(Vox) – Americans seeking health care are increasingly likely to get it from people who aren’t doctors. The reasons are partly related to supply and demand: A nationwide physician shortage has been mounting for decades. And while the pipeline for producing more doctors hasn’t widened — something that would literally require an act of Congress — schools that train nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) have proliferated. As a result, nurse practitioner numbers have tripled since 2010, and there are nearly twice as many physician assistants now as then. In primary care clinics, emergency departments, operating rooms, and medical specialty offices, these medical professionals are now doing a lot of the same tasks doctors do. (Read More)