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Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr from Duke University Medical Center put together the first class of Physicians Assistants in 1965 by choosing four Navy Hospital Corpsmen with extensive medical training.
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American Association of Physician Assistants (later became the American Academy of Physician Assistants) is incorporated in North Carolina. William D. Stanhope, PA-C is the first president.
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Kaiser Permanente becomes the first HMO to employ a PA. -
The American Medical Association (AMA) recognizes the PA profession and begins work on national certification and codification of its practice characteristics. -
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) established in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine eligibility criteria and to administer national certifying exam. David Glazer selected as NCCPA’s first executive director. He serves until 1996. -
USAF begins appointing PAs as noncommissioned officers, but senior enlisted members in 1971.
U.S. Air Force begins appointing PAs as commissioned officers in 1978. -
Physician assistants have prescriptive authority in 10 states. It is unclear exactly which states these were as sources are conflicting, however, it is clear that it varied between different classes of substances. -
Physician assistants have prescriptive authority in 30 states and the District of Columbia. -
U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard PAs are commissioned as officers. Up until this time the army recognized PAs as warrant officers and the air force was recognizing PAs as senior non commissioned officers and later followed suit. -
The Department of State agrees to hire PAs as Foreign Service health practitioners. At this time there are roughly 30, 000 graduated physicians assistants
