I wrote this story on a very quick turnaround after the press conference revealing Milligan's new physician assistant program was announced less that an hour before. I wrote a report with the full details a few days later.
Milligan announced on Wednesday afternoon the beginning of a new master’s program in physician assistant studies. President Bill Greer unveiled the program before a crowd gathered in the Gregory Center lobby. The new program is set to begin in May 2017.
Greer cited an increased demand in the healthcare field as well as Milligan’s strong nursing and occupational therapy programs as reasons for beginning the new program.
Andrew Hull, a local physician assistant and 2001 graduate of Milligan, will be the director of the new program, Greer said. Hull will be working on creating the curriculum and obtaining accreditation.
Classrooms for the physician’s assistant, or PA, program will be located in the newly renovated science building and in classrooms soon to be renovated in the B.D. Phillips Building at Emmanuel.
Alan Levine, president and CEO of Mountain States Health Alliance, also spoke at the press conference. Greer thanked Mountain States for its support of the new program and Milligan’s other health-related programs.
Mountain States has provided financial support and advice for the new program. Levine also pledged to provide at least 20 clinical rotations for the program when it begins.
Last Wednesday, Milligan President Bill Greer announced the college would begin a new master of science degree in physician assistant studies starting in May 2017. The announcement was made before a crowd gathered in the Gregory Center.
Andrew Hull, a local physician assistant and 2001 Milligan graduate, was declared director of the program.
“It will be a 28 month program,” Hull said. “You have 15 months of a didactic phase where you’re in the classroom the whole time and 13 months of a clinical phase where you’re doing clinical rotations.”
Milligan began looking for areas to expand its degree offerings several years ago, Greer said. It began around the time he first became president.
Greer cited a great need in the health care field as well as Milligan’s strong nursing and occupational therapy programs as reasons for starting the new program.
“The bureau of labor statistics has projected that there will be a 38 percent increase in the number of physician assistant jobs between now and 2022,” Greer said.
“It was probably about two to three years ago that we seriously began the harder work of putting together the feasibility committee and so forth,” Greer said.
Hull was part of that feasibility committee that worked out the initial plans to start the physician assistant program.
Before the program begins next summer, space will be renovated in Emmanuel’s B.D. Phillips building in preparation for new classrooms. Additional classes will be held in the newly renovated science building.
The next steps for Hull will be designing the program’s curriculum and obtaining accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.
Greer also thanked Mountain States Health Alliance for their advice and financial support of the new program as well as Milligan’s current health care related programs.
The classrooms used for the program will be named after Mountain States.
Alan Levine, president and CEO of Mountain States Health Alliance, also pledged to provide 20 clinical rotations when the program begins.
Greer expects to have about 60 students in the program with around 25 graduates each year.
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