Auditors: PA board’s oversight, IT and incentive pay problems contributed to slow complaint resolution; committee grants two‑year continuation
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Summary
An Auditor General audit criticized the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants for weak oversight, slow complaint resolution (94% of closed complaints took more than 180 days), large IT spending with manual processes remaining, and a broad incentive pay program; the committee continued the board for two years with recommendations.
The Auditor General reported widespread operational weaknesses at the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants, which shares staff and an operating fund with the Arizona Medical Board. The audit identified two primary problems: the executive director delegated responsibilities without establishing oversight and accountability mechanisms, and the board did not timely investigate complaints — 74 of 79 closed complaints in fiscal year 2024 took longer than 180 days (some took up to 1,625 days).
Auditors also flagged more than $3.2 million spent on IT over two fiscal years while the board’s website could not process most licensing applications or accept electronic payment; staff manually processed applications and credit card payments in some cases. The report further described an incentive pay program that had distributed over $1.2 million since 2015 and which, according to auditors, sometimes rewarded staff whose duties were unrelated to the measured performance metrics.
Raquel Rivera, the board’s executive director, said she was appointed in July 2025 and described concrete steps already taken: a formal investigative timeline with defined stages, biannual monitoring of investigator metrics, case‑weighting and specialization that reduced individual investigator caseloads, limits on medical consultant response time, and plans for a comprehensive web portal and automated notices (projected go‑live in March). Rivera said the board requested three investigative aides in its FY27 funding request but that request was denied; she said the board will refile and may use contractors as a stopgap to address turnover.
Committee members pressed the board on incentive pay legality and fairness and asked for a workforce analysis and fee analysis tied to any staffing requests. The director said she will provide further information and consider changes to the incentive program and performance metrics.
A motion to continue the regulatory board of physician assistants for two years until 07/01/2028 and to pursue statutory changes was approved by the committee (announced vote: 12 ayes, 4 noes, 0 not voting). Auditors will follow up in the spring on implementation of their recommendations.
