Maine has become the second state in the U.S. to adopt legislation changing the “physician assistant” title to “physician associate.”
The Maine State Legislature passed the bill June 2, and it was enacted June 16.
The title change follows a two-year lobbying campaign by the Maine Academy of Physician Associates.
“It is an exciting time to be a PA, and we can’t wait to see the positive change this has with our patients and with our role in the healthcare system,” Kathleen Moneghan, PA-C, vice president of the association, said in a June 14 news release.
The American Academy of Physician Associates voted to adopt “physician associate” as the official title for the profession in 2021. While AAPA and several state chapters have officially changed their legal name to reflect the new title, legally adopting the term at the state and federal level is a more difficult process that could take a decade or more, the association told Becker’s in 2023.
Oregon became the first state to officially adopt the term in April 2024.
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