A new Wolters Kluwer survey of physician assistants found that 96% feel confident walking into patient interactions on day one, but 87% say they still need more training on artificial intelligence (AI).

Kelly Villella, segment leader and director of product management at Wolters Kluwer Health, unpacks what those numbers mean for the practice managers responsible for hiring and onboarding PAs.

She explains why documentation keeps emerging as a friction point, what practices should be doing right now to get ahead of shadow AI risks and why a clear written policy on acceptable AI use isn't optional anymore.

Register now for Physicians Practice's Practice Academy event: Practice Management Track, on March 19, 2026, from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM EDT: https://registration.physicianspractice.com

Music Credits:
Coffee Shop Sketches by Buurd - stock.adobe.com
A Textbook Example by Skip Peck - stock.adobe.com

Editor's note: Episode timestamps and transcript produced using AI tools.

0:00 – 0:35 | Cold open Villella previews the episode's central tension: physician assistants are one of the fastest-growing health care professions, and AI is transforming both at the same time.

0:35 – 1:54 | Introduction Austin Littrell introduces the episode, plugs the Practice Academy Practice Management track on March 19, and previews the conversation with Villella.

1:54 – 2:46 | Meet Kelly Villella Reynolds introduces Villella, who shares her background: nearly 27 years in higher education technology, overseeing digital products and textbooks for students training to become PAs, physicians, pharmacists and other clinicians at Wolters Kluwer Health.

2:46 – 4:17 | What the survey found Villella walks through the top-line results: 96% of PAs feel confident in patient interaction, but 87% say they need more AI training — and 20% feel underprepared on documentation.

4:17 – 5:43 | What's changed most for PAs The two biggest day-to-day changes PAs cited: dealing with insurance companies and navigating the rise of AI tools, particularly around documentation.

5:43 – 7:40 | Where new PAs feel strong — and where they need support PAs walk in confident on patient care but often struggle with documentation and unfamiliar systems. Villella says practice managers need clear onboarding policies and pre-approved tools ready from day one.

7:40 – 9:01 | Building the ideal onboarding plan Villella outlines her onboarding must-haves, including written policies on acceptable AI use and a frank conversation about shadow AI — the unapproved tools clinicians may already be using in their personal lives.

9:01 – 10:28 | The root cause of workflow friction Villella describes the core tension: PAs enter the field to focus on patients, but documentation pulls them away from that mission. She frames AI-assisted documentation as the most promising area to reduce that friction.

10:28 – 12:53 | Balancing productivity, quality and AI in onboarding Practice leaders need to identify trusted AI-integrated tools already in their workflow, train staff to use them — and be explicit that AI is an aid, not a replacement. Checks and balances matter.

12:53 – 14:21 | P2 Management Minute Keith Reynolds shares practice management tips and invites listeners to submit their own workflow ideas.

14:21 – 16:06 | AI as a feature, not a solution Villella makes the case that AI shouldn't be thought of as a standalone tool but as a feature built into the trusted, evidence-based solutions practices are already using — pointing to radiology's second-read model as an example.

16:06 – 17:21 | One thing practice managers can do next week Villella's concrete takeaway: sit down as a team, document your current AI policy and communicate it clearly. Don't assume every incoming clinician has the same understanding of what's acceptable.

17:21 – 18:30 | A message for PA educators Villella closes with a note for PA programs: the mindset around AI use needs to start in the classroom, so that by the time new clinicians arrive at a practice, the groundwork is already laid.

18:30 – 19:45 | Outro Littrell thanks listeners, plugs the March 19 Practice Academy event, and reminds the audience to subscribe and visit MedicalEconomics.com and PhysiciansPractice.com.

S1 Ep132: PAs, AI and the onboarding problem, with Kelly Villella of Wolters Kluwer Health

Off the Chart: A Business of Medicine Podcast

S1 Ep132: PAs, AI and the onboarding problem, with Kelly Villella of Wolters Kluwer Health