PA Practice Options: Locum Tenens, Telemedicine, Corporate Medicine & Aesthetics

1. Locum Tenens: Pay, Logistics & Getting Placed

Locum tenens (Latin for "holding the place") means taking temporary clinical assignments at hospitals, urgent care centers, and practices that need coverage. For PAs, locum work offers $80–150/hour, flexible scheduling, and the ability to practice across multiple states without a permanent employer relationship.

Major PA locum agencies include Barton Associates, Staff Care (AMN Healthcare), CompHealth, and Weatherby Healthcare. Working with multiple agencies simultaneously gives you more assignment options without exclusivity constraints — most agencies do not require exclusive relationships.

Licensing strategy: The more state licenses you hold, the more assignments you can take. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) does not apply to PAs, so each state license requires a separate application. PAs serious about locum work typically hold 3–5 state licenses. License application timelines vary from 30 to 120 days — plan ahead before marketing your availability.

2. Telemedicine: Multi-State Licensing, Platforms & Supervision

PA telehealth expanded significantly during 2020–2022 and has largely held post-pandemic. PAs with the right licensure and supervision structure can practice telemedicine across multiple states from a single location — multiplying their potential patient panel without geographic constraints.

• Multi-state licensing: You must hold an active license in every state where your patients are physically located at the time of the visit. A California PA seeing a patient who is physically in Texas must hold a Texas PA license. No telehealth exemption bypasses this rule.
• Supervision across state lines: When you see a patient in a traditional supervision state via telehealth, you must have a valid supervision agreement that covers that state. OTP in your home state does not confer OTP-equivalent authority in a traditional supervision state where your patient is located.
• High-demand PA telehealth specialties: Urgent care (acute illness), behavioral health (therapy-adjacent medication management in collaboration with supervising psychiatrist), dermatology (asynchronous store-and-forward), weight management (GLP-1 medication management), and primary care follow-up for established patients.
• Controlled substances via telehealth: The Ryan Haight Act and subsequent DEA telehealth rules govern remote prescribing of controlled substances. Post-COVID flexibilities remain subject to ongoing rulemaking. Verify current DEA guidance before building a practice model around remote Schedule II–V prescribing.
• Platform selection: Use only HIPAA-compliant platforms. doxy.me, Zoom for Healthcare, Teladoc Health API integrations, and EHR-integrated telehealth modules all carry BAAs. Standard Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime are not covered and should not be used for patient visits.

Telehealth-focused PAs who own their patient relationships need a clean booking and intake flow on their website. Patients searching for telehealth services compare options based on booking speed — a site that requires a phone call to schedule loses to one with a direct booking link.

3. Corporate & Occupational Medicine: Contracts & Client Acquisition

Corporate and occupational health services — employee physicals, injury assessment, workers' compensation follow-up, drug screening oversight, and travel medicine — represent a largely under-tapped market for PAs. Mid-size employers (100–500 employees) are often underserved by hospital-employed occupational health programs and open to contracted PA services.

• Contract structure:Corporate health contracts typically bill employers directly per service or via a monthly retainer. No insurance credentialing required. Workers' comp billing goes to the employer's carrier, not the employee's health plan.
• Scope of services:DOT physicals (Commercial Driver's License medical examinations) require a National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) certification — a separate credential from PA licensure. DOT physicals are high-volume, cash-pay, and billable at $80–150 each.
• Client acquisition: B2B sales cycle, not patient-direct. Decision-makers are HR directors, CFOs, and EHS managers. Outreach channels: LinkedIn, local business associations, and direct outreach to mid-size employers in your area. Referrals from occupational medicine physicians who are at capacity are also a common source.
• Supervision requirements:Occupational medicine PA practice still requires physician supervision or collaboration per your state's rules. Many occupational medicine physicians welcome PA collaboration for expanding capacity.
• On-site vs. clinic-based: Some PA-led corporate health services operate from a rented clinic; others are on-site at the employer (dedicated exam room or mobile unit). On-site contracts are higher value but require more logistics.

4. Aesthetics & Med Spa: Scope, Training & Practice Structure

Aesthetic medicine — botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, laser treatments, and body contouring — is one of the fastest-growing PA practice areas. Cash-pay, high margins, and no insurance complexity make aesthetics financially attractive. The regulatory and training landscape requires careful navigation.

• Training requirements: No national certification is required for PA aesthetics, but completion of a recognized aesthetic training program (National Laser Institute, Empire Medical Training, AAAMS courses) provides skills and documents competency. Most malpractice carriers will ask about formal training before covering aesthetic procedures.
• Malpractice for aesthetics: Standard PA malpractice policies may exclude or limit coverage for cosmetic procedures. Confirm with your carrier before performing any aesthetic service. Specialty aesthetic coverage is available through carriers like ALPS, Markel, and ProAssurance.
• Income profile: Botulinum toxin (Botox, Dysport) is priced per unit ($10–16/unit retail). Dermal fillers (Juvederm, Restylane) are priced per syringe ($600–1,200 retail). A single morning of aesthetic appointments can generate $2,000–5,000 gross revenue for an experienced injector.
• Visual portfolio: Patient before/after photography is the primary marketing asset for aesthetic practices. Consent documentation, HIPAA-compliant storage, and model release forms are required. This is a content area where a professional website with a portfolio section pays for itself.

5. Model Comparison: Income, Schedule Control & Risk

Many experienced PAs combine models — locum for income stability, telemedicine for flexibility, and aesthetics as a higher-margin side practice. The supervision overhead in each model differs; your legal and billing structure must accommodate whichever combination you choose.

6. What Your Website Needs for Each Practice Model

Your practice model determines your website's primary purpose. A locum PA's site is a credential showcase for facilities and agencies. An aesthetic PA's site is a conversion engine for patient bookings. A corporate health PA's site is a B2B service brochure. These are different sites with different goals.

• Locum PA: Clear specialty list, state licenses held, availability calendar or contact form for direct placements, downloadable CV, and references from prior facilities. Professional headshot in a clinical setting. No booking integration needed — the audience is agency recruiters and facility credentialing staff.
• Telemedicine PA: Which states you see patients in (prominently), booking integration that shows real-time availability, insurance accepted or cash-pay rates, and a clear explanation of how your telehealth visits work. Load time matters — patients abandon slow booking flows.
• Corporate health PA: Services list (DOT physicals, pre-employment screens, injury management, travel medicine), pricing or contract structure, company-facing testimonials, and a direct contact form aimed at HR/EHS professionals. No patient booking integration needed.
• Aesthetics PA: Before/after portfolio (properly consented), service menu with pricing, booking integration, Instagram link (visual services convert on visual platforms), and practitioner credentials. The website must load fast on mobile — most aesthetic bookings originate from Instagram or Google on a phone.

If you blend models, segment your website accordingly. A locum PA who also does aesthetics needs two clearly separate sections — facilities will not respond well to a booking page for Botox, and aesthetic patients are not looking for your locum credential list.