This is the 448th and final post to the ADVANCE Blog for PAs in 2008. Check back on Jan. 2 for the first blog post of 2009. Until then, here's a quick look back at some of the notable PA stories of the last year.  ***  JanuaryAnnals of Family Medicine publishes a study that concludes, “Family practices employing ...

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant invites PAs to suggest changes to the accreditation standards for entry-level PA education programs. The ARC-PA is soliciting comments on the standards as part of its regular updating and revision process. Provide your thoughts on changes that would improve the ...

Now that ARC-PA has granted formal accreditation to three postgraduate PA programs, it's interesting to go back and read the AAPA's vigorous warnings against an accreditation process. The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) recognizes the value that voluntary participation in postgraduate clinical training programs may have ...

At its recent meeting, ARC-PA also granted accreditation to a third postgraduate physician assistant program. Duke University Medical Center's postgraduate PA surgical residency earned accreditation. Previously accredited were M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's postgraduate PA program in oncology and Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Surgery's ...

Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, is the 142nd accredited physician program in the United States and the sixth PA program in Ohio. ARC-PA granted provisional accreditation to Mount Union at its recent meeting. Sharon Luke, MSHS, PA-C, is the program director. Link to Mount Union PA program Web site Link to ARC-PA's list of accredited PA ...

ARC-PA has created a page to list accredited clinical postgraduate PA programs. There are currently two. The surgery residency at Johns Hopkins and the oncology residency at MD Anderson Cancer Center received ARC-PA accreditation in March. Link

There are actually now 141 PA programs accredited by ARC-PA. That is an all-time high, according to this excellent ARC-PA graphic. PA program No. 141 is at Bethel College in Bethel, Tenn. The previous Bethel College PA program had lost its ARC-PA accreditation effective Dec. 1, 2006. Link to ARC-PA's list of accredited PA programs Link ...

Wingate University is PA program is No. 140. ARC-PA granted provisional accreditation to the Wingate program in March. Our goal is not to just develop a good program—but to help nurture outstanding mid-level health care providers. Our stated mission is “to educate Physician Assistants to become competent, compassionate and comprehensive health ...

Three new commissioners joined ARC-PA this month. Hank Lemke, MMS, PA-C, Phillip Marcus, MD,MPH, FACP, and James Van Rhee MS, PA-C began their first terms as commissioners on the ARC-PA January 1, 2008. Mr. Lemke was nominated by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Dr. Marcus was nominated by the American College of Physicians, and ...