The class of 2011 is the first class to graduate from Bethel University’s Physician Assistant Program since receiving accreditation from ARC-PA in 2008. They took part in the commencement ceremonies

on the main campus which were held on Saturday, May 7th 2011.

Front Row, Left to Right: Joyce Addo, Kelly Napier, Claudette Bryant, Samantha Davidson, Jyothsna

Challa, Amber King

Middle Row, Left to Right: Daniel Clements, Josh Austin, Heather Brown, Brent Smoyer, Tyler Hatch-

ell, Jessica Rains

Back Row, Left to Right: Jerry Smith, Martin Hamlin, Zac Johnson, Brad Robbins, Greg Hollis, Rustin

Cameron

B E T H E L U N I V E R S I T Y P H Y S I C I A N A S S I S T A N T P R O G R A M

Class of 2011

Save—The—Date

Training: Understanding Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma

Date: October 13, 2011

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Place: Four Rivers Behavioral Health Center in Paducah Kentucky

Presenters: Kim Wenz-Sherrill, LCSW

Johnna Tanner, MSPAS, PA-C

Sponsored by: Four Rivers Behavioral Health

Bethel University Physician Assistant Program

Tennessee Primary Care Association Conference

The TNPCA Conference was held in Memphis, Tennessee from Wednesday, August 17th to Friday, August 19th. Johnna Tanner, Program Director, and Sandy Atwill, Clinical Site Re-cruited, were in attendance for the three day event. Mrs. Tanner and Mrs. Atwill made sig-nificant contacts during the conference and helped to educate some of the attendees on the

educational training of the PA and what the PA is able to do once they are out of school.

The role of the PA is a misunderstood one and to educate people is a step that we should all take. The more people out educating the public on the role of a PA, the better reception the

PA will receive while in practice.

From the Director’s Desk

The PA Program has now officially joined the Bethel University College of Health Scienc-es. This move will allow the Program to grow and establish a relationship with the new and developing health science programs here at Bethel. Imagine, being to draw upon the talents of multiple health care providers in educating our students. The single most important as-pect of this move is the ability to provide intra-disciplinary education. This seems to be an age of “professional snobbery”, when the letters behind your name are more important that taking care of the patient. We hope that by being a part of this larger organization of health

care providers we can focus our energy on the patient and quality care.

Take Care and God Bless.

Johnna Tanner, PA-C

Crowds of students, faculty, staff, trustees and community members gathered on Bethel’s McKenzie campus on Aug. 19 for the ribbon cutting for the school's newly erected Vera Low Center for Student Enrichment. The building was named to honor Dr. Vera Low of Springfield, Mo., a long-time supporter of Bethel University and of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with which Beth-

el is affiliated.

Today we see this beautiful new building. What Ms. Vera sees is a building that provides opportunities for our students. This building is going to provide a place where students' bodies will be nourished. But more importantly, it’s providing a

place for fellowship that will feed their souls.”

AAPA Conference

Johnna Tanner, PA Program Director and Danna , Second Year Student, traveled to Las Vegas to attend IMPACT 2011- AAPA’s Annual Conference where they served as delegates for the state of Tennessee and Student Acad-emy in the House of Delegates. The HOD consists of PAs and PA students from across the country meeting annually to discuss bylaws, policies and

procedures of the AAPA.

During the conference, they participated in reference committee hearings, voted on proposed resolutions, and had the opportunity to attend various

CME lectures.

The Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) is pleased to announce the election of Johnna Tanner, PA-C, to the position of president. Mrs. Tanner currently works as the program

director for the Physician Assistant Program at Bethel University.

Incorporated in 1977, TAPA is a non-profit organization representing the interests of PAs across the state. With more than 1,200 PAs licensed to practice in Tennessee, TAPA promotes the highest quality of patient care through professional development, continuing medical educa-

tion and legislative advocacy. For more information, visit www.tnpa.com.

A graduate of Bethel University, Tanner has been a practicing physician assistant (PA) since 2006. She has been a member of TAPA since 2004, joining as a student while enrolled in her graduate program. Tanner brings many leadership skills to this position, previously serving as TAPA vice-president. In addition to serving in administration at Bethel University, she is a practicing dermatology PA, and member of the National Guard. Her goal is to train students to provide quality, competent and compassionate medical care, just as she delivers every day. While serving as the President of the Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants, Mrs. Tanner hopes to bring about increased awareness of the care provided by PAs that is both cost-effective and of the highest quality. Mrs. Tanner is married to Chris Tanner, who serves as the CME Co-

ordinator for Bethel University and they have one son, Cole. They reside in McKenzie.

TAPA News

Featured Faculty Member - Kerri Smith, PA-C

Kerri Smith, PA-C, AT-C is our featured faculty member this semester. Mrs. Smith obtained

her undergraduate degree in Athletic Training from the University of

Southern Mississippi. She then perused her Master’s of Science in Phy-

sician Assistant studies from Bethel and graduated in 2004. Since

Graduation, Kerri has been working in Orthopaedics at Henry County

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine in Paris, TN. She became

involved with the program in 2009 where she taught orthopaedics in

Clinical Medicine and has been full time faculty since December 2010.

She is the professor of Clinical Skills during the didactic year and also

works on a PRN basis in the student health clinic.

Kerri is married with two children. She enjoys spending time with her

family. She continues to work in Orthopaedics one day a week and pro-

vides Athletic Training services to the Central High School Football

team in Bruceton TN.

Mrs. Smith is a member of AAPA, NATA, and serves on the admission committee and Kasi-

nina’s Hope at the Program. Kerri helps out during the clinical year by helping with site visits

and by meeting with her advisees during their rotations.

This years spring retreat was held on Thursday, May 26th at the

program. Topics of discussion were as follows:

1. Review of UNC Educational Webinar

2. Review/Finalize Response to ARC-PA

3. Analyze data from Orientation Survey

4. Analyze data from Graduate Survey

5. Review Comparison Tables from:

Standards: Objectives

Competencies: Objectives

PANCE Blueprint: Objectives

Review ePackrat data from previous year

Review data from preceptors, clinical sites, instructors,

and course evaluations

Review remediation, attrition, and deceleration data

Review PANCE data report

6. Discuss current issues—exam master, intra-professional instruc-

tion, and public health instruction.

Spring Faculty Retreat

Community Council Meeting

The community council meeting was held on Tuesday, August 16th in the PA program classroom. There were 12 community council members present and the topic of discus-sion was the College of Health Sciences & New Programs. The College of Health Sci-ences (CHS) was announced as being formed with the PA program being the 1st program of the College. Since the CHS is a new endeavor, each table was given information re-

garding different medical specialties to discuss for possible programs to add to CHS.

Some of the recommendations made by the round table discussions were: Radiology Techs; Paramedics/EMTs; and a big need for Med Techs. Other fields included Critical Care, OTs, PTs, and Clinical Social Workers. If you have any suggestions for a program,

please contact Mrs. Tanner at tannerj@bethelu.edu

Members present at the meeting were: Darrell Blaylock, Susan Breeden, Charlene Jones, Dr. Dorothy Black, Brian Bradberry, J.R. Allison, MD, Tyler Cassidy, Joseph Hames, MD, Rev. Anne Hames, Janet Peeler, and Johnna Tanner. Thank you to all members for

participating in this discussion.

“Analysis indicates

that the total number

of healthcare hours

may be predictive of

number of remedia-

tion exams.”

With growth comes change and there is a lot of growth at the PA Program. The addition

of three new employees to the program has been announced. J.R. Allison, MD will be

the main instructor for radiology during the didactic phase of the program. Laura Coz-

zitorto, PA-C is a welcome addition to the clinical year team. Laura will be helping with

the development of tests, student advising, student logging, and site recruitment as need-

ed. Stephanie Watkins has been added to the BUPAP team as well as the academic coor-

dinator. Stephanie works one on one with Mrs. Ferdinand-Jacob to ensure the student’s

first year runs smoothly. Welcome to all of you!

As well as adding new employees, a few “old” employees have received new titles.

Sandy Atwill, former admissions director, has moved to the clinical department and has

been hired to recruit clinical sites. Sandy travels to different towns usually within 150

miles of the program obtaining clinical sites for the second year students. Sandy is now

located upstairs in the clinical department. Kimberly Hammonds, former academic coor-

dinator, has moved into the position of admissions director. Kim handles the admissions

department and all that that in tales and is now located in Sandy’s old office downstairs.

Welcome to your new positions ladies and best of luck to you in them!

Changes at BUPAP

Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain

constant.

RHAT

On August 25th the PA Program sponsored the regional meeting for the Rural Health Association of Tennes-see. About 100 healthcare providers from across the state participated in this event. It was an opportunity for us to educate other providers about the PA role in primary and rural health care. The event was a great success and established a relationship between our two organizations that will help keep the spotlight on the

healthcare needs in rural Tennessee.

About the Rural Health Association of TN

The Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHAT) is a not-for-profit organization of over 900 individuals and organizations representing a diverse statewide membership consisting of individuals and organizations committed to improve the health of all rural Tennesseans. The Association provides leadership on rural issues

through advocacy, communication, education, and legislation.

Academic Year News

Pictured left is Dustin Bates, first year student, being sworn in to the Air Force. Mr. Bates was officially sworn in on March 11th, 2010 in Nashville, TN as a Second Lieutenant for the United States Air Force. While in school Dustin will be on Reserved Active Duty and then after graduation and Officer Training,

he will be on Active Duty.

Congratulations Dustin and best of luck!

Physical Exam Day

It’s that time of year again and the first year students were well prepared for physical exam day. As al-

ways, the Bethel family pulled together and volunteers filled the classroom at the PA Program. Students

performed history and physical exams on all volunteers as well as having to complete a SOAP note con-

cerning the exam. The students are graded on the actual performance of the history and physical, interac-

tion with the volunteer, and ability to type up the encounter and present it to their professor.

This exercise is sometimes the students first encounter with a live patient. This helps to prepare the stu-

dents before they begin their clinical rotations so that they are comfortable examining patients in a clinical

setting. Most students enter the program with healthcare experience but sometimes that experience is in a

hospital pharmacy or other setting where they do not actually exam patients. Students also have shadow-

ing hours as well but they are just what they say they are, shadowing. The student is allowed to observe

the practitioner with the patient, not touch the patient. Although it is important for students to have shad-

owing and healthcare experience when entering the program, it is imperative that they receive training on

actually touching and communicating with patients during their first year of training.

Two Semesters Down, One To Go!

Thirty three first year students have successfully completed the first two semesters of the didactic portion of the program. Upon successful completion of the third semester, students will begin their clinical rota-tions. Students in the didactic year of the program complete 80 credit hours in three semesters averaging approximately 27 credit hours per semester. Students are in the classroom Monday thru Friday beginning at 9:00am every morning. They average four to five tests per week not including quizzes or clinical skills

check-offs.

To say that PA students eat, sleep, and dream PA school is not an understatement. These students give up their families, their social life, and pretty much everything else just to survive PA school. To quote a for-mer student of ours, PA school was described as trying to drink water from a fire hydrant! You take in a

much as you can, as fast as you can, for as long as you can.

Clinical Year News

The second year students are working hard and at the time of your reading, have completed six of their

ten mandatory rotations. Everyone has completed family medicine I and II, emergency medicine, inter-

nal medicine, and general surgery. All students have completed one of the three rotations scheduled in

their fall semester. The current rotations are broken down so that a third of the students are either rotat-

ing in women’s health, mental health, or pediatrics at any one time. Once these three rotations are com-

plete, two elective rotations, the business of medicine course, and the senior summative are left to be

completed in order to graduate.

Second year students are in clinical training 30 to 50 hours per week. Upon graduation, students will

have in excess of 2000 clinical hours of training. In addition to the hours spent with their preceptors,

students are required to log patient hours, stay in touch with their assigned advisor, and take exams. No

doubt, students are just as busy in their clinical year as they were during their academic year.

Students complete their clinical rotations usually within 150 miles of the program. They are currently

completing rotations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Indiana. We are always in need of clini-

cal sites and we hope to obtain more as our graduates get out and begin working.

Clinical Year Preceptors Needed

We have 33 students beginning their clinical rotations this spring. The program will be increasing the incoming class size from 36 to 50 students. Due to the increased number, the program is in a greater need than ever for clinical preceptors. The goal of the clinical department is to have good clinical sites for all of our students. You can help with this by becoming a preceptor. By becoming a preceptor, you can help ensure that our students will receive a good learning experience with some-one who is truly concerned about teaching and making sure these future providers receive appropri-

ate training. As a preceptor, you will receive Category 2 CMEs.

To find out more about becoming a preceptor, contact Patrick Cafferty at caffertyp@bethelu.edu,

Misty Jez at jezm@bethelu.edu or Sandy Atwill at atwills@bethelu.edu.

Class of 2011 PANCE Results

The results are in! Our first class of graduates under our new program have grad-uated and have taken their boards. We had 18 students graduate and 17 passed their PANCE on the first try. That made our first time pass rate 94%. The national average this year is 93%. This is the first time the PA Program has ever met na-tional average! I think this speaks volumes for the program director, everyone

working at the Program, and the graduates.

The PANCE is the licensure test all PA graduates must take in order to become certified. That is where the C comes from in PA-C. We provide our students with a summative review just prior to graduation to better prepare them for their boards. The summative, which is spearheaded by Brad Dirks, PA-C, is a six week review designed to evaluate knowledge base, clinical skills, and the ability to ap-ply them in clinically relevant simulations. The summative has eight parts: per-sonal portfolio, OSCE, practical skills check-offs, cumulative final exam, individ-ual student conference with the promotions, retention, disciplinary committee, oral and case presentations, an Evidence Based Medicine Lecture Series, and a

PANCE review.

When asked what the PANCE was like, one of our graduates said, “It was like the

summative only on steroids and angry!”Great quote Amber!!

Student Society News

The student society has decided to sponsor the Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation/Cole

Tanner and Kaisinina’s Hope by having fundraisers. Please mark your calendar for the 5K and take

time to be a part of this great event.

5K Run for NBIA/Cole Tanner - November 5th (more details to come!)

Kaisinina’s Hope—Stephen Granberry and Anna Beasley have been elected to represent our class.

The student society held two car washes this summer for the NBIA/Cole Tanner and raised $388.00.

Great job! Thank you to every who participated in the car wash.

The class has also begun working on the design for this years class t-shirt. Each year the different clas-

ses come up with their own designs and have t-shirts made.

Kasinina’s Hope is an organization that has been established to assist children in need. The organiza-

tion was established by Gwen Ferdinand-Jacob, PA-C. Please read Gwen’s story below.

Let me tell you a story of hope and faith in the midst of tragedy, that has touched my heart and I know will touch yours as well. I had the opportunity to meet a special child during my recent visit to

Dominica. We met at a church that she visited for the first time. Her name is Kasiann.

Kasiann is eleven years old and lives in the village of Castle Bruce, Dominica, West Indies. At the age of four, Kasiann was caught in a malicious trap intentionally set for her father. Her left leg was severely crushed and required emergency amputation just below the knee. Now, Kasiann hops or uses an old crutch that her family has modified to assist in ambulation. At times, she has to drag herself on

the ground. She attends elementary school on the island.

During my visit, I was reluctant to attend services because of the extreme heat, but I must say that divine intervention prevailed and I went to church that Sunday morning. There, I met Kasiann. Her relatives had traveled many miles to bring Kasiann to this church for prayers. I was moved by her story and immediately embarked on a mission to get her a prostheses, with the hope of changing her

life. The task seemed daunting at first, but the Lord provided the much needed guidance.

With the help of the Physician Assistant Program at Bethel University, an organization was formed in July, 2011 to assist children like Kasiann. It is named in honor of Kasiann and my mother, Nina, who passed away on April 10, 2011 with the hope that we would make a difference in this child’s life and the lives of others like her. There are many Kasianns in our world, and we hope to change lives one

person at a time!

Since the inception of Kasinina’s Hope, we have secured donated prosthetics and medical care for Kasiann. Thanks to the Jordan Thomas Foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she will travel from the island of Dominica to Tennessee every 12 to 18 months until the age of 18 for prosthetic changes. The following providers, who work closely with the Physician Assistant Program, have also donated their time and services to make this dream a reality: Dr. Eugene Gulish, Orthopedic Surgeon, Henry County Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, Paris, TN; Dr. Debra Selby, Pediatrician, Paris Pediatrics, Paris, TN; Debbie W. Jelks, Physical Therapist, Pediatric Certified Specialist, HCMC Rehabilitation Services, Paris, TN; and Scott Moore, Prosthetist, Bulow Biotech Prosthetics,

Memphis, TN.

Dr. Michael McGhee of Psychiatric Consultants of Tennessee, Clarksville, TN and Dr. Joseph Hames, Medical Director of Bethel University’s Physician Assistant Program, are co-sponsoring this mission with me. We are now in the process of applying for a medical Visa for Kasiann. If we can help one then we can help thousands. I firmly believe that God has a plan, and I am so blessed to be a

part of it. You can help! Contact us to see how. Thank you.

Gwen Ferdinand-Jacob

ferdinand-jacobg@bethelu.edu

Kasinina’s Hope

New CME Training Center

New Program Announcement-

A first of its kind program has been added to the College of Health Scienc-es, the Bethel University CME Regional Training Center. We established this program because we recognized that there were unmet educational needs of healthcare providers in our rural area. All healthcare professionals should be able to participate in CME lectures and complete certifications such as BLS, ACLS, PALS, PhTLS and others without having to travel far away and at a reasonable rate. These are the services that will be provided right here in our area. Even better, the coordinator can come to your city or clinic and offer these courses as well. So, if you want to know more, con-

tact our coordinator, Chris Tanner, RN at tannerc@bethelu.edu.

After the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new student center, a dinner was provided to the board of trustees, employees of Bethel University, and the general public to help promote the newly established organiza-tion. Gwen Ferdinand-Jacob, academic director of the PA Program at Bethel, began the organization after meeting a special child in need dur-

ing a trip to Dominica.

Gwen and her daughter are seen here, pictured with President Bob Prosser, in full Dominica attire. The outfits are traditional dress for Do-minican women. You can find more information about Kasinina’s Hope

in this newsletter.

Dinner for Kasinina’s Hope

Bethel University Announces College of Health Sciences

Bethel University is proud to announce they have began the College of Health Sciences. The current-ly existing physician assistant program at Bethel is the first program to be accepted into the college. Although we are in the early stages of the new college, there is enormous amounts of planning going into the development of new programs. Many different healthcare programs are being considered. Included in the College of Health Sciences is the Student Health Clinic and the Sports Medicine Pro-gram. Having all these programs under one umbrella will provide consistent quality healthcare educa-

tion and services.

Steve Prosser has been announced as the Vice President of the College of Health Sciences. Johnna Tanner, PA Program Director, is assisting with new program development at this time and will be an integral part of the development of the college. Steve and Johnna have worked endless hours on mak-

ing the college of health sciences a reality.

B e t h e l U n i v e r s i t y P h y s i c i a n A s s i s t a n t P r o g r a m 3 2 5 C h e r r y A v e n u e , B o x 3 2 9 M c K e n z i e , T N 3 8 2 0 1