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Process for Submitting a Complaint Against a PA-C Designee

Physician assistant certification, as awarded by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), indicates that an individual has successfully met NCCPA eligibility requirements and other established criteria for certification by the NCCPA. Certification is not a guarantee of continuing competence, ethical behavior, or successful outcomes for individual patients. Nevertheless, NCCPA does expect Physician Assistant-Certified® (PA-C®) designees to uphold the principles outlined in the Code of Conduct for Certified and Certifying Physician Assistants and may take action when there is clear and convincing evidence that one or more of those principles have been violated.

This document sets forth NCCPA's policy for responding to complaints from individuals or organizations that have evidence that a PA-C® designee has violated those principles.

Complaint Procedures

All complaints must be submitted to the address below in writing and signed by the complainant. To the extent practical, the complainant should provide details, specific facts and documentation of the allegations.
The complaint must also include the following statement:
I authorize NCCPA to release this complaint and all other supporting material I have provided or may provide in the future to the subject of the complaint, members of NCCPA's Board of Directors, attorneys and others as deemed appropriate by NCCPA or as required by law.
The receipt of complaints submitted in compliance with procedures 1 and 2 above will be acknowledged by postal mail within 30 days.
NCCPA has the sole discretion to determine which complaints should be pursued, how they should be pursued, and what action, if any, should be taken. NCCPA has no obligation to investigate the professional standing of any applicant or PA-C® or to refer any information to an outside body. However, when deemed appropriate by NCCPA, matters may be referred to state licensing authorities or other third parties.
The outcome of NCCPA's review of a complaint may or may not be made public.

Issued by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) credential is a mark of professional accomplishment, indicating the achievement and maintenance of established levels of knowledge and clinical skills. The PA-C credential is widely recognized within the medical professions and beyond. In fact, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the American territories have decided to rely on NCCPA certification as one of the criteria for licensure or regulation of physician assistants.

To protect the credibility of the PA-C designation, the NCCPA certification process involves formal collegiate education, examination and ongoing pursuit of continuing medical education.