Physician assistants at UCSF reach out to patients and the community for support as they fight to improve care

Physician assistants (PAs) provide medical care under a doctor's supervision, diagnosing and treating illness, prescribing medication, and managing patient care. Physician assistants are vital for expanding access to healthcare, especially in underserved areas.

For nearly a year, PAs at UC San Francisco have been calling out myriad workplace issues that have compromised the important care they provide. Over 100 UCSF healthcare professionals signed a petition eleven months ago highlighting the need for UCSF to focus on recruiting and retaining PAs.

It has been five months since we presented our case to management to address recruitment, retention, and pay equity issues, and they have yet to respond. On November 2, we took action by distributing flyers outside of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Mission Bay Campus to highlight the ways that these unresolved issues impact the care that our patients rely on us for.

Pamela Chan, a physician assistant at UC San Francisco, shared her passion for patient care: "I love working with my patients. I love the care that I'm able to give to them. I love the interactions I have with my patients. You know, I really want each person to feel that they are heard, that they're taken care of, that they have someone that they can confide in for their medical issues, their medical concerns."

To support physician assistant pay equity, members are encouraged to email Suresh Gunasekaran (Suresh@UCSF.edu) and Dr. Josh Adler (Josh.Adler@UCSF.edu), using the following template:

"Hello, I am a UCSF patient/employee. It has been 11 months since Physician Assistants hand-delivered a petition to Dr. Josh Adler's office requesting pay parity with the UCSF Nurse Practitioners. It has been five months since we met with Labor Relations and the Office of Advanced Practice. Morale is waning, and patient wait times are extending. UCSF PAs await a befitting response. When will UCSF address our concerns?"

Physician assistants are crucial for efficient and effective healthcare, working collaboratively for better patient outcomes. Despite the delay in response from UCSF management, UPTE members are prepared to continue to fight for solutions that will improve patient care and better support frontline providers.