Jump to content

Recommended Posts

It makes it sound like they didn't have a dean or assistant dean down here. Dean = Problems.

 

I thought Texas politics would put a break on this, and now I what I see is that in a year or so things will change and the Dean will say the school needs to move to Lubbock. = Texas Politics.

 

What the powers in Lubbock need is to figure a way to make the move more worthwhile to our politicos. Just watch.

 

Pack your bags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 87
  • Created
  • Last Reply

BY LINDSAY WEAVER lweaver@oaoa.com | Posted: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 5:08 pm

MIDLAND The question has been laid to rest over whether or not the Texas Tech physician assistant program will stay at Midland College: It most certainly will, Kent Hance said, the chancellor of Texas Tech University.

And not only will it stay in Midland, Hance foresees expanding the program twice as large over the next two years, he said by phone on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s the best thing to do,” Hance said. The options were weighed for the future of the program in Midland and the possible closing of the MC campus and moving it to Lubbock was never a serious consideration by Hance, he said. State Rep. Tom Craddick, who established the program that’s a joint venture between the university and local community college, was also adamant the PA program was staying in the Permian Basin.

Yet, on the same day, the president of TTU Health Sciences Center Tedd Mitchell said that decision is not final and is dependent on what “key stakeholders” have to say about solutions. Mitchell, who held a brief news conference on Wednesday, would not say if the 27-month physician assistant program will indeed remain on Midland College’s campus in a $3 million locally-funded building.

He said that Craddick, Hance and community members want the program to stay, “and that’s what we will try to do,” Mitchell said. Hance said Mitchell knows that the program is staying at MC.

“The decision has been made,” Craddick countered by phone following Mitchell’s news conference. Craddick said he did not know what Mitchell had said, but Craddick said several times that the decision to keep the program in Midland has been made.

Mitchell was in Midland on Wednesday from Lubbock to have lunch with “key stakeholders in the Midland and Odessa communities to talk about the PA program,” he said. Mitchell said specifics would be ironed out after Labor Day when those tied to TTU Health Sciences Center meet again.

During the conference, which was cancelled Tuesday for one-on-one interviews and then reinstated upon arrival by media to Midland College, Mitchell spoke for two minutes then said he had time for just one question. In all, the meeting was about four minutes long; meanwhile a police officer stood at the start of a hallway that led to where the stakeholders were meeting for a luncheon (the invitation for which was sent out Thursday).

All other Tech campuses have their own deans, except the PA program, which posed some challenges, Hance said. A dean will be moved to the campus soon to remedy those issues.

Craddick and Hance will work to secure additional funding for the program during the next legislative session, but many in the community — upon hearing that changes were ahead — have stepped up volunteering to help.

“The growth we’re seeing in the Permian Basin, we need more medical care in the area,” Hance said.

This has been the first announcement by TTU Health Sciences Center since last week when employees and students were called into meetings to discuss the physician assistant program’s move to Lubbock. Mitchell didn’t divulge details on the “challenges” the program is facing but did say the in part it’s tied to the difficult housing market in the Permian Basin.

Nothing will change in the meantime, classes will continue and students will still be admitted to the program, Mitchell said. Sixty students are admitted to the program each year, though when it first began 14 years ago, admission to the program was highly competitive with fewer than 20 students admitted to each class, while hundreds would apply. Physician assistants diagnose illnesses, write prescriptions and perform minor surgeries. The program takes 27 months of class and clinical versus seven years of medical school and residency to earn a doctor’s license. Those in the field typically earn about $75,000 a year on average. There are about 130 physician assistant programs in the U.S. and eight in Texas.

Across the board, from TTU Health Sciences Center faculty to Midland College employees, officials have declined to comment on the subject. Some students, as well, have said they were told not to speak to the media.

While employees and students of the physician assistant program have said they were told the program is moving to Lubbock and will close at MC’s campus, Mitchell denied that claim.

“They were told what the problems were,” Mitchell said. He said an announcement was made about the accreditation status, which was required. The program is also on probation currently by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, a two-year status. Hance said the issues that led to probation have been resolved and were corrected through management changes.

“Not that anyone questions rather they’re doing a good job. (The program) always got high remarks in that regard,” he said.

Craddick provided the political backing and support for the physician assistant program to start up in Midland, a process that began in 1997 as a joint venture between Midland College and TTU Health Sciences Center.

“It’s been extremely successful in creating medical personnel for Odessa and the Permian Basin, for rural areas that have difficulty finding a doctor,” Craddick said, saying he and others did not want to see it move away. He said finding doctors for small communities such as Rankin or Crane might be difficult but physician assistants can serve that need. “(They) can help the needs of the people in the community, that’s what it’s all about,” Craddick said from Austin where the 83rd Legislative special session continues.

The $3 million physician assistant building itself and nearby facilities are important not just to students and faculty but to the college and the city, Craddick said. A similar facility for those students does not exist in Lubbock, Craddick said. The state-of-the art, $3 million, 35,000-square-foot building was constructed in 2001 to house the program and at the time was the only free-standing building for a physician assistant program in the country.

“The building is a huge asset to any person in the medical-related career,” Craddick said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PA Program Here For Now, Answers To Why It Was Moving In The First Place 7/17/13

 

texastechpaprogram.jpg

Matt Rist

CBS 7 News

mrist@cbs7.com

July 17, 2013

 

MIDLAND-Midland’s Physician Assistant Program has been a flagship of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center since 1999.

 

But the school has been on probation for months and officials were told the program would move to Lubbock, sparking an outcry from the community. CBS 7 finally has some answers about why they want the move.

 

After weeks of rumors, a cancelled press conference, and a closed door meeting. It seems the fate of Midland’s PA Program is finally clear and that's it here to stay, at least for now.

 

Texas Tech was scheduled to hold a press conference today addressing why they are considering moving the pa program. Instead, President Tedd Mitchell spoke with a handful of media outlets this morning and did not confirm whether or not it would stay.

 

“Mr. Craddick is working with Chancellor Hance on working with the community on what we can get done to see that it happens,” said Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President Mitchell.

 

“So no solid answer on whether the program will stay?”

 

“That’s all I can tell you, what I just said,” said President Mitchell.

 

However, this afternoon both representative Tom Craddick and Texas Tech University Chancellor Kent Hance confirmed the program will in fact stay in the basin.

 

"The options were presented to the Board of Regents and they have chosen to leave it in Midland,” said Representative Tom Craddick. “It is going to stay in Midland.”

 

“We’re not going to be cutting back on our students, we are going to be increasing in the Permian Basin,” said Texas Tech University Chancellor Kent Hance.

 

We asked the President why they are even considering the move--he cites cost of living as one reason.

 

"Some challenges are purely economical like the cost of housing for our PA's here in the basin,” Mitchell said.

 

Mitchell also raised questions about the accreditation of the program--which is currently on probation with its sole accrediting body, the ARC-PA.

 

"It’s really a probationary deal,” said Midland County Commissioner Robin Donnelly. “They finally put the program on probation.”

 

A source close to the program told us the probation is a result of a lack of self-assessment by the programs former regional dean, Ed Maxwell.

 

Chancellor Hance says the probation was one reason why Texas Tech wanted to move the program.

 

"We wanted to make sure we had the correct management. We made a change there,” Hance said. “They didn't turn in some forms, didn't comply with some procedures. No mater how great your students perform, you must follow every aspect of accreditation."

 

Hance says they will be hiring an assistant dean to oversee the program.

 

Regardless of the challenges--leaders are happy it's staying.

 

"For quality of life and healthcare needs, I think it’s vital that we keep this program here,” said Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance President James Beauchamp

 

Donnelly tells us they will have to raise around 1 million dollars to provide housing stipends to students in light of the skyrocketing housing prices in the basin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[h=1]Announcement coming today on PA program[/h] Texas Tech program on MC’s campus may move to Lubbock

BY LINDSAY WEAVER lweaver@oaoa.com >> Contact Lindsay Weaver on twitter at @OAschools, on Facebook at OA Lindsay Weaver or call 432-333-7781. | Posted 2 days ago

Officials have mostly kept information under wraps but the question still remains: What will happen to the Texas Tech physician assistant training program located on Midland College’s campus?

Staff members and students in the 27-month program (established in 1999) that’s operated by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center using $3 million facilities at Midland College have said, though anonymously, that the physician assistant program is moving to the Texas Tech campus in Lubbock. The ramifications of this move are yet to be seen.

The only statement given by TTU Health Sciences Center came last week from Mary Croyle, the director of communications for the TTU Health Sciences Center.

“At this point, TTUHSC is exploring all options for the long term viability of the PA program,” she said via email.

A news conference scheduled this morning in Midland was canceled Tuesday and media instead is invited to interview one-on-one with officials today. Wednesday

On a Facebook page for first-year physician assistant students, some have said they would prefer going to school in Lubbock over Midland, while others did share concerns with the lack of information that had been released last week.

One student suggested to classmates to not add an Odessa American reporter as a Facebook friend because, “the last thing any of us want is to be dragged into (a professor’s) office Monday morning and asked, ‘So we had a report that you talked to the news/press…”

In 1997, Midland College secured an agreement with Texas Tech School of Allied Health to house the physician assistant program, and in 1999, the board of regents developed the program in Midland to provide education and access in rural regions of West Texas.

Currently about 60 students are admitted to the program each year, though when it first began 14 years ago, admission to the program was highly competitive with fewer than 20 students admitted to each class, while hundreds would apply.

Physician assistants diagnose illnesses, write prescriptions and perform minor surgeries. The program takes 27 months of class and clinical versus seven years of medical school and residency to earn a doctor’s license. Those in the field typically earn about $75,000 a year on average. There are about 130 physician assistant programs in the U.S. and eight in Texas.

A state-of-the art, $3 million, 35,000-square-foot building was constructed in 2001 to house the program and at the time was the only free-standing building for a PA program in the country. The funding came through private donations, with State Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland) backing the project. Craddick declined to comment until there’s been an official announcement.

PROGRAM ON PROBATION

The physician assistant program is on probation until its next validation review in March 2015, according to the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant via John McCarty, the executive director.

During a meeting in March, the program was placed on probation, though the reason for the two-year probation status was only described as “when a program does not meet the standards and when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened,” by McCarty.

McCarty referred specific questions to the program’s director Jim Jankowski who in turn asked that all questions about the physician assistant program go through point person Lindsay Johnson, the MC assistant dean for admissions and student affairs. Johnson did not return phone calls or an email.

Once a physician assistant program is placed on probation, if a program still fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, it may be scheduled for a focused site visit and/or risk having their accreditation withdrawn.

A program on probation must provide clear evidence of progress toward improving the program by its next review by the board, McCarty said.

Texas Tech does mention the probation status on its website under its frequently asked questions section, with the last question in the list (No. 16) asking: “Is the program currently accredited?”

The answer: “Yes, the TTUHSC PA Program is accredited — status probation, through the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant through March 2015.”

In an online forum for physician assistants, www.physicianassistantforum.com/forums, one thread on the topic of “Probation!!!” of the TTU Health Sciences Center program suggests a few reasons for the probation status, including an explanation given to students that it’s due to “consistent paperwork problems.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tech to develop plans to keep PA program in Midland

Meredith Moriak | Posted: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 12:45 pm

Together with community members, Texas Tech University will develop a plan to ensure the physician assistant program remains in Midland on the Midland College campus.

“Our Chancellor Kent Hance has been working very closely with Rep. Tom Craddick in the Midland community. They would like to absolutely have the program stay in Midland and what we’re going to be doing is we’re going to be seeking the input of our folks to see if we can get our challenges covered in a way that is the best for the students, as well as the community of Midland, as well as West Texas in general,” said Tedd Mitchell, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, during a press conference prior to a private luncheon Wednesday with key stakeholders from Midland and Odessa to address challenges surrounding the PA program.

The program’s March issuance of probationary accreditation status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant is one issue, Mitchell said.

“I want to make sure that our group, the folks that work with us, are the first ones to have discussions with me,” Mitchell said.

After Labor Day, Mitchell and Hance plan to meet with key stakeholders to hopefully eliminate the challenges.

“That’ll give everybody time to think through what some solutions may be for some of the challenges, some of which are quite frankly purely economical about the cost of living and the cost of housing and things in the Permian Basin in general,” Mitchell said, while declining to detail the specific challenges with media.

Mitchell said the PA program “has been one of the pillars of our health sciences center for providing health care providers in West Texas.”

“Our program out here is vital for providing West Texas with health care providers. It’s vital for us as a health care university and so it’s something we certainly are not going to let falter or fall to the wayside,” he said.

TTUHSC decided to evaluate all options for the long-term viability of the PA program after receiving its probationary status, Mitchell said.

Program faculty, staff and students were never told they were moving to Lubbock but told about the issues surrounding the program, Mitchell said.

“What I had told the dean (of Allied Health) early on was that we look at every option we have for it,” Mitchell said. “Mr. Craddick, Chancellor Hance want the program to stay in Midland, that’s what we’re working to try to do.”

Craddick considers the PA program an asset to the community and said he is thankful to Hance and Board of Regents Chairman Mickey Long for their time and efforts to resolve questions surrounding the PA program.

“Since its inception, the PA program has grown exponentially and successfully graduated health care professionals who serve West Texas and provide folks in rural areas greater access to health care,” Craddick said.

Regardless of any decisions made in the future, all current PA students will complete all program training in Midland, Mitchell said.

Midland Memorial Hospital President and CEO Russell Meyers was among those attending the private luncheon. TTUHSC would not provide details on how many attended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MIDLAND-- Questions are circling over the future of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center PA School at Midland College.

 

While there's been talk that the program is relocating to Lubbock, Representative Tom Craddick says it's staying put.

 

He issued us a statement saying, "I am elated to learn that the program will remain at Midland College and plans are being put into place that will ensure its continued success."

 

But TTUHSC President Tedd Mitchell says the decision is not set in stone.

 

"There have been a few challenges that I'll be addressing with some of our key stakeholders in a private luncheon that we're having, so that we can get their input on how best to address the issues moving forward," explained Mitchell.

 

Mitchell tells us that the university has kept their students and staff up to speed with the issues they're trying to overcome.

 

"These are things that we will work through," said Mitchell. "Our program out here is vital for providing West Texas with health care providers."

 

He also says at this point no one's been told that they might be moving to Lubbock.

 

In response to Representative Craddick, TTUHSC says they understand where he's coming from and will try their best to keep the PA program around.

 

"Mr. Craddick, Chancellor Hance want the program to stay in Midland," said Mitchell. "That's what we're working to try to do."

 

TTUHSC tells us they'll be meeting with their stakeholders through Labor Day to figure out what's best for the university.

 

Meanwhile, we're told the PA program at Midland College will continue on as usual until a decision is reached. - See more at: http://permianbasin360.com/fulltext?nxd_id=276212#sthash.yGlCHWvt.dpuf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Down here you see more Texan flags than American flags. Texas politics is just as local.

 

Another new day for an announcement sometime round labor day. Next time Tech will just make the decision and start the move and not make the mistake of letting a leak out and letting the Midland public get involved.

 

Pack your bags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since we obviously have trolls in this thread and reporters masquerading as students/potential students to try and get a story, I would definitely advise you ask any questions that interest you during your interview. I would just tell you to be suspicious of what you hear from the media. I know at least one of those reporters had flat out wrong information in her story that could have been checked by simply looking at the schools web page. She didn't change it until she took a look at some of the students comments. This tells me she worries less about journalistic integrity and how tell the truth and more about generating facts for a story that people will read. This is why we see so many of these aliases commenting on this thread that just registered in order to try and troll out information by spreading as much misinformation as they can. It isn't hard to tell who these people are by their just registered alias and by a quick look at their posts. You will find they all almost exclusively have Texas Tech posts and will usually start multiple threads to get people to tease information from people. My advice is to go to the source and ask detailed questions when and if you are selected for an interview, and only trust what you get from people that have been around the forum for a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OMG! Probation is a good thing! Then is Tech trying to get Double Secret Probation? So Tech clearly has their faculty clearly posting for public relations. Tell the forum how many fulltime faculty Tech had last interview season and how many faculty Tech has now. The media says they have to bring in an asst. Dean to handle problems. And those problems are? How much less marketable is a degree from a school on probation. I guess you'll say it is more marketable because they are on probation and improving! tech has come to its faculty posting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you indeed had a "sister" in the program you would know if there were any problems. I believe the press release said it had more to do with facilitating communication. As for faculty I believe that was already stated by wutthechris. Obviously your are a tool... of the media here trying to troll. I would suggest you start data mining your "sister" to get some of this information, since it so important for you to know. I would suggest you look at the web site and figure out which faculty is and is not new. Perhaps your "sister" would know, because she would know who "she" interviewed with and if they are not there. I know a number of Tech PA alumni still remember the names of everyone they interviewed with. I know you have never worked in health care mainly because you would know that your certification is what your employer is most concerned with. At the end of the day it doesn't matter where you got your degree from as long as you have the national certification and credentials at the end of the day. This may seem foreign because there is no national certification in something like journalism. A lawyer is a lawyer regardless if they attend the University of Texas or Baylor as long as they pass the Texas State Bar. As for faculty, I have no doubt there are 1 or 2 on this board somewhere. If you were truly interested in PA school and actually participated in this forum you would know that there are faculty from all kinds of different schools on this board, and they do read a lot of these forums. Unlike you I have been on this forum for a few years, and my past posts make it more than obvious I am not faculty. This is just another example of why people should do their homework before they accuse or spout rumor as fact, a "sister" as vetted sources, or shoddy journalism/research as the truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OMG! Probation is a good thing! Then is Tech trying to get Double Secret Probation? So Tech clearly has their faculty clearly posting for public relations. Tell the forum how many fulltime faculty Tech had last interview season and how many faculty Tech has now. The media says they have to bring in an asst. Dean to handle problems. And those problems are? How much less marketable is a degree from a school on probation. I guess you'll say it is more marketable because they are on probation and improving! tech has come to its faculty posting.

 

LOL not sure if srs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So last year they had 6 fulltime faculty AND a fulltime Director. Now they have 4 fulltime faculty and a Temporary Director. Just took a phone call to find out.

 

[h=1]Current PA students to finish coursework in Midland[/h] By Meredith Moriak | mmoriak@mrt.com | Posted: Friday, July 12, 2013 6:11 pm

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center students currently enrolled in the physician assistant program at Midland College will complete all coursework in Midland even if the program moves.

“No decision has been made and we’re still considering all options, but whatever they decide will not effect the students” currently in the program, said Mary Croyle, TTUHSC executive director of communications and marketing.

Earlier this week, Croyle announced TTUHSC is exploring all options for the long-term viability of the PA program, which was created as a partnership between Midland College and TTUHSC in 1997.

Details regarding the program’s future will be discussed at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday during a press conference with TTUHSC President Tedd Mitchell, Croyle said.

Speculation and rumors regarding the PA program’s possible move have concerned many PA students and families.

Concerned that his daughter, a first-year PA student, may have to uproot her life and live apart from her husband while attending school, Kevin Slater emailed Mitchell Thursday questioning whether the program was moving.

“While I certainly hope and pray that the news possibly embellished the story, it definitely sounded like the program was decisively moving to Lubbock and even worse – immediately. This would not be moving 60 students, as they stated on the news, this would be uprooting 60-plus families,” Slater wrote in his email, which he provided to the Reporter-Telegram.

While Mitchell’s reply —- “regardless of any action which may be taken in the future, any current student will spend the remainder of their classroom time in Midland” — ensured his daughter’s future, Slater said he still is concerned by the possibility of Midland losing the PA training program.

“I’d hate to see it go away and move somewhere else,” Slater said.

He speculates the Permian Basin’s housing shortage has created staffing problems for the PA program and is a driving factor for considering a move.

“I don’t understand how you take a program that has grown so much and has such a success rate and decide to move it. If it’s staffing problems, that’s unacceptable. We all have those (problems) right now, but we work through them. We don’t just move our businesses,” Slater said.

Croyle said PA students, staff and faculty members have not been told anything definitive regarding the program’s future home.

The 27-month intensive PA program is composed of 15 months of classroom instruction, scheduled for completion in August 2014, and 12 months of clinical rotations in areas such as Waco, El Paso, Abilene, Lubbock and Amarillo, Slater said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a little disappointed in you Passionatepaso. I can understand your wanting to make sure, but I believe if you look at wutthechris's post he did explain we were 3 faculty short and why they left. Nothing secret there, but at least you have confirmation that he was telling the truth. Why didn't you just ask your "sister" how many faculty there were. Also before you start to troll again, you might want to post an earlier news story. If you remember they had the press conference on the 17th clearing a lot of things up. No reason to post old stories with a lot of conjecture to try and confuse everyone. Remember that google is your friend......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shanny if you interview there post the responses to your questions. Start by telling us if it was easy to get a hotel. Have a drink of Midlandistan's water.

 

Neo it is because my sister withdrew. funny how Tech's faculty attacks the messenger and not the message. Talk about a stalker faculty. You're the faculty people are saying is having an affair? You're drinking to much of that saltwater. How man times have you had to post to try to protect Tech's rep? Why not just tell us the truth as this threaded was started as in Why was Tech put on probation?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to the Physician Assistant Forum! This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn More