The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is dedicated to serving the interest of the public. They do so with a passionate belief that certified physician assistants are essential members of the health care delivery team who provide millions access to more affordable, high quality health care.

The NCCPA's vision is to transform the delivery of quality healthcare by certifying qualified PAs through programs that improve patient care while exemplifying a commitment to excellence unparalleled among certifying organizations.

Their mission is to serve the public through exemplary programs that evaluate critical PA competencies and that require the pursuit of life-long learning and improvement.

Visit the NCCPA website. 

NCCPA CME Requirements in Kentucky

Renewal requires 100 hours of CME every 2 years, evidence of CME in HIV/AIDS in the previous 10 years, and current NCCPA certification.

Effective July 15, 2010, PAs shall demonstrate completion of a one-time training course of one and one-half hours of training covering the prevention and recognition of pediatric abusive head trauma. These hours shall be included in the current number of required continuing education hours. Practicing PAs shall demonstrate completion of this course by December 31, 2013. KY. REV.STAT.ANN. § 311.844

For the full "Physician Assistants: State Laws and Regulations for Kentucky," published by the AAPA, click here. To view more information about the certification process, visit www.nccpa.net/CertificationProcess. 

HIV/AIDS Training

To be licensed in Kentucky, PAs are required to receive specific continuing education on HIV/AIDS. All applicants for initial licensure must receive two hours of HIV/AIDS education approved by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services or the licensing board or certifying body. Applicants for licensure or certification renewal on active status must receive training at least once every 10 years thereafter, unless the licensing board or certifying entity requires more frequent completion under administrative regulations.

NetCE offers an HIV/AIDS training course (Course # 9489) for $19.

Click here to view a list of all state-approved HIV/AIDS courses. 

Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma

In 2010, the Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 285. This bill requires various groups to complete a course in Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, also known as "Shaken Baby Syndrome." Whether PAs are due to renew in this cycle or not, all have to submit a CME course completion certificate for a pediatric abuse/head trauma course by Dec. 31, 2013. Fax or email your certification to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at KBML.

“Pursuant to KRS 311.844 section (3)(d), the Board shall ensure that physician’s assistant shall demonstrate completion of a one-time training course of one and one-half (1.5) hours of training covering the prevention and recognition of pediatric abusive head trauma, as defined in KRS 620.020. The one and one-half hours of continuing education required under this section shall be included in the current number of required continuing education hours. Current practicing physician’s assistants shall demonstrate completion of this course by December 31, 2013.”

NetCE offers a Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma course (Course # 9240) for $10. 

New Certification Process

Beginning in 2014, certified physician assistants will transition to a 10-year certification maintenance cycle, a change from the current six-year certification maintenance and retesting requirement that has been in effect since recertification was first introduced in 1981. That change is accompanied by the institution of new, more specific continuing medical education (CME) requirements: 20 of the 50 Category 1 CME credits certified PAs are already required to obtain every two years must be earned through self-assessment CME or performance improvement CME (PI-CME).

PAs who earn initial certification or who regain certification by passing an exam in 2014 will begin a 10-year cycle.

PAs whose current six-year certification maintenance cycle (recertification cycle) ends in 2014 will be the first currently certified PAs to move to the new certification maintenance process; those are PAs who must pass PANRE in their fifth year (2013) or their sixth year (2014). They will be able to begin earning and logging CME credits under the new process on May 1, 2014.

Others will transition to the new 10-year cycle over the following five years as they complete their final six-year certification maintenance cycle.

Many PAs are concerned about these changes, how and when it will affect them, and how it relates to them and their unique career. Click here for answers to some of the most common questions AAPA has been asked over the past several months.

The process to become a certified physician assistant hasn't changed. Click here to read more about initial certification.

Free Certification Maintenance Webinar

In February 2014, AAPA and NCCPA hosted a joint webinar on the new ten-year certification maintenance process. A recorded version of that webinar is now available online at no cost, and PAs who view it can earn one free Category 1 CME credit.

The webinar provides background on the development of the new ten-year process, but it is primarily focused on explaining and describing the new self assessment (SA) and performance improvement (PI-CME) requirements and identifying resources available to PAs for both.

View the webinar online at AAPA's Learning Central. (Click on the "select" button, and then log in to AAPA's Learning Central. Create an account there for free if you don't already have one; access to Learning Central is free to members and non-members. Not sure if you have an AAPA account? Check here.)

Trouble logging into Learning Central? Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For a message about the timing of your transition to the new ten-year process, sign in to your online record at www.nccpa.net. 

Logging Credits with NCCPA

To log your hours online with NCCPA, follow the instructions below.

• Go to www.nccpa.net and Log on to Your Personal Certification Record
• Click “Log New CME,” and then click on your conference link.
• Each day of the conference is logged separately. Click on the day from the drop down menu.
• Choose the sessions you attended for that day by clicking the check box next to each session.
• If you would like to change the cycle, click on the cycle box next to each session and select the cycle for which you would like the session applied. (Only qualifying cycles will be listed.)
• If necessary, change the amount of credits that you are claiming for each session in the “Actual Credits” column.
• When you have selected that day’s activities, click on the “Add Sessions” button at the bottom of the screen.
• On the “Summary of Sessions to be Added” screen, review the sessions that you selected, click on the box next to the statement that states “I certify that the above information is true and correct”, and then click the “Complete” button.
• From the “Conference Summary” screen which appears, click “Add New Sessions” at the top of the page to enter additional days.
• If you wish to complete your logging at a later date, click the “Complete Later” button.
• To close the conference link after entering all sessions, click “Complete Conference” at the bottom of the conference screen.

By logging your hours through the Conference Logging Link, your hours are verified, and thereby not audited by NCCPA. If you have any questions about the process, please call the NCCPA customer service line at 678-417-8100.

To request a copy of your CME conference, pediatric abuse and head trauma or HIV certificates, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..