Points of Consensus as of November 2008

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Specialty Recognition

Preamble

NCCPA assures that certified physician assistants meet professional standards of knowledge and skills. Physician assistant practice ranges from primary care to specialty and subspecialty services with all care being provided with physician supervision. In order to fulfill NCCPA's mission to assure that certified PAs meet professional standards of knowledge and skills, NCCPA seeks to create and develop appropriate eligibility criteria and assessment mechanisms for specialty recognition. As with all NCCPA programs, specialty recognition will be a competencies-based process.

Consensus Points

1. Changes in the healthcare system and the clinical diversity of PA practice indicate that it is the appropriate time to pursue specialty recognition.

  1. There is an increasing number of PAs practicing in specialty areas other than primary care.
  2. Employers and others are placing heightened emphasis on patient safety and risk management. Patient safety is an integral aspect of NCCPA's mission.
  3. Complexities and increased demands of current healthcare practice place constraints and increased burdens on the mentoring aspects of the physician-PA relationship.
  4. Individuals entering PA training programs have more academic and less clinical experience than those from the profession's formative years.
  5. The profession's growth and increasing visibility has resulted in the need for greater accountability.

2. NCCPA will develop and administer specialty recognition according to the following principles.

  1. Specialty recognition will be voluntary and will be independent of NCCPA's certification and recertification processes.
  2. Specialty recognition will support and reinforce relationships between PAs and physicians.
  3. NCCPA will seek input and cooperation from appropriate stakeholders.
  4. Specialty recognition will support the credentialing process and not create barriers to licensure and practice.