The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) announced plans to launch a pulmonary education and certification program for advanced practice providers (APPs). This would be the first program of its kind geared toward nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants/associates (PAs).
“APPs are increasingly important members of pulmonary care teams, helping practices expand capacity, maintain continuity of care and meet the needs of patients with complex respiratory disease,” said Frank Leone, MD, MS, FCCP, in a CHEST press release.
“As that role continues to grow, physicians need confidence that the clinicians working alongside them have a strong foundation in pulmonary medicine. A standardized educational pathway paired with a certification process can help establish that shared foundation, support more consistent onboarding and strengthen the entire pulmonary team,” said Dr. Leone, who is a member of the Pulmonary APP Steering Committee and a professor of medicine at Penn Medicine.
The decision to develop the CHEST Pulmonary APP Certification Program came from an initiative to ascertain the current state of pulmonary medicine and the needs of APPs, in particular. CHEST surveyed 266 qualified pulmonary APPs and 116 physicians across the country. The steering committee also completed stakeholder interviews and consultations and evaluated workforce and market analyses.
The comprehensive results demonstrated strong interest in pulmonary education and a need for a structured program with a formal competency requirement, CHEST said.
“The discovery findings confirm what many pulmonary APPs experience every day: There is a need for a recognized pathway that both strengthens our knowledge and validates the benefit we bring to patient care,” said Corinne Young, MSN, FNP-C, FCCP, a member of the Pulmonary APP Steering Committee. “A pulmonary credential provides an opportunity for APPs to demonstrate their specialized knowledge in a meaningful, standardized way. That recognition matters to APPs, to the physicians and health systems we work alongside and, ultimately, to the patients who rely on us.”
The CHEST Pulmonary APP Certification Program will include education modules based on job task analysis to identify the knowledge, skills, tasks and decision-making required for APPs practicing pulmonary medicine. Participants will have to pass a competency exam and follow eligibility and maintenance requirements. Pulmonary APPs, physicians, healthcare organizations and other stakeholders will be involved in developing the program.
CHEST said the pulmonary program will mirror the inaugural Critical Care APP (CCAPP) Certification it launched in 2025. In the first year of this program, CHEST said more than 300 APPs earned the CCAPP credential, demonstrating a high demand for specialty-specific professional development and recognition for APPs.
This program and additional resources for NPs, PAs and other APPs are available on the CHEST website.
