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Fall 2004
Volume 5, Number 3
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(You will need Adobe Acrobat to open some of the documents referenced in this newsletter.)
Contents:
- Four PA Organizations Draft Shared Definition of "PA Competencies"
- NCCPA Simplifies CME Requirements
- Technology Supports Credential, Customer Service
- Q&A Corner
- Short Takes
- Dates and Deadlines
Four PA Organizations Draft Shared Definition of "PA Competencies"
Representatives from the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), the
Association of PA Programs (APAP), the Accreditation Review
Commission on Education of the PA (ARC-PA) and NCCPA have agreed
to develop a joint working statement to define PA competencies.
NCCPA initiated this cooperative effort by inviting the PA
profession’s guiding organizations to participate in meetings of
its Eligibility Committee. The committee had already begun
developing a definition of PA competence to inform discussions
about whether NCCPA certification is appropriately and
effectively measuring PA competencies.
Previously, NCCPA’s Eligibility Committee agreed that competence
is best defined as the sum total of a much longer list of
competencies, many of which NCCPA could never seek to measure
and others that may not be measurable at all. Nonetheless, the
committee set out to develop a list of PA competencies that
would serve as the foundation for a working definition that
could serve the interests of all organizations present and the
profession as a whole.
Representatives from the four organizations met in May and
August, during which the working definition and its purpose were
refined. Participants agreed that the definition should
communicate to the PA profession and the public a set of
competencies that PAs are expected to acquire and maintain
throughout their careers. The ultimate goal is for the
definition to serve as a map for individual PAs and
organizations that are committed to promoting the development
and maintenance of professional competencies among PAs.
“What started as a more narrowly defined NCCPA project has
evolved into a genuinely cooperative effort that could help the
PA profession regain its place at the head of the line when it
comes to the development and appropriate assessment of the
competencies that are critical to the provision of high quality
patient care,” said Eligibility Committee chairman, William
Kohlhepp, MHA, PA-C.
In September, the working document was delivered to
representatives of the four participating organizations with a
request for their feedback. Kohlhepp said he expects the
workgroup will incorporate that feedback in time to publish the
document for review by the constituencies of each organization
in 2005.
“The work on competencies has the potential to shape the future
of the PA profession,” said Kohlhepp. “With that in mind, we
wanted all of the key stakeholders to review, critique and adopt
a shared definition of PA competencies; so before moving further
we’ll be asking the boards of NCCPA, ARC-PA, AAPA and APAP to
pursue approval of the definition by the appropriate body in
their organizational structure.”
Though this is the first time all four organizations have
jointly worked on a core competency project, each of the
organizations has previously addressed the topic. Most notably,
from 1996 to 1998, AAPA Executive Vice President/CEO Steve Crane
conducted a study to develop a list of core competencies for the
PA profession. The research utilized a survey approach involving
PA programs, PA faculty and practicing PAs and was funded by an
APAP HRSA grant and grants from the Eli Lily Foundation and the
Macy Foundation. Crane’s earlier work was one of the resources
used during this latest effort.
Said Crane, “This conversation about PA competencies has
provided a platform for cooperation among four organizations
that fulfill different roles but share a common purpose:
advancing the PA profession. It’s rewarding to participate in an
effort like this.”
In addition to Kohlhepp and Crane, other participants in this
four-organization effort include Bob McNellis, PA-C, AAPA
director of clinical affairs and education; Anita Duhl Glicken,
PA-C, APAP representative; Timi Agar Barwick, APAP executive
director; John McCarty, PA-C, ARC-PA executive director; Laura
Stuetzer, PA-C, ARC-PA associate director; Patricia Dieter,
PA-C, ARC-PA chair; Janet Lathrop, NCCPA president; Ragan
Morrow, NCCPA director of governance and administration; and
members of NCCPA’s Eligibility Committee – Barbara Barzansky,
PhD; Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C; J. Fogarty, MD; COL. Sherry
Morrey, PA-C; Suzanne Reich, PA-C; Marshall Sinback Jr., PA-C;
and Lee Bryan Smith, JD, MD.
NCCPA Simplifies CME Requirements
At its August meeting, NCCPA’s Board of Directors simplified
the CME earning requirements by eliminating the minimums for
clinical CME hours for PAs logging for the 2003-2005 cycle and
beyond.
The newly adopted policy simply states that for each two-year
cycle certified PAs must earn and log at least 100 CME hours,
including at least 50 Category I hours.
The old policy, which still applies for PAs logging CME for
their 2002-2004 cycle, requires PAs to earn 100 CME hours, with
at least 50 Category I CME hours, 80 clinical hours and 40
clinical, Category I hours. PAs will still be allowed to log
both clinical and professional hours for Category I credit.
The Board made the change after finding that less than three
percent of CME hours logged in the last two-years with NCCPA
were not clinical in nature, indicating that PAs are
overwhelmingly focusing their CME efforts in clinical areas.
“In light of established patterns in CME earning, the
distinction between clinical and professional CME has proved to
be an unnecessary layer of complexity,” said J. Fogarty, MD,
chair of the Certification Maintenance Committee. “We’re always
looking for opportunities to make it simpler for PAs to maintain
certification, so this was a clear choice.”
The content-based distinction between hours that are clinical
(directly related to medicine or patient care) and professional
(indirectly related to patient care and focusing on the role of
a PA) was instituted in 1997 to allow PAs to get credit for
professional CME activities while ensuring that they were still
participating in an appropriate number of clinical CME hours.
“We investigated the CME requirements because we knew that PAs found them confusing, but we also wanted to ensure the integrity of the medical learning component of CME,” said Janet J. Lathrop, NCCPA president. “The Board’s decision accomplishes both objectives by allowing us to effectively eliminate a frustration without any concern that the change threatens the integrity of the credential.”
Technology Supports Credential, Customer Service
NCCPA continues to systematically develop and
launch new initiatives using information technology to offer PAs
better, more efficient and secure services.
Most recently, NCCPA introduced online or “electronic”
scheduling permits for PAs taking the Physician Assistant
National Certifying and Recertifying Examinations (PANCE and
PANRE). The new e-permit process offers PAs easier and earlier
access to the information they need to schedule their exams,
allowing them to schedule testing appointments a full two weeks
earlier.
“On top of offering PAs quicker access to their exam scheduling
information,” said Lori Leal, NCCPA’s director of operations and
finance, “the new process reduces paper consumption and postage,
helping us curtail the cost of certifying a growing PA
population.”
After applications for a computer-based exam are processed, PAs
will receive an
e-mail with instructions on how to download and print their
permit from their personal certification record at
NCCPA Connect. Exam permits
will remain online through the PA’s exam administration and can
be printed or reprinted at any time.
PAs who prefer to receive their permit by mail will have the
option to choose a mailed permit when they apply for the exam.
Another new initiative better ensures the security of 60,000 PA
files, including about 1.5 million pieces of paper, by moving
from paper-based to digital record keeping.
“By moving to a ‘digital file room’ we’ve exponentially enhanced
the security of PA files, provided staff easier access to
individual records when questions arise and have built in the
potential to provide additional information services to PAs in
the future,” said Tim Perry, NCCPA’s director of information
systems.
The digitization of all historical files, launched this
September after a six-week pilot phase, is slated to take two
years. The digitally-stored data is protected against
destruction due to fire or other natural disasters that could
destroy paper records.
Finally, NCCPA has also developed customized Web-based portals
for PA programs to automate and increase the security of the
initial certification process for PA students.
The new portals provide a direct, password-protected interface
through which PA program directors can submit and edit the
information NCCPA needs to allow eligible students or graduates
to register for PANCE. The portals also allow NCCPA to
electronically transmit reports, statistics and other data to
programs thereby reducing the time and the cost associated with
printing and mailing this information.
“I’m excited about our latest initiatives. They reflect our
ongoing commitment to strategic planning and leveraging
information technology to provide excellence in service while
keeping costs down for certified PAs,” said NCCPA Technology
Taskforce chairman, Edwin C. Lopez,
PA-C.
Q&A Corner
Q. I registered for a 2005 recertification exam, and my
permit isn’t posted online yet. What should I do?
A. Electronic scheduling permits for the Winter 2005 PANRE won’t
be posted online until the end of October, but we’ll send you an
e-mail with instructions on how to print and download your
permit as soon as it’s posted at
NCCPA Connect. If you aren’t able to access your permit
online after you receive notification that it’s available, you
may have an out-of-date version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can
download a free upgrade from our Web site by clicking on the
“Resources” tab and then the “Site Index and Downloads” link.
Q. When I signed into my personal certification record, it
shows that I owe a late fee; but I logged my hours and submitted
my fees before the September 30 deadline. Why do I owe a late
fee?
A. You must have logged hours earned after the June 30 earning
deadline. To see if you logged any hours that were earned late,
you can sign in to your personal certification record at
NCCPA Connect and click on
“CME Transcript.” Remember, all late fees must be paid before
your new certificate will be issued. The fastest way to submit
any fees is through the “Online Payment” link.
Q. I’ve already submitted all of my requirements for the
2002-2004 cycle. Do I have to wait until I receive my new
certificate to start earning CME for my 2004-2006 cycle?
A. No! Your CME earning and logging window for the 2004-2006
cycle is
May 1, 2004 – June 30, 2006. We encourage you to start logging
your CME hours immediately. Remember that the 2004-2006 cycle is
the first cycle where there are concurrent earning and logging
deadlines, so start earning and logging your CME online today.
Q. I am diabetic and use an insulin pump. Will I be able to
take it into the testing room with me when I take PANRE next
year?
A. Yes, but you must request special testing accommodations when
you register. That’s the only way to get the special permission
you’ll need to take the insulin pump—or any other medical
device—into the testing room. When you apply for the exam, be
sure to mark the Special Testing Accommodations box. When we
process your application, we’ll automatically send you more
information about the supporting documentation needed and the
accommodations that may be available.
Short Takes
- Of those PAs audited for the 2001-2003 cycle, 95 percent provided the documentation for their Category I CME hours. Documentation is usually submitted in the form of certificates of completion. PAs randomly selected for the 2002-2004 audit will be notified when they have completed all of the certification maintenance requirements.
- NCCPA has partnered with the American Academy of Physician Assistants to take the certification message on the road to several of this fall’s major medical conferences. NCCPA’s Certification Standard is aimed at physicians and employers and provides a brief overview before focusing on the key components of the PA-C® credential and NCCPA’s efforts to maintain and elevate the integrity of the profession’s credential. If you attend a medical conference this fall, visit AAPA’s booth and pick up a copy, or print a copy at the “Resources” page of NCCPA Connect.
- If you’ve completed the 2002-2004 certification maintenance requirements, your updated certificate should arrive in November, before your current one expires on December 31. This year, NCCPA designed a new certificate that we hope you’ll proudly display. To that end, we’ve worked with GeoDirect to secure custom frames at discount prices. View and order frames online at GeoDirect. While NCCPA receives no financial benefit from the sale of the frames, we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to offer a new benefit to certified PAs.
Dates and Deadlines
Click here for a current listing of dates and deadlines.
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