On June 12, Rhode Island became the 25th state to join the PA Licensure Compact, which allows physician assistants and physician associates to practice in participating states without needing licenses for each one.
The American Academy of Physician Associates said in a June 15 news release that Rhode Island’s participation marks a “major moment” in the initiative. The effort began in 2019 and states began adopting the licensure compact in December 2022.
“More than 200,000 PAs are delivering high-quality care in communities across the country, but inefficient licensure processes can oftentimes create barriers for these healthcare professionals to quickly meet patient needs in person, through telehealth and across state lines,” Todd Pickard, DMSc, PA-C, AAPA president and chair of the board of directors, said in a June 15 statement.
PAs in Rhode Island will be able to use the licensure’s flexibilities in early to mid-2027, the AAPA estimates, as operationalization can take 18 months to complete.
The current members of the compact are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
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