By Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – A change in Illinois law will allow doctors and health care facilities to hire more physician assistants in a move to ease the shortage of doctors in parts of the state.
The law limited doctors from working with more than five physician assistants. Now that number goes to seven. In parts of the state that have a shortage of health professionals, the ratio is being eliminated entirely.
Don Diemer, Southern Illinois University physician assistant training program director, said this will really help in Southern Illinois where the physician shortage is critical.
“They were really ready for this legislation to be passed so that they can hire some more PA’s and ease the burden of what they were having to take care of,” Diemer said.
Diemer said many health care providers wanted to hire recent PA grads from SIU but weren’t allowed to because of the rules.
“Restrictions of the ratio made it impossible for our grads who even wanted to stay home and help out in their communities,” he said.
The restrictions pushed some graduates to take jobs out of state.
“Our communities in central and southern Illinois were not able to do it and some ended up even going elsewhere to practice, which is a shame since they were needed so bad here,” Diemer said.
Sponsors of the new law say it will help patients in rural parts of the state get better access to health care and prevent them from having to travel far to get it. Diemer said some health care providers helped lobby for the changes.
“Many health care organizations who were concerned with getting this legislation passed helped us along by writing letters to congressmen,” he said.
Diemer has already heard from some providers who are ready to hire more physician assistants.
