Certified PAs earn the PA-C credential by graduating from an accredited post-grad-level PA educational program and passing a rigorous national certification exam that covers all organ systems and infectious disease. They recertify in a manner similar to physicians through ongoing CME and rigorous exams every 10 years.

PAs practicing in seven medical specialties can distinguish themselves further by attaining a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in their specialty area. This credential recognizes PAs who have successfully completed additional, specialty-focused requirements, which include: one to two years’ experience; Category 1 CMEs; procedures and patient-case experience; and an examination in the specialty area. Read about NCCPA's specialty CAQ program and, if applicable, encourage the PAs on your team to sign up for this valuable program.

• Learn more about the growing need for PA providers in the healthcare reform era. Read "Demand for Coordinated Team-based Care Intensifies in the Age of Affordable Care Act", a white paper published on Modern Healthcare's website.

• Don’t miss Dr. John Stuemky’s article, “As Physicians Deal with Growing Demand, Physician-PA Teams Key to Meeting New Challenges”, published in MD News. Enjoy this physician’s perspective on how PAs provide invaluable support to all-too-often overextended physicians.

• Read “Growing Demand, Shrinking Revenues: The PA Solution” for insight on how medical practices are discovering that certified PAs can be the key to meeting the growing demand for access to services at lower costs. This article is published on Group Practice Journal's website.

• Exam Content Blueprint - The initial and recertifying exams are based on a practice analysis, a scientific study of what PAs actually do in practice. The Exam Content Blueprint provides an overview of the content of those exams.

• Overview of the Certification Maintenance Process - To maintain the PA-C credential, PAs must earn at least 100 credits of CME during every two-year cycle and pass a recertification exam every six to ten years.

• Code of Conduct for Certified and Certifying PAs - NCCPA's Code of Conduct for Certified and Certifying Physician Assistants demands high professional and ethical standards.

• If you've had a problem with a certified PA and need to file a complaint, click here for instructions.

• Competencies for the PA Profession - NCCPA worked with the American Academy for PAs (AAPA), the PA Educators Association (PAEA), and the Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of PAs (ARC-PA) to develop this seminal document describing six overarching areas of competencies for the PAs.

• NCCPA Federal Tax ID # - 58-1218672.

Visit https://www.healthecareers.com/nccpa/search-jobs/ and click on employers to post your position.

“We consider our PA colleagues to be an extremely important part of our practice,” says Dr. Young. “We rely on them for their intelligence, their technical skills and their oversight of patients, as well as to be a liaison with patients’ families and other team members in our practice.”
J. Nilas Young, MD
Read the entire article

Read about other Physician-PA teams.