Members Vote for Open Discussion of Controversial Recertification Proposal

Following months of public discourse around the issue of revising the recertification exam for PAs, members at the Forum’s business meeting officially voted to urge the four organizations involved to conduct a “transparent and evidence-based dialogue on the potential impacts on the PA profession (both positive and negative) of any changes to certification or recertification.”

The “Four Orgs” include PAEA, AAPA, NCCPA, and the ARC-PA.

Members also voted to strongly urge that any additional activity leading to the development of a new, and competing, certification body be suspended — the route called for by AAPA. This move by AAPA came after the NCCPA announced that it was planning to revise the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam (PANRE) to put a greater focus on specialties, saying this would “better reflect the current state of PA practice in which more than 70% of PAs are practicing outside of primary care.“

“We are not siding with AAPA or NCCPA,” PAEA President Elect William Kohlhepp told attendees at the business meeting. “We are on the side of transparent, evidence-based dialogue with the Four Orgs.”

Kohlhepp said that PAEA felt it needed to bring forward a formal motion so membership could speak to this issue. The vote, held during the Education Forum in Minneapolis last week, follows a resolution calling for an open discussion issued by PAEA earlier this month.

In Other Business

Members also voted on nine bylaws amendments and two policy positions — all of which were passed.

Some of the Bylaws amendments include:

• In all Bylaws, the words “will” and “shall” will be replaced with present-tense words, unless they are necessary for clarity.
• Article 3.05 (Termination) was updated for clarity regarding how member programs will be notified and/or terminated due to noncompliance with, or violation of, the membership criteria.
• Article 3.07 (Criteria) was edited for clarity around the types of membership available with PAEA, and what criteria potential members must satisfy to be eligible.
• Article 4.04 (Election) has been updated so that candidate nominations are no longer accepted from the floor during the meeting. Additionally, there was a change to the process for resolving tie votes for officers and director at large positions.
• Article 4.05 (Terms) now requires Board members who are no longer at an accredited university (for various reasons) to join PAEA as an individual colleague member within 90 days of their change in status.

The two position policy updates were:

• The Board will refer Position Policy #9 regarding endorsement of interprofessional education to the appropriate body for a re-write and/or editing and will report back at the 2017 Business Meeting.
• Position Policy #14 was updated to bring clarity to patient-centered medical homes and the inclusion of primary care providers.

See a complete summary of the motions and actions from the business meeting.