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First Cross-organizational Meeting of National PA Groups Held in January
From One PA to Another: A Message from the President
No Disadvantage Seen in Specialists' Recert Results
PANCE Online
Janet Lathrop Named NCCPA Executive Director
NCCPA and AAPA Discuss Issues
Q&A Corner
Short Takes
Dates and Deadlines

First Cross-organizational Meeting of National PA Groups Held in January

Representatives from the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the Association of PA Programs (APAP), and the NCCPA met in Naples, Florida, on January 13 to share information on issues of mutual concern and interest related to the PA profession. This meeting was the first time that representatives of all four organizations have formally convened for what participants described as an opportunity to enhance the PA profession to better serve patients.

Each organization presented a brief summary of the major issues being addressed by its respective board, an information exchange that participants agreed helped substantially to clarify the work of each organization, as well as the direction that each organization is taking on issues of common concern to the profession. The topics discussed included the centralized application service for PA programs, recent activities by the AAPA board’s International Affairs Committee, recent changes to ARC-PA’s Accreditation Standards for PA Education, and NCCPA’s plans for continually examining its programs and services to ensure stakeholders’ needs are being met.

Another issue of discussion was the progress being made by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to develop a visa screening process for several categories of health professionals, including PAs, who are trained abroad and wish to reside in the United States on a permanent basis. The need for such a process was created by amendments made in 1996 to federal immigration laws.

A member of the CGFNS Physician Assistant Professional Standards Committee described the work to date and indicated that formal input would be solicited from key organizations prior to completion of the project. Participants who have been involved with PA international issues also contributed to the discussion. The challenges and opportunities presented by the development of the PA profession around the world are being studied by all four organizations present at the meeting.

Further updates will be made to the leaders of the four organizations and the general PA population as work on this issue progresses.

Meeting facilitator Ed Manning reported, "Overall, participants said they were very pleased with the meeting. In particular, they felt that the meeting served to enhance lines of communication among the four organizations at both the leader and staff levels on a number of issues of concern to the PA profession." Manning is a principal with the North Highland Company, a professional consulting firm located in Atlanta.

Participants agreed to meet again for the purpose of exchanging similar information. Staff and leaders of the four organizations will work over the next few months to identify a future meeting date.

From One PA to Another: A Message from the President
Katherine J. Adamson, PA-C, MMS, MA

This year, our overriding goal at NCCPA is to achieve excellence in all we do as we continually search for ways to improve the certification process and exams, service and relationships with stakeholders. This year should shape up to be a landmark year for NCCPA in each of those areas.

Improving the Process

Our new Future Development of Recertification Task Force will examine the relevance, validity and utility of the existing recertification processes, with an eye towards preserving the generalist nature of the credential while addressing the needs of a changing PA population. Plus, the introduction of CME auditing and the continual shoring up of certification maintenance processes will mark further maturation of the profession’s credential.

Improving Service

NCCPA’s staff is engaging in a thorough re-examination of all of its processes, with the aim of emerging as a more efficient, effective and customer-friendly organization. Our new executive director, Janet Lathrop, brings experience and commitment to her post, and she is intent on continuing to improve your interaction with NCCPA. You’ll start seeing the results of that work before the next issue of this newsletter arrives.

Improving Relationships

We are committed to communicating openly and authentically. The recent meeting with leaders from AAPA, ARC-PA and APAP was just the beginning. From providing more information about board meetings on our Web site to inviting more expert resources to participate in NCCPA committee discussions, we’re looking for appropriate ways to bridge unwanted divides between NCCPA and important stakeholder groups.

We’re also stepping up our efforts to forge an even closer relationship with the physician organizations that spearheaded the creation of the PA profession and NCCPA itself. Our board of directors includes representatives of the PA profession, the physicians that supervise us, the employers who hire us, the government agencies that license us, the schools that train us and the patients who trust us. That structure has its genesis in the very early years of the profession when the American Medical Association led efforts to create the PA profession and its certifying body and embodies the spirit of the physician-PA team that defines our profession.

When all existing vacancies are filled in the coming months, NCCPA’s board of directors will include 10 PAs, nine physicians, three public representatives and one appointee each from the American Hospital Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. Our support base reaches throughout the medical community and underpins the PA-C credential, and this year we’ll seek new ways to forge deeper and more meaningful partnerships to advance our profession and credential.

As NCCPA’s president, my "electronic door" is always open. Please e-mail me with your questions or comments. I look forward to seeing many of you at meetings around the country this year.

No Disadvantage Seen in Specialists' Recert Results

Though NCCPA’s recertification exams are generalist exams, PAs who specialize do not appear to be at a disadvantage - at least as measured by exam results. The difference in passing rates between primary care PAs and specialists varied by no more than 3%.

The NCCPA Research Committee compared PAs’ performances on the 2001 PANRE versus the Pathway II examinations and how PAs in different specialty areas perform on each examination. There were a total of 4,473 recertifying PAs in 2001. Of those, 3,411 took PANRE and 1,062 took the Pathway II exam. The number of PAs that practice in each specialty area was determined by a survey that PAs complete when registering for either recertification exam. The results from the research found that PAs performed approximately the same on either exam whether they were in general practice or a specialty practice.

While this evidence indicates that specialization does not hinder performance on recertification exams, the NCCPA board is continuing to examine the recertification process. The Future Development of Recertification Task Force, formed for this purpose, includes several members of NCCPA’s board and one representative from the AAPA Surgical Congress.

Future issues will include updates on the task force’s progress.

PANCE Online

You can now register for PANCE and/or the Surgery Exam online.

Janet Lathop Named NCCPA Executive Director

NCCPA announced on February 11 that Janet J. Lathrop, who has served as the organization’s interim executive director since the position was vacated last October, has been named executive director.

Lathrop has overseen NCCPA operations as associate executive director since 1999. Earlier in her five-year tenure with NCCPA, Lathrop served as director of the certification services department, overseeing the CME logging, reregistration and exam administration areas.

The appointment is the result of a recommendation from the board’s executive director search task force, a group that started by developing a set of criteria for the next executive director and then looked for internal candidates.

"We knew we wanted someone with an understanding of the unique challenges that face a national certifying body and the ability to continually improve the way we do business. We wanted someone who will inspire the trust and respect of NCCPA’s stakeholders and who can effectively manage the organization’s resources," says search committee chairman and board member, Joseph Lagana, EdD. "It quickly became obvious that Janet is the perfect person for the job."

Echoes NCCPA President Katherine J. Adamson, PA-C, MMS, MA, "Janet has proven her commitment to NCCPA, and we feel she is the right person to represent the organization. She has done a phenomenal job running the day-to-day operations, and we expect NCCPA’s quality of service to continually improve under her direction."

Says Lathrop, "I am very excited to take on this new challenge. My focus at NCCPA has always been to provide the highest level of customer service, and I will work very hard to continue to raise the level of service we provide to the PAs we certify while addressing the needs of our other stakeholders."

NCCPA and AAPA Discuss Issues

Representatives from NCCPA and the American Academy of Physician Assistants met on Dec. 15, 2001 to discuss issues that have divided the two groups. The meeting was very productive. Read the joint statement, which is available on both organizations Web sites.

Q&A Corner

Q. My employer has requested a receipt for proof of my payment. Can NCCPA help me?

A. Yes, just phone, fax or e-mail your request to us. We’ll mail or fax a receipt letter to your employer or directly to you. There is no charge for this service.

Q. Have the deadlines and late fees changed for logging CME and reregistration in 2002?

A. Yes, in our continuing effort to make the certification process easier for PAs, we have extended the logging and reregistration period. For the 2000-2002 cycle, the reregistration application, 100 hours of CME and all applicable fees must be submitted on or before Sept. 30. Between Oct. 1 - Dec. 31, a $50 late fee will be assessed.

Short Takes

To better assist you, we are installing a new telephone system in March, so please listen carefully the next time you call in. Look for information and quick tips on new features in our next issue.
In January, Julie Bradley assumed the position of certification maintenance manager. Julie was previously the office manager at NCCPA.
All certificates will be issued in November for those who take and pass a recertification exam in 2002.
We are changing our look! Our new, more user-friendly Web site will be up and running in March. Look for more information in our next issue.