The U.S. Department of Education has announced the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers (CAPP) is now approved to accredit postgraduate physician associate (PA) as well as joint nurse practitioner (NP/PA) postgraduate training programs.
In 2022, CAPP, commonly known as “The Consortium,” was the first accrediting organization to earn federal recognition from the U.S. Department of Education to accredit postgraduate nurse practitioner residency and fellowship training programs. Today’s announcement significantly expands the Consortium’s reach and impact as a leader in accrediting NP only, PA only, and joint NP/PA postgraduate training programs. The Consortium is the first and only organization in the United States to be federally recognized to accredit joint NP/PA postgraduate residency and fellowship programs.
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Associates represent a vital and growing portion of both primary care and specialty healthcare providers in the United States. From community health centers to acute care hospitals and across the full range of health care settings, PAs and NPs are essential health care providers. New NPs and PAs, and those seeking to change specialty areas, increasingly seek formal postgraduate residency and/or fellowship programs to deepen their expertise in their clinical practice specialty. CAPP provides a vital service in assuring the excellence and rigor of these programs through federally recognized accreditation.
“We at the Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers fully respect and deeply appreciate the value of federal recognition and the assurance it brings to the public, to trainees, and to the health care system,” said Kerry Bamrick, MBA, Executive Director of the Consortium. “It is the gold standard of accrediting agencies, and demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards of excellence.”
The Consortium for Advanced Practice Providers Accreditation Commission Vice-Chair, Dr. DoQuyen Huynh, DNP, FNP, ARNP, FAAN stated, “The Consortium has worked diligently to achieve federal recognition for its Expansion of Scope from the U.S. Department of Education. With this achievement, we are able to expand our work in education and health care to support the next generation of advanced practice providers. Attaining this recognition not only speaks to the quality and rigor of our accreditation process, but it is also a testament to the synergy of minds that came together to achieve something greater for health care and for our patients.”
“Advanced Practice Providers are vital to our health care system,” said Consortium Board Chair Dr. Margaret Flinter, PhD, APRN, FNP-c, FAAN, FAANP, “and formal postgraduate APP training programs provide the training bridge between education and practice for new APPs. The Consortium is proud to receive the U.S. Department of Education’s federal recognition and deeply appreciates the role it plays in assuring that APP postgraduate training programs meet the highest standards for quality and impact. We are honored to serve the public as a federally recognized accrediting agency ensuring our nation’s advanced practice providers are prepared to meet the challenge of providing health care to people of all ages in communities in every corner of our country.”
The U.S. Department of Education granted the Consortium an Expansion of Scope to its initial federal recognition for a period of five years.
