Across the country, higher education leaders are committed to helping address a national healthcare crisis: the growing shortage of doctors. While the physician-to-patient ratio gap is well documented—and with greater disparities in rural and underserved communities—the shortage of physician assistants who are critical to expanding access to care, is equally pressing.
Nationally, there are about 56 PAs per 100,000 residents, below the 60–70 recommended by experts. In California, that number drops to 36, and in some rural and underserved regions, it is closer to 33.
These statistics translate into real barriers to care for millions of Americans. But higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to help close this gap as they rethink their role in healthcare workforce development.
Universities teaming with regional health systems
At California Baptist University in Riverside, California, the Physician Assistant Studies program was founded in 2016 with a clear mission: prepare graduates to provide quality healthcare in underserved communities. That mission has been amplified through a strategic partnership with Riverside University Health System, the public safety net hospital system for Riverside County’s 2.5 million residents.
Together, the university of the health system have created a mutually beneficial pipeline that connects education directly to community health needs. PA students complete supervised clinical rotations in the system’s hospitals and clinics, gaining hands-on experience in the very communities where shortages are most severe.
Nearly half of California Baptist University’s PA graduates remain in the region, with more than a third entering primary care. Riverside University Health System, in turn, benefits from a steady stream of culturally competent, practice-ready providers who are invested in the community.
Playbook for education leaders
For university administrators, the takeaway is clear: health systems should be viewed not only as employers but as co-educators. To take this approach, institutions can start with these steps:
- Map regional health needs: Conduct data-driven assessments of provider shortages in surrounding counties and communities to identify where training pipelines are most urgently needed.
- Engage health systems as co-educators: Formalize partnerships that position hospitals and clinics not just as employers but as teaching sites, with shared responsibility for student development.
- Embed students in underserved communities: Structure clinical rotations and service-learning opportunities in areas with the greatest disparities, fostering cultural competence and community connection.
- Design retention-focused curricula: Integrate coursework and experiential learning that emphasize local service, professional identity, and help students stay enrolled and committed to community health.
- Measure and report outcomes: Track graduate placement, retention rates, and specialty choices to demonstrate impact and refine programs over time.
- Leverage mission alignment: Ensure that institutional values, such as integrity, service and workforce development, are tied to program goals and partnership agreements.
- Scale through replication: Share best practices with peer institutions and explore regional consortia to expand the reach of successful models.
This checklist shifts the conversation from broad lessons to concrete actions that higher education leaders can take immediately.
Cost-effective and scalable
The university-health system partnership model is a blueprint that can be replicated nationwide. Expanding PA programs is a cost-effective and scalable strategy, but its success depends on collaboration.
When universities and health systems align their missions, they can build resilient pipelines of healthcare providers who are both clinically prepared and deeply connected to the communities they serve.
For higher education leaders, the question is not whether to engage in this work, but how quickly they can mobilize. The physician shortage dilemma is real and timely, and universities have a pivotal role to play in addressing it.
