With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility: On the Frontier of APP Liability and Risk - 2026 APP Summit

As advanced practice providers (APPs) assume greater clinical autonomy, they are increasingly held directly accountable for patient outcomes, with growing exposure to malpractice, regulatory action, and institutional liability. This course examines emerging legal trends, real‑world case examples, and practical strategies to help APPs and healthcare teams understand risk, practice within appropriate scope, and strengthen safeguards that support safe, team‑based care.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Examine trends in APP liability, including malpractice, vicarious liability, and the shift toward APPs as independent defendants.
  • Evaluate the impact of expanding autonomy on accountability, team dynamics, patient safety, and institutional risk.
  • Analyze civil and criminal case studies to understand the human toll on both providers and patients.
  • Identify strategies to mitigate liability and navigate lawsuits, including transition-to-practice, competence guardrails, escalation culture, and practical steps for first-time defendants..
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AAPA Category I CME
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 Attendance
Course opens: 
03/16/2026
Course expires: 
03/16/2029

Presenter:    Benjamin Reynolds, PA-C - Chief Advanced Practice Officer, UPMC; Director, UPMC Office of Advanced Practice Providers; Co-Director, University of Pittsburgh Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education; Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical School


Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

No members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships with any companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.  

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT

The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.


image
In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician Assistant (AAPA)
The University of Pittsburgh has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credit. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Nursing (CNE)
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hour.

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AAPA Category I CME
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 Attendance
Please login or register to take this course.