Author: w754p699@wichita.edu

The Physician Associate Program is celebrating PA Week Oct. 6-12. Events for the week include presentations from the Kansas Academy of Physician Associates, American Academy of Physician Associates and University President Richard Muma, along with an ice cream social and fun themed days in class.

Along with being the first and longest running PA program in the state of Kansas, the PA program is also celebrating recent achievements including:

• Establishing the Behavioral Health Physician Associate Fellowship in partnership with Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. The second fellowship cohort began this week and will receive specialized training in Behavioral Health over 13 months.
• Development of rural hubs at Clara Barton Hospital and Southwest Medical Center. These rural hubs allow students to complete multiple rotations at each site, letting students build relationships with the sites and communities and supporting the program guiding principle of encouraging healthcare for rural, underserved and diverse populations. Rural hub development has been generously supported by the Patterson Family Foundation.
• Distribution of over $175,000 in scholarships and 300 textbooks and reference guides to decrease student financial burden.
• Interviews for the class of 2029 will begin next month with an impressive 1,127 applicants.

The Wichita State physician associate program is proud to announce that the class of 2025 has achieved a 100% PANCE (Physician Associate National Certifying Examination) pass rate. This is well above the current national pass rate for first time takers of 93%.

Congratulations to the class of 2025, and the program would like to thank its preceptors, guest speakers, Dean Gregory Hand and President Rick Muma for their outstanding support of the students.

During his first clinical rotation, physician associate student Jack Ellzey headed west to Leoti, Kansas. There he got a truly rural Kansas experience.

“In a county of 2000, you are the one-stop shop for everything medical-related. One minute you are finishing your day in the clinic, then you are working a shift at the county fair food shack that evening, before helping EMS during the rodeo. The emergency department consists of one provider, one room, and two beds- yet handles everything from lacerations to multi-system traumas. This rotation confirmed to me why I chose medicine: the privilege of learning through real responsibility, communicating with patients on my own in a meaningful way, and the teamwork aspect that makes everything work. I will be forever grateful to Leoti for the knowledge and experiences they instilled in me, demonstrating that a location on a map does not diminish the level of care that patients deserve.”

Dr. Stephen Lewia, assistant professor and director of Clinical Education for the Physician Associate (PA) program, has been appointed as the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) liaison to the American Medical Association (AMA), one of the largest organizations representing physicians in the United States. In this role, he will advocate for PAs and their patients while working to strengthen relationships with physician colleagues. Having PAs represented within the AMA helps ensure that policies and discussions reflect the realities of team-based care and the essential role PAs play in meeting patient needs.

Dr. Lewia brings years of national leadership experience, having served as director at Large on the AAPA Board of Directors and as chair of AAPA’s Government Relations and Practice Advancement Commission. Drawing on this experience and his strong commitment to advancing the PA profession, Dr. Lewia aims to foster understanding, build collaborative partnerships, and help shape the profession’s future. This appointment is for a two-year term, with the possibility of extension to four years.

Wichita State Physician Associate student Chad Izzo (class of 2025) has been selected as one of five inaugural Michael Powe Leadership in Advocacy Scholarship award winners from the American Academy of Physician Associates.

Recipients were selected for their commitment to advocacy for the PA profession, while maintaining academic excellence and demonstrating leadership. Chad is an active member of the Kansas Academy of PAs (KAPA) and is a flight paramedic with the Kansas Army National Guard.