A Farewell to the Face of ARC-PA

Earlier this month during the Education Forum in Minneapolis, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate the retirement of John McCarty, MPAS, PA. After serving for 25 years as the executive director of the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) — the first PA to serve in this role — McCarty will officially step down on December 31, 2016.

With financial support from PAEA, NCCPA, AAPA and ARC-PA, the golf-themed event featured creative decorations and unique attire. Nearly one hundred people attended the retirement party, which was filled with great food and drinks as well as friends and fond memories. McCarty’s successor Sharon Luke, Dawn Morton Rias, Timi Agar Barwick, Gloria Stewart, Pat Auth, Grace Landel, and Jim Cawley all offered brief comments, sharing some fun stories and much appreciation of his service. Laura Stuetzer, his associate director and right-hand person, even wrote and performed a song in his honor!

A graduate of the program at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, McCarty was employed by the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, where he worked in general surgery, specializing in pediatric oncology, before joining ARC-PA. He soon became involved in medical education, assuming increasing administrative responsibility for programs in graduate and student education, continuing medical education, and corporate education. Ultimately, he served as the administrative director of the Marshfield Clinic Division of Education.

In 2004, when ARC-PA became independent and the office moved to John’s Creek, Georgia, he transitioned from the part-time executive director to full-time. During his tenure at ARC-PA, the number of accredited programs grew from 54 to 210.

His plans for the foreseeable future include spending more time on the golf course with friends and family and enjoying time at home with his four-legged companions Duncan and Molly.