POTSDAM – Two of Canton-Potsdam Hospital’s physican assistants, Jessica Martin and Heather Munz, recently received national recognition for earning a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

They were recognized for earning CAQs in emergency medicine, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education, and experience requirements and then passing a national exam in the specialty.

“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, 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 seven specialties: cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, hospital medicine, orthopedic surgery, nephrology, pediatrics, and psychiatry.