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Spring 2007
Volume 8, Number 1
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(You will need Adobe Acrobat to open some of the documents referenced in this newsletter.)
Contents:
- NCCPA Reaffirms Commitment to PA Specialty Recognition, Develops Points of Consensus
- New Policies to Strengthen the CME Audit Process
- PA to PA: 80% of Surveyed PAs Recommend the NCCPA Self Assessment
- NCCPA Reports Disciplinary Actions
- Looking for Great Physician-PA Teams
- Q & A Corner
- Short Takes
- Dates and Deadlines
NCCPA Reaffirms Commitment to PA Specialty Recognition, Develops Points of Consensus
At its November meeting, the NCCPA Board of Directors reaffirmed their commitment to the development of PA specialty
recognition by adopting points of consensus that describe the organization’s current thinking and outlook.
“The Board’s discussion at our November meeting solidified our commitment to pursue specialty recognition,” said Randy D.
Danielsen, PhD, PA-C, NCCPA chairman. “The points of consensus represent general premises regarding our plan to move forward
with a voluntary specialty program for those specialties that express an interest.”
In May 2006, the Board of Directors approved the development of specialty recognition and convened a Task Force on Specialty
Recognition to lead those efforts. The task force met with representatives of specialty PA and physician organizations in June to
learn more about the challenges and environmental pressures facing PAs in various practice settings. In August, the Board
applauded the task force’s efforts to solicit input from the specialty community and provided the go-ahead for the task force to
continue their efforts.
During an October meeting, the task force discussed, assessed and synthesized information gathered since May and potential next
steps for the organization. As a result, the task force developed points of consensus.
“The task force and the Board recognize developing specialty recognition will be a dynamic, formative and evolving process,”
said Mark Christiansen, PA-C, task force chairman. “We also recognize the profession’s intense interest and want to be
responsive to that interest by making our current thinking known. The points of consensus serve that purpose. As our thinking
about the process is defined and developed, we’ll refine the points of consensus to reflect that evolving thought process.”
To help inform ongoing discussions, NCCPA has organized workgroups for the cardiovascular surgery and emergency medicine specialty
groups. The workgroups include representation from both the PA and physician specialty organizations, and the workgroup’s input
will inform discussions about what elements of a specialty recognition program would meet the needs and challenges those groups
are facing. The task force will report their efforts to the NCCPA Board of Directors at the May meeting.
For more information on NCCPA’s specialty recognition efforts, click here.
New Policies to Strengthen the CME Audit Process
New policies to be implemented for the 2006-2008 CME audit, which will be conducted in 2009, strengthen the audit process and
impose more stringent penalties on those who cannot substantiate their Category I CME submissions.
NCCPA instituted the CME audit in 2003 to ensure the integrity and professionalism of CME logging and to strengthen the PA-C
credential that assures the public and other stakeholders that certified PAs meet professional standards of knowledge and
skills. With three years of auditing experience, the NCCPA Board of Directors revisited the audit policy to ensure that it was
meeting the need for which it was created.
“NCCPA instituted the CME audit policy to provide an enhanced degree of certainty that PAs were meeting their CME requirements;
and we were pleased to find that consistently 90% of PAs were doing so,” said Edwin C. Lopez, PA-C, chair of the committee that
developed the revised policy. “At the same time, we were concerned that the only consequence for those who failed the audit
was a re-audit in the next cycle. The committee felt that process did not send a clear enough message to individuals who may
have fraudulently submitted CME to maintain their certification.”
In addition to being re-audited, the revised policy, which takes effect in 2009, requires PAs to make up their deficient
Category I hours, pay a re-audit fee, and be subject to a third audit within their next three CME cycles.
“The revised policy will allow us to redress the potential deficiency in continuing medical education, recoup a small portion
of the re-audit cost, and instill in PAs the importance of maintaining accurate documentation,” said Janet J. Lathrop, MBA,
NCCPA president. “Through these revisions to the audit policy, we hope to generate a heightened awareness of the high level
of professionalism expected from certified PAs.”
NCCPA is currently conducting the audit for CME logged in the 2004-2006 cycle. When randomly selected, PAs are notified and
asked to submit within six weeks, supporting documentation for at least 50 of the Category I CME hours logged in the 2004-2006
cycle. Supporting documentation most often takes the form of a certificate issued by the CME provider, although other types
of documentation may also be acceptable.
PA to PA: 80% of Surveyed PAs Recommend the NCCPA Self Assessment
One year after NCCPA developed a self assessment tool for PAs preparing for their certification and
recertification exams, 80% of surveyed PAs who have taken the assessment indicated they would recommend the tool to other PAs.
NCCPA created the self assessment to help PAs identify their relative strengths and weaknesses, to better focus their study
and preparation efforts, and to familiarize themselves with the format and timing of the actual certifying exams.
PAs offered favorable feedback on how the self assessment had assisted them in their preparation for the actual exam:
•“The self assessment basically allowed me to focus my studies on the areas I was weak in. It made me feel confident
about the areas I was strong in.”
•“Providing these self assessments is great. Since the questions come from the committee itself, it’s reasonable to
think that they would be the closest simulation to the real test.”
• “It was great. I just wish I had taken it sooner. I pre-judged it and procrastinated taking it, but when I took it,
I regretted not taking it sooner.”
•“Since this is my first time taking the PANCE, I used the self assessment exam primarily as a way to prepare myself for
the format of the exam itself, rather than the content. However, I found the exam to be useful in identifying my areas of strength
and weakness, as well, and will focus my studies on those areas in which I do not feel comfortable.”
• “By taking this test, I lost the fear of using the computer. Thank you.”
Of NCCPA’s efforts, NCCPA President Janet J. Lathrop, MBA, said, “Being able to offer this tool in response to an expressed PA
need was a great accomplishment, but we’re not finished yet. We’re committed to excellence and opportunities for continuous
improvement based on the evolving needs of the PAs who utilize our products and services.”
A recurring concern of surveyed PAs related to not receiving the answers to the self assessment, which is common in the
plethora of available annotated study resources. PAs indicated that providing the answers to the self assessment would help
them understand how the questions are developed and how they should be answered.
“NCCPA doesn’t provide the answers to the self assessment because the tool wasn’t designed to help PAs learn the specific
knowledge needed for the 120-question assessment but to provide general feedback on the content areas where PAs may need to
focus their studies before taking the actual exam,” said Daniel McNeill, PA-C, NCCPA board and test committee member.
“However, we understand the reasoning that knowing how the questions are developed helps better prepare the test taker to
follow similar logic on test day.”
To bridge the gap, NCCPA developed a document that includes sample items with a critique explaining the reasoning for the
correct answer and the reasons why the other answer choices are incorrect. The sample items and critiques can be found online
by clicking here.
PAs interested in learning more about the self assessment can visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on our Web site by
clicking here or to apply, sign in to their personal certification
record at NCCPA Connect. After applying, PAs have 180 days to complete the 120-question assessment online.
NCCPA Reports Disciplinary Actions
NCCPA strives to ensure the professionalism of certified PAs through its disciplinary policy and to educate PAs about
disciplinary consequences by reporting actions taken by the NCCPA in the NCCPA News.
As health care and PA practice have evolved with the world around us, so has the physician-PA relationship. In the 21st century, how do
the most successful physician-PA teams make their practice work?
Q. My certificate expires December 31, 2007. When do I need to submit my CME hours and pay my certification maintenance fee?
New "Forgot Password" Process Makes Accessing NCCPA Connect Simpler Attention Conference Organizers: Use NCCPA's Revamped Online Conference Logging System
Click
here for a current listing of dates and deadlines.
In 2002, the NCCPA approved a disciplinary policy designed to protect the integrity of the certification credential. NCCPA
implemented the policy in 2004 and has refined the policy as needed to ensure an appropriate, effective and efficient process.
In accordance with its Policy and Procedures for Disciplinary Review, NCCPA may take
action in matters triggered by irregular behavior, presentation of fraudulent credentials, and actions taken by legal, regulatory, and
credentialing authorities.
Randy D. Danielsen, PhD, PA-C, NCCPA chairman noted, “NCCPA is dedicated to applying disciplinary decisions that are fair and
consistent, while protecting the public and the NCCPA credential.”
NCCPA can take reportable and non-reportable actions. The most common reportable actions include letters of censure, revocation
of eligibility for certification and revocation of certification. The issuance of a letter of censure, while reportable,
does not impact the PA's current certification status. These actions may be reported to the Federation of State Medical Boards,
the states in which the PA is licensed, employers, and other interested third parties and will eventually be noted on the
Verify PA-C section of NCCPA’s Web site.
The most common non-reportable action is a letter of concern. When NCCPA issues a letter of concern, the PA is sent notification
that NCCPA is aware of a disciplinary issue, that the matter could be revisited, and that action could be taken against a PA’s
certification should the disciplinary policy be violated.
NCCPA can also take no action in a disciplinary case. The most common reasons for taking no action are that the infraction was
unrelated to PA practice or it has already been resolved and licensure fully restored.
To better educate PAs about disciplinary issues, the NCCPA News will now include information regarding the infractions reviewed
and the decisions made under the NCCPA disciplinary policy. The information below includes all disciplinary decisions made in
2006.
Substance abuse
Fraudulent use of privileges
Immediate danger to the public
Practicing beyond the scope of license
Unethical conduct
Convicted of a felony
Action taken by another board or agency
Case tabled
Take no action
Issue letter of concern
Issue a letter of censure
Revoke Pathway II eligibility indefinitely
Revoke certification
Revoke certification and eligibility
Looking for Great Physician-PA Teams
The NCCPA Foundation is looking for successful physician-PA teams to participate in a study of best practices in
physician-PA relationships. If you’re part of a great team or have seen an exceptional physician-PA team at work,
please contact the Foundation at foundation@paexcellence.org by April 15 and
become a part of this important and exciting project.
Q & A Corner
A. For PAs whose certificates expire December 31, 2007, all CME hours must be earned and logged and the certification maintenance fee must be
paid by June 30, 2007 (unless you are logging CME for the first-time and your initial certificate was issued after June 30, 2005, then you
must submit your CME requirements by December 31, 2007). NCCPA encourages all PAs to sign in to their personal certification record to take
advantage of online logging and $80 fee payment. If you prefer to log your hours on a paper form, download the
CME Logging Form, complete the form in its entirety, and submit it by mail or by fax with copies of supporting documentation for all
Category I activities. If you choose the paper form, remember that you’ll also need to submit the $15 paper logging fee in addition to the
$80 certification maintenance fee.
Q. I just took the NCCPA self assessment and was surprised that the answers are not provided. Why has NCCPA not provided the answers to
the self assessment?
A. NCCPA does not provide answers to the items in the self assessment because the purpose of the self assessment is not to teach PAs the
answer to any specific question. Rather, the purpose is to give PAs a sense of their general strengths and weaknesses, so they can focus their
study efforts in the content areas where they may be weaker. PAs interested in the self assessment can register by signing in
to their personal certification record.
Q. I heard the NCCPA releases personal information to third parties. Is that true?
A. No! NCCPA follows a strict information disclosure policy, which can be found here.
In general, the only information provided to third parties includes your current certification status, your NCCPA certificate number,
the date of your initial certification and recertification, and your certificate expiration date. NCCPA also releases exam information related
to your initial certification exam to your PA program and any requested information to your state licensing board. Any additional information
is only released with written and signed authorization from a PA or authorization through a PAs secure personal certification record via the
website. Personal information is never sold to third parties.
Q. I just realized that my certification expired December 31, 2006. What can I do to regain my certification?
A. The steps needed to regain certification depend on the requirements that were outstanding when the certification lapsed. If your
certificate expired December 31, 2006 because of an administrative issue, such as not logging your CME hours or not paying all fees, you can
regain your certification through a reinstatement process. Reinstatement requires you to correct the administrative issue and pay an additional
fee. If your certificate expired because you did not earn enough CME hours or because you did not take or pass the recertification exam, you
can regain your certification by passing the recertification exam and meeting additional CME requirements or by passing the initial
certification exam. For more information, sign in to your personal certification record.
Short Takes
To enhance a PA’s Web site experience, NCCPA has revamped the “forgot password” process to make it simpler, while still secure, for PAs
accessing their personal certification information on the Web.
Under the old process, PAs who forgot their password had to reset their password by requesting a verification e-mail be sent to them and then
following the secure link that the e-mail contained to a Web page where they could set up the new password.
“While at the time this was the most secure process for verifying a PA’s identity, it sometimes proved cumbersome, especially when a PA’s e-mail
address was not correct in our database” said Heather Remaley, manager of information services. “The newly devised system provides additional
options for PAs to reset their password even if the e-mail address on file is not correct.”
The NCCPA password process now includes a security question. If you haven’t already been asked, the next time you sign in to the Web site, you
will be prompted to provide an answer to a self-selected security question. Should you forget your password in the future, the system will
prompt you with this question. A correctly answered security question will allow you to immediately reset your password and access to your
personal certification record on the Web.
Another option allows PAs to call the NCCPA and verify three requested pieces of personal identifying information. NCCPA requires this
verification process to ensure a PA’s identity. Once the information is verified, the staff member will reset your record to a new user status,
and you’ll be able to create a new password just as if you were a new user, which has the advantage of letting the user enter a new e-mail
address.
NCCPA’s online conference logging capability used at the 2005 & 2006 AAPA conferences streamlines the logging process by allowing PAs to simply
check off the sections they attended from a master list.
“The process allows PAs to keep a detailed list of the sessions they attended at a conference without entering each session individually,” said
Cindy Nalls, manager of certification maintenance. “Plus, hours logged through the conference logging system are considered “confirmed”
because the conference organizers provided both a master list of attendees and available sessions, which means these hours aren’t subject to
the NCCPA audit.”
To find out how your conference can utilize NCCPA’s online logging system, contact Cindy Nalls at cnalls@nccpa.net prior to your event.
Dates and Deadlines
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