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quote Partnering with PAs
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For Employers

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Certified PAs are licensed health care professionals who practice medicine or surgery with physician supervision and bring a breadth of knowledge and skills to patient care. Though their role in any particular workplace is determined in consultation with the supervising physician, certified PAs can take histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventative health care, assist in surgery, perform a variety of procedures and write prescriptions. Today, approximately 84,000 certified PAs practice in almost every setting and medical and surgical specialty, improving access to care for patients across the U.S. while providing invaluable support to all-too-often overextended physicians.

Special Items of Interest

  • In December, 232 certified PAs became the first to earn Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQs) by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and passing a specialty exam. Read more and view the list of CAQ recipients.
  • Specialty CAQs - Read about NCCPA's specialty Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQ) program, where current PA-C certification and an unencumbered state PA license are basic prerequisites for this new voluntary certification program.
  • "Shaping Great Physician-PA Teams" - This award-winning documentary profiling five high-performing physician-PA teams is available for online viewing. Or request the documentary on DVD - free to health care employers, courtesy of the NCCPA Foundation.

General Resources

  • The Certification Standard: The Role, Qualifications and Value of Certified Physician Assistants (pdf) - This two-page brochure provides a quick introduction to certified PAs.
  • Exam Content Blueprint - The intial 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 years.
  • Code of Conduct for Certified and Certifying PAs - Certified PAs and PA students are held to high professional and ethical standards.
  • If you've had a problem with a certified physician assistant 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.

Ready to hire a PA?

The American Academy of PAs offers a wealth of resources for employers ready to hire a PA. Visit their Web site at http://www.aapa.org/your_pa_practice/for_employers.aspx