The Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants (SEMPA) is in agreement with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) policy titled, Emergency Ultrasound Certification by External Entities. SEMPA believes that certification for point-of-care ultrasound by a non-emergency medicine external body, organization, or society may negatively affect the ability of emergency medicine physician assistants (EMPAs) to utilize this important diagnostic skill.
A certification process by a non-emergency medicine external organization is not in alignment with our physician counterparts and will establish additional barriers that would impede the use of this critical clinical skill and adversely affect patient care.
SEMPA opposes a non-emergency medicine entity certification process to determine competency in the use of emergency ultrasound. Additionally, certification should not be a requirement for hospital privileges or credentialing, nor for reimbursement by accountable care organizations (ACOs), managed care organizations (MCOs), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or other third-party payers.
