Kari Fleming, PA-C, who works at Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, has been nationally recognized for earning a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
Fleming was recognized for earning a CAQ in Nephrology, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing a national exam in the specialty. She is the only PA in South Dakota to earn a CAQ in Nephrology since the program’s inception in 2011.
“Certified PAs are prepared and proven providers who contribute real value to the healthcare of this nation,” says Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D, PA-C, president and CEO of NCCPA. “They graduate from demanding masters-level programs, pass a rigorous certification exam, and maintain certification at the highest level through continuing medical education programs and retesting throughout their careers. Certified PAs increase access to care for patients in every specialty and clinical setting, including those that are historically underserved.”
CAQs are offered to certified PAs in seven specialties: cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, orthopaedic surgery, nephrology, pediatrics and psychiatry.
About the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for physician assistants (PAs) in the United States. The PA-C credential is awarded by NCCPA to PAs who fulfill certification, certification maintenance and recertification requirements. There are more than 123,000 certified PAs in the U.S. today. For more information, visit www.PAsDoThat.net.