ARMC Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Earns National Recognition

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Fellowship Program Director, Dennis Tankersley, is one of only 220 physician assistants (PAs) nationally to recently earn a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Tankersley was awarded a CAQ in Emergency Medicine, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education, and experience requirements and then passing a rigorous exam in the specialty. “High quality patient care is very important to me, and I am honored to be recognized by the NCCPA,” said Tankersley. “The rigorous education and certification processes and commitment to certification maintenance at the highest level, contribute to the high demand for our services.” In addition to directing the EMPA Fellowship Program, Tankersley serves as the lead PA for the Emergency Department at ARMC, and on the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants’ Board of Directors. A PA is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional who practices medicine on health care teams with physicians and other providers. Certified PAs 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. More than 100,000 PAs practice in every medical and surgical specialty in the U.S. “All certified PAs have demonstrated their knowledge across the broad base of medicine,” says Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D, PA-C, president and CEO of NCCPA. “Those who have taken the extra step to earn a CAQ have demonstrated additional expertise and experience in their chosen field of practice.”