Hospital Stops PAs From Performing Invasive Procedures

Wynn Hospital in Utica, New York, will no longer allow physician assistants (PAs) to perform invasive procedures, according to news reports.

“This includes the operating room, all procedural areas, and the bedside. Please note regular PA duties, however, may continue. More information will be provided once it becomes available,” read an internal memorandum sent to medical staff on June 6 that was first reported by the Daily Sentinel. The news organization obtained a copy of the memo and verified it with health system officials.

In an emailed statement, Patricia Charvat, senior vice president of marketing and strategy for the hospital’s parent company Mohawk Valley Healthcare System (MVHS), noted that its Quality Department is reviewing and updating credentials of its medical staff.

“As part of that review, the ability of physician assistants to perform procedures in the operating room or at the bedside at the Wynn Hospital has been temporarily put on hold until credentialing to perform these procedures has been confirmed,” the statement said. “This has not impacted patient care or surgeries.”

The halt on invasive procedures performed by physician assistants at Wynn Hospital comes a month after open-heart surgeries there were put on hold in the wake of an immediate jeopardy citation from CMS in early May, according to the Observer-Dispatch.

Regarding the pause on open-heart surgeries, the hospital started a 40-day review period last week, with surgeries expected to resume at the end of the review period. It’s not clear whether the halt on invasive procedures by physician assistants is related to the review of open-heart surgeries.

In announcing the hold on open-heart surgeries last month, MVHS stated that quality of care as well as patient safety were the top priorities for it and its flagship Wynn Hospital.

“MVHS leadership, medical staff and the board of directors have been looking into the strength and quality of open heart surgery at the Wynn Hospital,” the health system’s statement continued. “The New York State Department of Health, during a site survey this week, also expressed concerns about the open heart surgery program. An external organization is being brought on by MVHS to conduct a review aimed at strengthening the service and re-opening as quickly as possible.”

Physician assistants work under the supervision of a physician. Some PA advocacy groups are trying to rebrand the profession as “physician associate” to reflect their scope of practice — with Oregon being the first state to legally allow the title change this year.

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