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Summer 2006
Volume 7, Number 2
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(You will need Adobe Acrobat to open some of the documents referenced in this newsletter.)
Contents:
- Fact-Finding Forum Pursues Information on PA Specialty Recognition
- Changes Announced to Future Recertification Options
- NCCPA Enjoyed a Productive AAPA Conference
- Recertification Exam Schedule Announced for 2007
- Short Takes
- Q & A Corner
- Dates and Deadlines
Fact-Finding Forum Pursues Information on PA Specialty Recognition
On June 24, representatives from 31 PA and physician specialty and PA professional organizations met in Atlanta,
Georgia to participate in a NCCPA-sponsored Forum on PAs Practicing in Specialties.
NCCPA’s newly-established Task Force on Specialty Recognition convened this landmark forum to provide PA and physician specialty groups an
opportunity to share their feedback and input with NCCPA regarding the challenges and/or environmental pressures that PAs practicing in
specialties may be facing.
“The origin of this meeting stemed from our ardent desire to be well informed in our decision-making process,” said Mark Christiansen, PA-C,
chairman of the task force. “The information gathered at the Forum will form one piece of our report to the NCCPA Board of Directors as they
consider the most appropriate next steps.”
A forum summary is available at NCCPA’s Web site. To read the summary, please click here.
The forum was the first action of the task force, which was created by NCCPA’s Board of Directors, to lead the organization’s effort to develop
specialty recognition.
The Board’s decision to pursue specialty recognition was made in early May and announced to the profession by Board Chairman Bill Kohlhepp,
MHA, PA-C in his remarks to the House of Delegates at the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ Annual Conference in San Francisco.
To read Chairman Kohlhepp’s complete remarks, which were immediately posted on the NCCPA Web site, please click here.
Of NCCPA’s action to develop a specialty recognition program, Chairman Kohlhepp said, “Our first new initiative is an age-old issue that has
resurfaced with an intensity and a frequency that we’ve never seen before and is manifested in calls for action from both PA and physician
specialty organizations. The profession is changing, and the numbers of PAs practicing in specialties continues to rise.”
Among the key factors for moving forward, the debate’s long historical context, the rising numbers of PAs practicing in specialties, advances in
technology, patient expectations, official requests received from specialty organizations and the evolving PA competencies discussions.
Kohlhepp went on to share with Forum attendees that while NCCPA had previously adopted a “wait and see” approach, the Board of Directors believed
that mounting evidence now warranted the need for NCCPA to move forward with some response to the issue of PA specialty recognition.
“We don’t have the plan,” said Kohlhepp at the Forum. “The task force leads our efforts; and their first task is to gather all of the
information that they need to make clear exactly what problem, if any, that we are trying to solve.”
Each participating organization was provided a brief opportunity to reflect upon the needs of those PAs practicing in their specialty.
“The presentations were very insightful for both the task force members and the other attendees,” said task force member Ruth Ballweg, MPA,
PA-C, who also serves as the president of the Society for the Preservation of PA History. “For me, the meeting was huge because it represents the first time that so
many organizations have come together to share with their colleagues and NCCPA the challenges that they are facing in their specialty. As an
NCCPA Board member, I’m pleased to be able to participate in the task force as we endeavor to gather the most complete information to present
to the Board for their discussion and determination of the most appropriate next steps.”
The NCCPA Board of Directors will begin these discussions at their next meeting in early August. Updates will be provided to the profession via the next quarterly installment of the NCCPA News and online at NCCPA Connect.
Changes Announced to Future Recertification Options
At its May meeting, the Board of Directors voted to discontinue administering the Pathway II recertification exam after its
2010 administrations and to determine the most appropriate way to repackage the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam
(PANRE) to make it more flexible for PAs working in a variety of practice settings.
First announced by Board Chairman Bill Kohlhepp, MHA, PA-C, in his remarks to the House of Delegates at the AAPA Annual Conference
in San Francisco, California this past May, these changes herald NCCPA’s desire to strengthen the integrity of the certification credential and
to be responsive to the needs of PAs.
The decision to eliminate Pathway II stemmed primarily from the growing perception that take-at-home exams are no longer relevant and appropriate
assessment tools for certification programs.
“Certifying bodies across the board are eliminating their take-at-home exams for the evaluative component of their certification programs,” said
Kohlhepp. “While a few PAs indicated their disappointment with the Board’s decision because they felt that Pathway II was a great learning
tool, the purpose of the recertifying examination is not education, but evaluation. I believe the Board recognized that distinction in their
decision.”
Nonetheless, PA concerns do not fall on deaf ears, and the Board may in the future consider the viability of a Pathway II-like assessment that
may be able to be submitted for CME credit.
PAs who are concerned about recertifying via the proctored PANRE are encouraged to attempt NCCPA’s recently-developed self assessment tool,
which provides PAs the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the type and style of exam questions and the time constraints associated with
the exam. General performance feedback should help PAs assess their readiness for the exam and focus their study efforts in areas where they
may have been weaker.
In addition to eliminating the Pathway II, the Board also discussed a desire to retool PANRE to make it more flexible for PAs practicing in
specialties. Such retooling may include allowing the examinee to choose to incorporate a block of generalist questions from a specialty area.
While details of the plan are still being developed, the Board indicated that the exam would remain generalist-driven with a majority of
questions still focusing on the primary care knowledge currently assessed by the exam.
“In making changes, we wanted to consider the needs of both generalist and specialty PAs, so we needed to build some inherent flexibility in to
the exam,” said Janet J. Lathrop, NCCPA president. “By injecting flexibility into the system, we are better able to address the needs of both
groups while preserving the generalist nature of the exam and the PA-C credential.”
An implementation date for the changes to PANRE has not been set, nor has the format been determined. That information will be announced via
the NCCPA News and at NCCPA Connect when it’s available.
The Board made no changes to the structure of the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), and PANCE and PANRE will remain the vehicles by which PAs achieve and maintain NCCPA certification.
NCCPA Enjoyed a Productive AAPA Conference
NCCPA’s Information & Resource Center at the AAPA Conference this past May in San Francisco, California, was
its busiest ever with PAs taking advantage of onsite conference logging, survey opportunities and one-on-one access to NCCPA
staff and Board members.
“Onsite conference logging was a huge success,” said Lori Leal, NCCPA’s vice president of operations and finance. “Based on feedback from the
2005 conference, we retooled and fine-tuned the process to incorporate system modifications and enhancements, which made the process easier to
use and more efficient.”
The revamped AAPA conference logging process simply required PAs to sign in directly to their personal certification record, where a special
conference link was provided. Through that link, PAs who attended the conference were able to access a list of available CME opportunities and
check off the sessions they attended each day.
In addition to streamlining the process, NCCPA staff members were available to walk PAs through the process and answer any logging or
certification questions.
“Nearly 500 PAs took advantage of onsite services, including CME conference logging, applying for recertification exams, updating contact
information and passwords, and making payments,” said Leal. “The conference is a great opportunity for NCCPA to interact with PAs – to more
personally answer their questions and to listen to their feedback on NCCPA’s services and processes. We look forward to this unique opportunity
each year.”
NCCPA also solicited PA feedback via a short survey published in the AAPA Conference Daily. When possible, PA feedback is used to help drive
new NCCPA initiatives and to make NCCPA processes more efficient and customer friendly.
Of the 406 PAs who completed the survey with NCCPA, here are three interesting highlights from the survey.
•87% of respondents indicated their employer or supervising physician required NCCPA certification.
•75% of respondents indicated they were currently practicing in a specialty. Of those, more than 85% indicated they had changed
specialties two times or less during their careers.
•73% of respondents indicated they were considering taking NCCPA’s self assessment.
“While NCCPA’s mission is focused on assuring the public that certified PAs meet professional standards of knowledge and skills, we greatly
value the insights of certified PAs,” said Janet J. Lathrop, NCCPA president. “In fact, one of our Board goals mandates that NCCPA is
responsive, innovative and effective in addressing the interests of the public [our ultimate stakeholder] and other stakeholders.”
In addition to our annual Information & Resource Center, NCCPA Chairman Bill Kohlhepp, MHA, PA-C, addressed both the House of Delegates, where
he shared NCCPA’s numerous new initiatives, and the International Symposium, where he shared more
information about the American PA certification process with the international delegations attending the conference.
NCCPA also delivered two, one-hour CME sessions during the conference. Past Chairman Lt. Col. Katherine Adamson, MA, MMS, PA-C, delivered a
presentation on maintaining your NCCPA certification; and NCCPA’s Review Panel Chairman Marshall Sinback, Jr., PA-C, delivered a presentation
on NCCPA’s disciplinary policy and professionalism in PA practice.
“The AAPA conference is such a great opportunity for us to interact one-on-one with certified PAs, and we take advantage of every opportunity to
share more information about NCCPA certification and the certification processes with PAs,” said Lathrop. “We’ll see you in Philadelphia!”
Recertification Exam Schedule Announced for 2007
NCCPA announced the 2007 recertification exam schedule for the more than 8,000 PAs expected to recertify next year.
“As the profession grows, so does the recertifying population,” said Lori Leal, vice president of operations and finance. “To best meet the
needs of one of the largest recertifying populations to date, we’ll maintain our two expanded PANRE windows and two Pathway II administrations
in 2007.”
As a result, PANRE will be offered almost 26 weeks next year. PANRE is administered at more than 300 Prometric locations around the US, and
PAs must apply and pay for the exam on or before the published deadlines to be eligible for the exam. The 300-question, multiple-choice exam
also maintains its $300 exam fee, which hasn’t changed since the exam was first computerized in 2000.
The Pathway II recertification exam will be offered in two, six-week windows via the Internet. PAs interested in taking the now Web-based
Pathway II are encouraged to attempt an online demo to ensure that their computer of choice is compatible with the software
used to administer the exam.
To take the Pathway II exam, PAs should submit their completed application, $475 exam payment, and 100 elective component points to NCCPA by
the application deadlines below. The fastest way to submit these materials is by signing in to your personal certification record online.
PAs should keep in mind that recently announced changes to the recertification process will not affect the process in 2007.
For more information on the recertification process, please visit NCCPA Connect.
Applications for the 2007 exams will be available in September. To apply, sign in to your personal certification record and follow the
on-screen instructions.
Exam Schedule
PANRE
•Winter Administration: January 15 – April 13; Application Deadline: January 12, 2007
•Fall Administration: August 1 – October 31; Application Deadline: July 31, 2007
Pathway II
•Spring Administration: March 14 – April 27; Application Deadline: January 12, 2007
•Fall Administration: August 15 – September 28; Application Deadline: June 15, 2007
Short Takes
Streamlining the process; documentation required
In an effort to streamline the CME logging process, NCCPA now requires that all PAs who submit their CME via the manual, paper logging process
must also submit documentation for each of their Category I CME activities.
“Submitting the certificates substantially streamlines the process,” said Cindy Nalls, manager of certification maintenance. “By already having
the documentation, we are able to eliminate potential problems, such as an incorrectly listed provider or an illegible activity entry. As a
result, we’re able to more efficiently process manual forms by not having to return the form to the PA and ask for the documentation.”
One advantage to the new process is that hours logged manually with the appropriate supporting documentation will not be subject to the NCCPA
audit; however, if you choose to log on a paper form, don’t forget there is an additional $15 paper logging fee.
Q & A Corner
Q. Do I have to wait until I receive my new certificate before I begin logging hours for my next cycle?
A. No! NCCPA’s online logging system allows you to select the cycle in which your hours are logged. Therefore, simply sign in to your
personal certification record, click Log New CME and follow the on-screen instructions. When prompted to “Apply all hours to,” use the drop
down menu to select your current cycle, your next cycle or even the appropriate Pathway II elective component area. Keep in mind, hours applied
to your current or future CME cycle must fall within the selected cycle’s earning window. If you’ve attempted to apply an activity to an
incorrect cycle, the system will prompt you to make another selection.
Q. I attended a conference in June and earned more hours than I need to complete my current cycle. Will those hours roll over to my next cycle?
A. No, but you can choose to apply the extra hours to your next cycle when you log the activity. On the online CME Hour Distribution screen,
select “Split the activity between the options provided below” and then enter the number of hours that you want to apply to your current cycle
and the number of remaining hours that you would like to apply to your next cycle. Keep in mind that activities can only be “split” if they
fall during the overlapping portion of the opening and closing CME windows (i.e., May 1 – June 30 of your certificate expiration year).
Q. I am interested in taking the NCCPA self assessment. Do I have to be in my recertification cycle to take it?
A. No. Anyone who can sign in to the NCCPA Web site can take the self assessment. The 120-question, multiple-choice assessment provides PAs
with general performance feedback that should help them assess their readiness for the initial or recertification exam and focus their study
and preparation efforts. In addition, the self assessment questions are actual PANCE and PANRE items that have been removed from the item
banks, so PAs who attempt the self assessment can familiarize themselves with the style and format of the questions. PAs who register for the
$35 self assessment have 60 days to complete the assessment online.
Dates and Deadlines
Click here for a current listing of dates and deadlines.
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