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Physician assistants (PAs), also referred to as physician associates, are nationally certified and state-licensed medical professionals. PAs practice on health care teams with physicians and other providers. Generally, PAs can take medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illness, order and interpret tests, develop treatment plans, prescribe medication, counsel on preventative care, assist in surgery and perform certain procedures.

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State Public Health Data Reporting Policies and Practices

Data is used to anticipate, identify and analyze public health threats and ultimately inform policymaking. Although public health crises can evolve quickly, public health data is often lagging. States can consider policies and practices that govern public health data flows to assure high-quality data is readily available for decision-making.
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