment to line units allows for Army PAs to deliver healthcare immediately, in essence, their availability to their patient population improved readiness.
Force Development
Army PAs now serve at all roles of care and serve in positions of higher responsibility including organizations that determine the future requirements for this environment. Army PAs augment the deployable force and military healthcare system by being increasingly versatile and dynamic through attending advanced medical training, undergoing specialty training, and being assigned to increasing levels of leadership opportunities. Through their presence as the senior medical subject matter expert (SME) at the unit level, Army PAs generally hold final decision making authority on proper medical supply management, oversight of medication use, combat medic protocols, and unit medical readiness efforts.
Take Care of Ourselves, our Soldiers for Life, DA Civilians, and Families
Since our forces and their families are the strength of the Army and Nation, we must treat them and each other with dignity, and respect.3 Army PAs contribute to this sustaining operation of caring for families by addressing the medical needs of the Warfighters families. Army PAs utilize prior military experience whether medical or non-medical to provide this support. This individual diversity of PAs allows for greater understanding of Warfighters and families with medical concerns.
Conclusion
The Army PA is critical to the care of Soldiers whether from point of injury to return to duty or medical retirement. As Army Medicine transforms to meet the ever changing strategic environment, Army PAs serve as force multipliers, supporting Warfighters while promoting, improving, conserving or restoring their own behavioral and physical well-being ensuring they are ready to perform during times of peace and conflict. Army PAs will continue to serve in expanding leadership roles taking on increasing levels of responsibility throughout the AMEDD. Army PAs are aggressive, versatile, and adaptable in a variety of environments ranging from a clinic to a combat outpost, and can provide a wide range of care in each. The Army PA-Medic Team is the critical link between Army Medicine and the Warfighter. Army PAs will continue to serve in this role as Army Medicine transforms into 2025.
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