Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  Board of Registration in Medicine
  560 Harrison Avenue, Suite G-4
  Boston, MA 02118
  (617) 654-9800
  (617) 423-5604 TTY

  Hours M-F; 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.


  Internet Explorer
  Netscape
  Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
  PowerPoint Viewer (PPT)

The function of Patient Care Assessment (PCA) at the Board of Medicine is the oversight of institutional systems of quality assurance, risk management, peer review, utilization review and credentialing, known collectively as a "PCA Program." The systems comprising a health care facility’s PCA program must be overseen by both physician and corporate leadership and must actively involve all health care providers and most employees at the institution.

The Board’s PCA function was mandated by the Medical Malpractice Reform Act of 1986. The key provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws dealing with the Board’s oversight of institutional quality assurance are M.G.L. c. 111, § 203(d) and M.G.L. c. 112, § 5. These statutes include the requirements that participation in PCA programs is a condition of both hospital and physician licensure.

Following the enactment of these statutes, the Board promulgated regulations to carry out its legal mandate of overseeing institutional quality assurance. These regulations, known as the PCA Regulations and found at 243 CMR 3.00, specify in detail the requirements broadly set out in the 1986 legislation. The regulations apply to all health care facilities, ranging from hospitals to HMOs to physicians’ office settings, and include the requirement that physicians licensed in Massachusetts may not provide patient care at facilities without PCA programs.

The PCA function is unique among the nation’s state licensing boards. The Board’s PCA activities differ from its other more traditional functions. The PCA Committee is not punitive or adversarial in nature; it does not discipline physicians or regulate their licensure. While its ultimate responsibility is protection of the public, the Board’s PCA Committee tries to be collaborative and educational when working with health care facilities. The PCA Committee’s purpose is to ensure that each health care facility does its job to assure quality; to accomplish that end, it attempts to work collegially with facilities.

The PCA Committee and Division are also unique in the confidential nature of their activities. Soon after the inception of the PCA function at the Board, the legislature passed a statute that afforded PCA information a high level of legal protection from disclosure (M.G.L. c. 111, § 205). The statute provides that PCA information is confidential and not subject to subpoena, discovery or introduction into evidence.

Facility PCA coordinators may use the link below to prepare a Safety & Quality Review for submission to the PCA Division at the Board. For your convenience, you may fill out the form as a PDF, then print it, sign it, and mail it to PCA.