Joanne Morrison
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), a forward-thinking initiative is tackling some of the most pressing challenges in health care education and access. The Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA) was created in 2019 to strengthen Maryland’s physician assistant (PA) workforce by improving faculty development, clinical training opportunities, and student success.
To this end, PALLA is building a statewide infrastructure to support the rapid growth of PA programs and help ensure a strong pipeline of providers for Maryland’s health care system and beyond. More than an academic resource, PALLA is a collaborative force working to keep the PA profession on pace with rising demand for health care services — especially in underserved communities.
The Expanding PA Landscape
The PA profession has grown dramatically over the past two decades. In 2004, the United States had just 135 accredited PA programs. By 2024, that number more than doubled to 310, and the trend is projected to continue as health care systems nationwide struggle to meet patient demand.
Maryland’s PA landscape mirrors this trajectory. From a single program at the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex in the early 1990s, the state now supports six PA programs — four housed in public universities and two in private institutions. These programs consistently attract more qualified applicants than they can admit, a signal of both the profession’s appeal and the pressure to expand capacity.
With growth comes complexity. PA programs across Maryland — and the country — are contending with faculty shortages, limited availability of clinical preceptors and training sites, accreditation hurdles, and leadership turnover. These challenges, if left unaddressed, could affect the future quality and stability of the PA profession.
“The PA profession is at a crossroads,” says Gerald Kayingo, PhD, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA, assistant dean and executive director of PALLA. “We are growing at an exciting pace, but we must ensure that this growth is accompanied by the infrastructure, leadership, and educational excellence necessary to support it. That’s where PALLA steps in.”
Statewide Solution with National Impact
PALLA, part of the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies, was created in direct response to these systemic needs. With a mission to advance PA education, research, policy, and practice, the academy supports PA programs in critical areas such as faculty development, student success, clinical site recruitment, accreditation readiness, and program quality improvement.
“Training more PAs isn’t just about increasing classroom seats,” Kayingo says. “It’s about investing in the educators, preceptors, and leaders who make that training possible. PALLA is designed to build that capacity — because when we train the trainers, we can exponentially grow the workforce.”
This approach recognizes that a thriving PA workforce starts with the ability to develop and retain skilled educators and mentors. PALLA equips experienced PAs to become instructors and academic leaders, ensuring that Maryland’s educational programs can sustainably meet growing health care needs.
Addressing the Access Gap
The United States faces persistent health care access issues — especially in rural and underserved areas. Physician assistants, trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive services, play a critical role in closing these gaps. But the supply of PAs hasn’t kept pace with the growing need.
In Maryland, demographic changes and increasing rates of chronic illness are adding pressure to an already strained system. Expanding the PA workforce — while maintaining quality — has become essential.
By developing academic leadership and supporting preceptors across the state, PALLA strengthens Maryland’s capacity to train and deploy more PAs in the communities that need them most. In doing so, it helps expand access to timely, effective care for patients statewide.
One of PALLA’s defining strengths is its collaborative, statewide approach. Rather than working in silos, Maryland’s six PA programs now share resources and strategies to support each other’s growth. Faculty bootcamps, research fellowships, mentorship opportunities, and continuing education programs are just some of the ways PALLA helps educators stay engaged and effective.
The academy also acts as a bridge between academia and the health care industry. By partnering with clinical sites, hospitals, and policymakers, PALLA aligns educational priorities with real-world workforce demands — ensuring that PA graduates are prepared for roles in primary care, behavioral health, surgery, emergency medicine, and more.
Central to PALLA’s mission is the belief that a diverse health care workforce is essential for health equity. The academy actively works to recruit and support underrepresented students and faculty in PA programs across Maryland. It fosters inclusive learning environments and promotes culturally responsive teaching practices to better reflect the communities served.
“Increasing access to care means increasing representation among providers,” Kayingo says. “PALLA is committed to building a workforce that understands and reflects the diverse needs of our communities.”
Generating Evidence-Based Solutions
A cornerstone of the PALLA program is its commitment to generating evidence-based solutions to the complex and evolving challenges facing PA education and clinical practice.
For example, PALLA engages in focused research and policy analysis to better understand the barriers and opportunities within the profession — from curriculum reform and clinical training models to workforce distribution and access to care. By examining these issues through a scholarly lens, PALLA helps shape informed, practical strategies that support the advancement of the PA profession in Maryland and serves as a model for other states. This ongoing work positions the program as a critical driver of progress, delivering timely insights that directly influence how PAs are educated, deployed, and supported across the health care system.
As PALLA enters its sixth year, it has firmly established itself as a model for workforce development and innovation in PA education. The academy’s work is producing measurable results: higher faculty retention, new preceptor pipelines, improved access to clinical sites, and — most importantly — more Marylanders gaining access to care.
Its vision is one of long-term impact, grounded in collaboration and committed to excellence.
“The future of health care depends on the people we train today,” Kayingo says. “PALLA ensures that we’re not just meeting today’s challenges, but that we’re also preparing for tomorrow’s.”
