CONTRIBUTORS:
Colette Jeffery, M.A., Research Analyst
Dawn Morton-Rias, EdD, PA-С
Sheila Mauldin, M.N.M., Vice President of Exam Development and Administration
Ragan Cohn, C.A.E., Vice President, Governance & Communications
PUBLISHED IN 2015 | NCCPA
KEYWORDS: Physician Assistant/Associate, PA Workforce Data
INFORMATION:
Message from the President and CEO
The first annual Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants issued by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) in summer 2014 provided a new foundation of data that has been used by policy makers, researchers, journalists and others to support important dialogue about the critical role of certified PAs in our changing health care system. We hope this most recent annual report proves just as helpful as we strive to promote the PA profession and inform the thinking of decision makers at the federal, state, health system and practice level. I hope, too, that this report and those that will follow it contribute to ongoing dialogue within the PA profession about who we are and what we hope to become. For example, this data amplifies the need for serious attention to the issue of racial and ethnic diversity within the PA profession, an issue I know to be of concern to many of the profession’s leaders and members.
We remain grateful to the tens of thousands of PAs who have taken time from their busy schedules to complete their PA Professional Profile, the database from which this report is drawn. As of this writing, almost 90 percent of certified PAs have completed all or part of that Profile, an astonishing response rate for which we are deeply appreciative. The publication of this and other reports is intended to benefit the profession and the public, and that is only possible thanks to PAs’ willingness to share their professional experiences with us.
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About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for the over 150,000 PAs in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. NCCPA also administers the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) program for experienced, Certified PAs practicing in seven specialties. For more information, please visit http://www.nccpa.net.
(DOI LINK)