Which statement about the Child Health Associate Program is true?

• A. It was the first to gain prescriptive authority nationwide.
• B. It was established in Utah.
• C. It was the first program to offer a master's degree for PAs.
• D. It is the accrediting body for PA education.

Answer: (C)

This item focuses on a milestone in physician assistant education: which program first offered a master’s degree for PAs. The statement about the Child Health Associate Program being the first to offer a master’s degree captures a turning point in professional education, signaling a shift from bachelor-level training to graduate-level preparation for PAs. This move helped standardize education, elevate the profession’s standing, and align PA training with broader healthcare education trends that emphasize advanced, graduate-level competencies.

Prescriptive authority is determined by state laws and boards, not by a single program, so claiming nationwide prescriptive authority rights belongs to a different aspect of PA practice. The idea that the program was established in Utah is not accurate to the historical record. And the accrediting body for PA education is ARC-PA, not the Child Health Associate Program, which is a program, not an accrediting organization.