Physician assistant distribution in Texas-Mexico border counties: public health implications.

PURPOSE: Texas Medical Board physician assistant (PA) data were assessed to assist workforce education and planning strategies for PA programs in regions with high percentages of Hispanic populations. METHODS: Data were assessed for gender, ethnicity, program attended and current employment addresses within the 14 Texas-Mexico border counties. RESULTS: Of the 329 border county PAs, 227 self-reported as Hispanic (69%), and 53% were female. Remarkably, 72% of all Hispanic PAs attended two of the six public Texas PA Programs. CONCLUSIONS: The Sullivan Commission report of 2004 concluded that the primary cause of poor public health care for minorities resulted from unequal representation of minorities in the health care professions. Two public Texas PA programs have made substantial contributions to public health care access in poverty-stricken border areas by educating and placing Hispanic PAs within medically underserved communities.