Ribbon-Cutting at New Physician Assistant Program

Although HSU is a small school, it has always been ahead of its time. On Thursday, May 4, the Physician Assistant Program hosted its Open House, welcoming the HSU family and community members to explore its new location.

One of only nine PA programs in Texas and the first in Abilene, the school will fill a need in the Big Country.

The program included a ribbon-cutting by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Redcoats, a self-guided tour of the building, an appearance of the Six White Horses, and free food from two local food trucks.

President Bruntmyer opened the program, recognizing the HSU family, the PA school, Hendrick Medical Center, United Supermarkets, and elected officials in attendance.

“This is a family event,” Bruntmyer said. “It’s like coming home. When you go inside the building, you will feel like it is an extension of your house.”

Dr. Thomas Brisco, Provost and Chief Academic Advisor, introduced the new faculty members.

“We wanted to find top shelf people to found this program and make it the best program in the state of Texas,” he said.

The faculty includes six highly-qualified medical professionals. Director of Clinical Education, Clay Bulls, currently serves as a member of the Texas Physician Assistant Board after being appointed in 2015 by Governor Greg Abbott. The program’s Medical Director, Dr. Wesley Hamilton, served as Hendrick Hospital’s Medical Director of the Chest Pain Accreditation program and Assistant Medical Director of the Trauma Center. Associate Professor, Tina Butler, has served on the Board of Directors for the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants for the past 7 years, and is the current President Elect for TAPA.

Brisco dedicated the building “to the Lord and to the people who will serve Him as a result of this school.”

Dr. Chirstopher McNair, Dean of the Holland School of Sciences and Mathematics, shared his excitement to bring another professional health program to the Big Country. He also introduced the school’s first scholarship in memory of Dr. Gerry Bingham, Abilene’s first Physician Assistant.

The Physician Assistant Program Director, Dr. Jennifer Eames, said it was a dream come true to be at this point. She emphasized the importance of everyone who has contributed to the program, from enrollment, to marketing, to the president’s office.

The school has had many challenges: creating 21 new courses, considering over 3,000 student applications, and gaining accreditation. There has also been a national shortage of PA clinical rotation sites. However, the program has taken them all in stride. Program leaders have now secured almost 1,000 spots for clinicals, gained accreditation, and chosen their thirty students for the fall.

“Some of you may know the song that says ‘He split the sea so I could walk right through it.’ That’s what I feel like the Lord has done for this program,” Eames said.

 Dr. Eames reiterated the historical significance of this program as the first PA program in Texas to open in the last eighteen years and the only one in Texas affiliated with a small university. Dr. Eames is also the first woman PA program director.

“This is because Hardin-Simmons embraces diversity and empowers women,” Eames said.

The idea of a new PA school was conceived over six years ago, when a committee including Dr. Brisco, Dr. McNair, and University Chancellor and former president, Dr. Lanny Hall began exploring options for a new healthcare program that would best serve the Big Country.

After considering a dozen options, they decided to begin the process of creating a new Physician Assistant school. PAs have consistently been on lists of in-demand jobs. U.S. News and World Report named them the #3 best job in the United States, with a projected growth rate of 30%, and 28,700 new jobs.