Margaretville, N.Y., – March 7, 2012 – HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley is pleased to announce Stephen D. Carson, RPA-C recently became among the first PAs in the nation to earn a new Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Emergency Medicine from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Carson works in the recently expanded and renovated Emergency Department at Margaretville Hospital, which was named one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the country last month, and joins the department’s Eileen King, RPA-C in earning a CAQ.
The CAQ is a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing an exam in the specialty. Carson is one of only several hundred certified PAs in the country to earn a CAQ in the program’s first year.
CAQs were offered to certified PAs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, nephrology and psychiatry.
“We are extremely proud of Steve’s accomplishment,” said Sandy Horan, Executive Director of Margaretville Hospital. “We now have two Emergency Department providers who have attained this certification, which brings an additional level of quality to the skills of our excellent staff.”
Carson has over 20 years of experience in Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care, and has been employed by Margaretville Hospital since 2008.
Certified PAs are licensed and certified health care professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision and bring a breadth of knowledge and skills to patient care. Though their role in any particular workplace is determined in consultation with the supervising physician, certified PAs can take histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventative health care, assist in surgery, perform a variety of procedures and write prescriptions.
For more information about certified PAs or the CAQ program, visit www.nccpa.net.
