Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. ARC-PA

Overview

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) is the recognized accrediting body for physician assistant (PA) educational programs in the United States. Established in 1971, ARC-PA is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the quality and integrity of PA education through rigorous accreditation processes. The commission's primary mission is to protect the interests of the public and the PA profession by defining and evaluating educational standards for PA programs.

History and Legal Framework

ARC-PA was founded in 1971 as the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs for the Physician Assistant (JRC-PA), under the auspices of the American Medical Association’s Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA). In 1991, the organization became an independent entity and was renamed the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. ARC-PA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the accrediting agency for PA educational programs in the United States. The commission operates under a set of bylaws and policies that govern its accreditation processes and ensure compliance with established standards.

Mission, Vision and Objectives

ARC-PA's mission is to assure and advance the quality of physician assistant education by establishing and promoting accreditation standards and policies that foster excellence in the education and training of physician assistants. The commission's vision is to be a global leader in PA education accreditation, recognized for its commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. ARC-PA's objectives include:

• Developing and maintaining rigorous accreditation standards for PA programs.
• Conducting comprehensive evaluations of PA educational programs.
• Providing guidance and resources to institutions to enhance educational quality.
• Engaging with stakeholders to promote the value of accreditation in PA education.

Governance, Structure and Independence

ARC-PA operates under a governance structure that includes a Board of Directors responsible for overseeing the commission's activities and ensuring adherence to its mission and objectives. The board comprises individuals with diverse backgrounds in PA education, practice and administration. The commission maintains its independence by operating as a non-profit organization and by ensuring that its accreditation processes are objective and free from external influence. ARC-PA's operations are guided by a set of bylaws and policies that govern its accreditation processes and ensure compliance with established standards.

Accreditation and Quality Evaluation Role in Higher Education

ARC-PA accredits PA programs at the master's degree level and higher, offered by institutions in the United States that are accredited by recognized regional accrediting bodies. The commission's accreditation process involves a comprehensive evaluation of a program's curriculum, faculty, facilities and resources to ensure that it meets established standards of quality. ARC-PA also accredits providers of continuing medical education for physician assistants, ensuring that PAs have access to high-quality educational opportunities throughout their careers. The commission's accreditation activities play a crucial role in maintaining and enhancing the quality of PA education, thereby ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare system.

International Cooperation and Network Memberships

While ARC-PA primarily accredits PA programs within the United States, it collaborates with various international organizations to enhance the quality of PA education globally. The commission is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), an organization that represents specialized and professional accrediting bodies. Through this membership, ARC-PA engages with other accrediting organizations to share best practices and promote the value of accreditation in professional education. The commission's international collaborations contribute to the global effort to ensure quality education and training for healthcare professionals.

Current or Future Impact on Higher Education

ARC-PA's accreditation activities have a significant impact on higher education by ensuring that PA programs maintain high standards of quality and effectiveness. The commission's rigorous evaluation processes promote continuous improvement within PA education programs, leading to enhanced educational outcomes for students. Looking forward, ARC-PA aims to strengthen its role as a global leader in PA education accreditation by expanding its international reach, enhancing program support and fostering innovation in PA education. The commission's efforts contribute to the development of a highly skilled and competent PA workforce capable of meeting the healthcare needs of diverse populations.

Summary

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant plays a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing the quality of PA education in the United States. Through its rigorous accreditation process, ARC-PA ensures that PA programs meet established standards, thereby preparing students for effective professional practice. The commission's commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and global collaboration underscores its leadership in PA education accreditation.

FAQs

1. What is ARC-PA?
   The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant is the recognized accrediting agency for PA educational programs in the United States.
2. How does ARC-PA impact PA education?
   ARC-PA ensures that PA programs meet established standards of quality and effectiveness through a peer-review accreditation process, leading to improved educational outcomes and professional preparedness for students.
3. Is ARC-PA recognized by the U.S. Department of Education?
   While ARC-PA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), it is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
4. Does ARC-PA accredit programs outside the United States?
   No, ARC-PA primarily accredits PA programs within the United States.
5. How can a PA program achieve ARC-PA accreditation?
   A PA program can achieve ARC-PA accreditation by undergoing a voluntary, peer-review process that includes self-assessment, an external review by ARC-PA-appointed peer evaluators and meeting established standards and criteria for educational quality.

Organization Name

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.

Acronym

ARC-PA

Year of Establishment

28/05/1971

Control Type

Private

Entity Type

Non-Profit

Geo Focus and Coverage

National

Recognized by

Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

Affiliations or Memberships

Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA)

Number of Member Universities or Accredited Institutions

300

Address

12000 Findley Road, Suite 275
Johns Creek
30097 Minnesota United States

Phone

+1 (770) 476 1224

Fax

+1 (770) 476 1738

List of universities offering programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
This list includes only institutions with fully accredited programs and does not includes institutions with provisional accreditation or accreditation on probabtion.

1) AdventHealth University, FL
2) Albany Medical College, NY
3) Alderson-Broaddus University, WV
4) Arcadia University, PA
5) Arizona School of Health Sciences, AZ
6) Army Medical Center of Excellence, TX
7) Augsburg University, MN
8) Augusta University, GA
9) Baldwin Wallace University, OH
10) Barry University, FL
11) Bay Path University, MA
12) Baylor College of Medicine, TX
13) Bethel University, MN
14) Bethel University, TN
15) Boston University School of Medicine PA Program, MA
16) Bryant University, RI
17) Butler University, IN
18) California Baptist University, CA
19) Campbell University, NC
20) Carroll University, WI
21) Case Western Reserve University, OH
22) Central Michigan University, MI
23) Chapman University, CA
24) Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, CA
25) Charleston Southern University, SC
26) Chatham University, PA
27) Clarkson University, NY
28) College of Saint Mary, NE
29) College of St. Scholastica, MN
30) CUNY York College, NY
31) Daemen College, NY
32) Des Moines University, IA
33) DeSales University, PA
34) Dominican University, IL
35) Dominican University of California, CA
36) Drexel University, PA
37) Duke University Medical Center, NC
38) Duquesne University, PA
39) East Carolina University, NC
40) Eastern Michigan University, MI
41) Eastern Virginia Medical School, VA
42) Elon University, NC
43) Emory & Henry College, VA
44) Emory University, GA
45) Florida Gulf Coast University, FL
46) Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University(Our Lady of the Lake College), LA
47) Franklin Pierce University, NH
48) Gannon University, PA
49) Gardner Webb University, NC
50) George Washington University, DC
51) Grand Valley State University, MI
52) Harding University, AR
53) Hardin-Simmons University, TX
54) High Point University, NC
55) Hofstra University, NY
56) Idaho State University, ID
57) Indiana State University, IN
58) Indiana University School of Health & Human Sciences Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program (IUPUI), IN
59) James Madison University, VA
60) Johnson & Wales University, RI
61) Kettering College, OH
62) King’s College, PA
63) Lake Erie College, OH
64) Le Moyne College, NY
65) Lincoln Memorial University, TN
66) Lock Haven University, PA
67) Loma Linda University, CA
68) Long Island University, NY
69) Louisiana State University – New Orleans, LA
70) Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, LA
71) Marietta College, OH
72) Marist College, NY
73) Marquette University, WI
74) Marshall B. Ketchum University, CA
75) Mary Baldwin University (Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences), VA
76) Marywood University, PA
77) MCPHS University (Boston), MA
78) MCPHS University (Manchester/Worcester), NH
79) Medical University of South Carolina, SC
80) Mercer University, GA
81) Mercy College, NY
82) Mercyhurst University, PA
83) Methodist University, NC
84) MGH Institute of Health Professions, MA
85) Miami-Dade College, FL
86) Midwestern University (Downers Grove), IL
87) Midwestern University (Glendale), AZ
88) Milligan University, TN
89) Misericordia University, PA
90) Mississippi College, MS
91) Missouri State University (formerly SWMS), MO
92) Monmouth University, NJ
93) Mount St. Joseph University, OH
94) New York Institute of Technology, NY
95) North Greenville University, SC
96) Northeastern University, MA
97) Northern Arizona University, AZ
98) Northwestern University, IL
99) Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
100) Nova Southeastern University, Fort Myers, FL
101) Nova Southeastern University, Orlando, FL
102) Ohio Dominican University, OH
103) Ohio University, OH
104) Oklahoma City University, OK
105) Oregon Health & Science University, OR
106) Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC, NY
107) Pacific University, OR
108) Penn State University, PA
109) Pennsylvania College of Technology, PA
110) Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, PA
111) Quinnipiac University, CT
112) Radford University, VA
113) Red Rocks Community College, CO
114) Rochester Institute of Technology, NY
115) Rocky Mountain College, MT
116) Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, UT
117) Rosalind Franklin Univ of Medicine (formerly Finch), IL
118) Rush University, IL
119) Rutgers University, NJ
120) Sacred Heart University, CT
121) Saint Catherine University, MN
122) Saint Francis University, PA
123) Saint Louis University, MO
124) Salus University (formerly Pennsylvania College of Optometry), PA
125) Samuel Merritt University, CA
126) Seton Hall University, NJ
127) Seton Hill University, PA
128) Shenandoah University, VA
129) Slippery Rock University, PA
130) South College – Knoxville, TN
131) South University in Savannah, GA
132) South University, Richmond, VA
133) South University, Tampa, FL
134) Southern California University of Health Sciences, CA
135) Southern Illinois University, IL
136) Springfield College, MA
137) St. Ambrose University, IA
138) St. John’s University (formerly SVCMC), NY
139) Stanford University, CA
140) Stephens College, MO
141) Stony Brook University, NY
142) Sullivan University, KY
143) SUNY Downstate Medical Center, NY
144) SUNY Upstate Medical Center, NY
145) Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, PA
146) Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, TX
147) The CUNY School of Medicine (formerly CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education), NY
148) The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Southwestern School of Health Professions, TX
149) Thomas Jefferson University, Center City Campus, PA
150) Thomas Jefferson University, East Falls Campus, PA
151) Touro College (Long Island), NY
152) Touro College (Manhattan), NY
153) Touro University California, CA
154) Touro University Nevada, NV
155) Towson University CCBC – Essex, MD
156) Trevecca Nazarene University, TN
157) Tufts University, MA
158) Union College, NE
159) University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL
160) University of Arkansas, AR
161) University of Bridgeport, CT
162) University of California-Davis, CA
163) University of Charleston, WV
164) University of Colorado, CO
165) University of Dayton, OH
166) University of Detroit Mercy, MI
167) University of Dubuque, IA
168) University of Evansville, IN
169) University of Findlay, OH
170) University of Florida, FL
171) University of Iowa, IA
172) University of Kentucky, KY
173) University of Lynchburg, VA
174) University of Maryland Baltimore (Anne Arundel Community College), MD
175) University of Missouri – Kansas City, MO
176) University of Mount Union, OH
177) University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE
178) University of New England, ME
179) University of New Mexico, NM
180) University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, NC
181) University of North Dakota, ND
182) University of North Texas HS Center Ft Worth, TX
183) University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK
184) University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK
185) University of Pittsburgh, PA
186) University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne), IN
187) University of Saint Joseph, CT
188) University of South Alabama, AL
189) University of South Carolina, SOM, SC
190) University of South Dakota, SD
191) University of South Florida, FL
192) University of Southern California (LA), CA
193) University of St. Francis, NM
194) University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis), TN
195) University of Texas – HS Center at San Antonio, TX
196) University of Texas – Medical Branch at Galveston, TX
197) University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX
198) University of the Cumberlands, KY
199) University of the Pacific, CA
200) University of Toledo, OH
201) University of Utah, UT
202) University of Washington, WA
203) University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, WI
204) University of Wisconsin – Madison, WI
205) Valparaiso University, IN
206) Wagner College, NY
207) Wake Forest University (Bowman Gray), NC
208) Wayne State University, MI
209) Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences, NY
210) West Liberty University, WV
211) Western University of Health Sciences, CA
212) Westfield State University, MA
213) Wichita State University, KS
214) Wingate University, NC
215) Yale University Physician Associate Program, CT

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