Orthopaedic PA placement · California
Orthopaedic PAs for California practices. Your first placement is free.
We place physician assistants who first assist in the OR, take trauma call and run ortho clinic. Permanent hires and 3 to 6 month contract coverage, for practices and hospitals across the state.
Ortho only. California only. PAs never pay a fee.
Three numbers every California ortho practice should know
1:8
Physician-to-PA supervision ratio in California since January 1, 2026, up from 1:4.
Source: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §3516(b), as amended by AB 1501 (2025) · in our guide
85%
Of the physician fee schedule: what Medicare allows for services billed under a PA's NPI.
Source: CMS Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Ch. 12, §110 · in our guide
13.6%
Of the surgeon's fee schedule amount: Medicare's payment for a PA first assist billed with modifier AS.
Source: CMS Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Ch. 12, §110.2 · in our guide
How it works
Three steps on each side
A short process, run by one person who knows ortho, from first call to the 90-day check-in.
For practices
Request a PAStep 1
Tell us about the role
Case mix, clinic and OR days, call, which hospitals, and when you need someone. Takes about ten minutes.
Step 2
We send a short list
Ortho PAs only. We check first-assist and call experience with a surgeon they worked with, not only a manager.
Step 3
You interview and decide
We handle scheduling and terms. We check in at 30, 60 and 90 days. Not happy? We replace the PA at no cost.
For PAs
Join as a PAStep 1
Tell us what you want
Regions, schedule, call tolerance, permanent or 3 to 6 month contract. A CV helps but isn't required.
Step 2
We match you to ortho roles
Only orthopaedic roles in California, and only ones that fit what you told us. No spray of irrelevant jobs.
Step 3
We negotiate for you
Rate, housing or travel stipend, and schedule. Contract roles are W-2, since California's AB 5 doesn't exempt PAs.
Your first placement is free. If you are not happy with the PA, we find a replacement at no cost.
For any reason. You don't have to prove the PA did something wrong. We're new, and this is how we'd like to earn your trust: do the work first, and carry the risk ourselves.
- No fee on your first placement. Permanent or contract.
- Replacement at no cost. If you aren't happy with the PA we place.
- Later placements are quoted up front. Fees are agreed in writing before a search starts.
- PAs never pay us. Matching is free for candidates.
Why ortho-only
A general PA recruiter doesn’t know what to ask
Ortho hiring turns on details a generalist skips. These are the ones we check on every search.
“First assist” means different things
On a résumé it can mean holding retractors or closing on your own. We ask which cases, which implant systems, and what a surgeon would let them do alone.
Call and trauma are their own skill
Reductions and splints without the surgeon present, knowing when to wake the attending, working across hospitals where your surgeons hold privileges.
California's rules changed in 2026
The supervision ratio went from 1:4 to 1:8 on January 1, 2026. Chart co-signature is optional unless your practice agreement requires it.
Licensing takes months
California isn't in the PA Licensure Compact and has no general temporary license. We plan start dates around that instead of promising around it.
Free guides
What we know, written down and sourced
Two practical guides for California ortho practices. Every number and legal statement is footnoted to a primary source. No email required.
The Ortho PA Hiring Guide (California, 2026)
What California law allows since the 1:8 ratio took effect, W-2 vs 1099 under AB 5, realistic licensing timelines, what CA PAs are paid, interview questions for first assist and trauma call, and a 90-day onboarding checklist.
Read the guideGetting the Most From Your Ortho PAs
Medicare billing for PA services, first-assist economics by CPT code, what the studies say about deploying PAs in clinic and the OR, retention, and a one-page utilization self-audit.
Read the guideHiring
Need an ortho PA?
Permanent, 3 to 6 month contract or per diem. Tell us about the role and you'll hear back from a person, not an autoresponder.
Looking
Ortho PA looking for work?
Free, ortho-only matching in California. We negotiate rate, stipend and schedule for you.
FAQ
Questions we get
What does “first placement free” mean?
We charge no fee for the first PA we place with your practice, permanent or contract. If you aren't happy with that PA for any reason, we find a replacement at no cost. Fees for later placements are agreed in writing before we start a search, so there are no surprises.
Are contract PAs W-2 or 1099?
W-2. California's AB 5 ABC test applies to PAs: Labor Code 2783(b) exempts physicians, dentists and several other professions, but not physician assistants. Contract PAs are W-2 employees, either of the practice or of a staffing entity that bills the practice. Our hiring guide covers the details. Have your employment counsel review any structure.
How fast can a PA start?
It depends mostly on licensing. A PA with an active California license can start as soon as privileges and your onboarding allow. An out-of-state PA needs a full California license: the PA Board targets 30 days for initial review, and hospital credentialing adds more. We tell you the realistic date up front rather than an optimistic one.
Do you work outside California or outside orthopaedics?
No. We only place orthopaedic PAs, and only in California. That focus is the point.
Do PAs pay anything?
No. Matching is free for PAs. Practices pay us; we never take a cut of your rate.
Who is behind FirstAssistPA?
FirstAssistPA is a new, small placement service founded by Anthony Adams. You'll deal with a person, not a call center. More about us.