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Competency Domain 1: Patient-centered practice knowledge

Graduates will collect essential information to determine the presence of illness, demonstrate the ability to utilize up-to-date scientific evidence to inform clinical reasoning and clinical judgment, and develop therapeutic relationships with patients and their families in order to prevent and manage disease. 

Competencies: 

1. Gather, analyze, and synthesize pertinent patient information through history taking, physical examination, and diagnostic evaluation to determine differential diagnoses.  
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Take appropriate patient histories.
     • Conduct an appropriate physical examination. 
     • Analyze laboratory, imaging, and other objective clinical data.
     • Formulate differential diagnoses. 

2. Build trusting relationships with patients and their families through empathetic listening and delivery of compassionate care.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Communicate effectively with patients and families.
     • Demonstrate empathy. 
     • Demonstrate respect for cultural preferences.

3. Construct management plans while prioritizing evidence-based protocols.  
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Utilize appropriate medical resources.
     • Implement current medical guidelines.
     • Identify appropriate pharmaceutical treatment.
     • Select appropriate lab/imaging diagnostics.
     • Provide patient education.
     • Create a follow up plan.

4. Identify indications, contraindications, risk and benefits for clinical procedures and perform basic core clinical procedures when appropriate. 
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Provide thorough education about recommended procedures.
     • Obtain consent.
     • Perform core clinical procedures.

Competency Domain 2: Community health

Graduates will be able to recognize and predict health patterns in a large community and apply knowledge about epidemiology in order to make care decisions.  Graduates will also know how to participate with health regulatory organizations and other community-based social services to advocate for patient well-being. 

Competencies: 

1. Apply knowledge of epidemiological statistics and risk factors in order to provide best-care practices for community-specific diseases. 
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:  
     • Recognize genetic diseases.
     • Identify medical risk factors.
     • Understand social determinants of health.

2. Understand different health care needs and apply cultural competency for patients of diverse populations.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Care for patients with patients with disabilities and special health care needs.
     • Care for patients with varying ethnicities/races.
     • Care for patients with varying sexual orientation.
     • Care for patients with varying gender identities.
     • Care for patients with varying religions.

3. Recommend community resources/agencies including health regulatory organizations as appropriate. 
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Recommend community organizations.
     • Refer to health department as appropriate.
     • Recommend resources.

4. Recommend age and disease-specific preventative care.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Recommend and administer pediatric and adult immunizations.
     • Recommend age-appropriate safety guidelines.
     • Recommend age and population-appropriate health screenings. 

Competency Domain 3: Effective communication

Graduates will be able to effectively communicate with patients, patient families, and other members of the healthcare team, demonstrating competence in understanding, interpreting, and relaying information. 

Competencies: 

1. Demonstrate a humanistic and socially sensitive approach to communication with patients/patient families.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Treat patients and families with respect.
     • Demonstrate concern for patients.
     • Remain professional during all patient interactions.

2. Communicate accurate medical information to patients/patient families in a way that is understandable, checking for full comprehension.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Utilize patient-appropriate language skills and terminology. 
     • Collaborate with language translators as needed. 
     • Demonstrate active and reflective listening during patient interactions.
     • Communicate using culturally sensitive methods. 
     • Involve patients in their medical plan.

3. Demonstrate ability to relay information to other members of the healthcare team. 
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Demonstrate active and reflective listening during colleague interactions.
     • Remain professional during all colleague interactions.
     • Present patient information accurately and concisely.
     • Create accurate medical documentation.

Competency Domain 4: Team-based practice

Graduates will collaborate with all members of the heath care team to provide optimal care for each patient. 

Competencies:

1. Actively contributes to the healthcare team, recognizing roles and responsibilities.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Practice within defined scope of practice. 
     • Works well with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
     • Demonstrates help-seeking behavior as needed.
     • Demonstrates initiative.

2. Refer patients to appropriate healthcare professionals and healthcare settings if indicated.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Recognize need for referral.
     • Demonstrates knowledge of health systems-based referral sources.

3. Advocates for patients through collaboration with the healthcare team. 
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Ensure the focus of the healthcare team is on the well-being of the patient.
     • Lobby for patients’ healthcare needs.

Competency Domain 5: Professional Practice

Graduates will demonstrate ethical, professional, and legal conduct for quality patient care.

Competencies: 

1. Apply medical ethical principles to decision making and patient interactions.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Make decisions grounded in sound ethical principles. 
   • Discuss ethical issues in a nonbiased manner. 

2. Exhibit integrity, accountability, and responsibility.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Demonstrate professionalism in the classroom and clinical environments. 
     • Demonstrate respect for the dignity of patients.
     • Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA.
     • Display professional appearance.
     • Demonstrate commitment to safety in the healthcare setting.

3. Recognize healthcare finance and resource management including health systems, insurance payers, billing, coding, and reimbursement.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Utilize health systems-based thinking. 
     • Utilize technology in healthcare. 
   • Formulate a patient-centered care plan in an organized fashion. 
   • Display knowledge of healthcare business and finance topics including coding and reimbursement. 
     • Exhibit an understanding of the regulatory process of professional practice.

4. Identify gaps in knowledge and implement strategies to continue the learning process for the purpose of improving the quality of patient care.
   • Essential Tasks/Skills:
     • Show interest and enthusiasm for learning.
     • Evaluates own progress and defines areas for improvement.
     • Understand the PA profession’s requirement for continuing education.