Moves & Milestones: November 2019

LMU PA Program Gets New Home

After being administratively housed in the medical school for more than 10 years, the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) PA program can now be found in the newly created School of Medical Sciences (SMS).

LMU’s Board of Trustees has recognized the evolving role of the PA profession with the creation of the SMS, which will house both the current PA program in Harrogate, Tennessee, and the developing PA program in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as the Doctor of Medical Science program and others in the future. In addition to the creation of the SMS, the Board also felt it was important that the SMS’ leadership be a PA as well, and Mark Moran, DMS, PA-C, is now serving as its vice president and dean — a position that has given the programs direct access to the university’s president and other institutional resources. 

“I believe this is a relatively novel configuration and is in-step with the ideals of OTP at the educational level,” said Rex Hobbs, DMS, MPAS, PA-C, the SMS’ associate dean for academic affairs and a professor in the PA program. “Even in such a short time, we have seen the benefits of this organizational structure and belief it can be a templar for other PA programs to ensure that the needs of PA faculty and students are met to the fullest degree possible.”