Bianca Iglesias (’14), PA-C, a certified physician assistant who graduated from Barry University’s Physician Assistant Program, was recently awarded a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
Iglesias received the CAQ in Psychiatry, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements, and then passing a national exam in the specialty. She works at Central Coast Behavioral Health in Arroyo Grande, Calif., where she has worked for three years.
“Certified PAs who earn the CAQ demonstrate a strong commitment to lifelong learning and attention to evolving medical advancements in their area of practice,” says Dawn Morton-Rias, Ed.D, PA-C, president and CEO of NCCPA. “Not only have they maintained certification through continuing medical education programs and assessments throughout their careers, they have pursued and been awarded this additional credential that attests to their knowledge and skills in their specialty.”
CAQs are offered to certified PAs in 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.