The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) approves and revises Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education, reviews applications for accreditation, appoints site visitors, awards accreditation, imposes sanctions and advises programs and institutions on accreditation issues. The governing body of the ARC-PA consists of representatives from seven participating health professional organizations. Since first adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1971, the Standards have been revised periodically. Originally called the Joint Review Committee (JRC) for Educational Programs for the Assistant to the Primary Care Physician, the ARC-PA made its recommendations to the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA), a national allied health-accrediting agency administered by the AMA. In 1994, the AMA helped the CAHEA to become an independent agency, known as the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). After six years of membership, the ARC-PA decided to withdraw from the CAAHEP to become a freestanding accrediting organization. This occurred on January 1, 2001.