Xavier College of Louisiana has achieved nationwide accreditation from the Accreditation Assessment Fee on Training for the Doctor Assistant for its Doctor Assistant Program. Its partnership with Ochsner Well being made the accreditation course of, which started in 2019, doable.
Since its inception, the PA program has graduated 108 college students, with roughly 48% taking positions with Ochsner Well being.
Varsha Castro Gusman, the founding program director and a Xavier alumna, oversees the PA program. With over 11 years of expertise as a working towards PA in neurocritical care at Ochsner, Gusman emphasizes this system’s significance in addressing neighborhood well being disparities.
“This can be a milestone celebration for each Xavier and Ochsner Well being,” says Gusman. “The legacy that we’ve created will tremendously affect the well being of the various communities that we serve. We’ve got the potential to diversify the PA career and make a direct affect by eliminating well being disparities in our communities. I firmly imagine that we are going to change into a nationwide chief within the development of PA training and change into one of many high PA applications within the nation.”
The PA curriculum consists of three semesters of rigorous classroom instruction, adopted by roughly 2,000 hours of scientific expertise by 11 rotations at Ochsner services.
“Xavier is dedicated to producing distinctive servant leaders who positively affect the communities they serve, and the total accreditation of its Doctor Assistant program is an instance of that dedication,” stated Dr. Marguerite Giguette, provost and senior vp of educational affairs of XULA. “Our college students are skilled to combat inequity and disparity, and we’re pleased with their progress as they stay out the college’s mission to advertise a extra simply and humane society.”
The Energy of Partnership
The PA program builds on a long-standing partnership with Ochsner, which started within the early Nineteen Eighties when the 2 establishments collaborated to reinforce academic experiences for pharmacy college students. This partnership has advanced and now consists of the creation of the Ochsner Well being and Xavier College Institute for Well being Fairness and Analysis and the upcoming Xavier Ochsner School of Drugs.
“The PA program is one other instance of how Xavier College of Louisiana and Ochsner are partnering to coach the following era of healthcare professionals who signify the communities they serve,” stated Dr. Leonardo Seoane, the founding dean of the Xavier Ochsner School of Drugs and senior vp and chief tutorial officer of Ochsner Well being System. In creating this program, we’re coaching a brand new cohort of doctor assistants who will apply domestically and all through the area with a deal with well being fairness and patient-centered care.
With this accreditation, Xavier turns into one in all solely 4 schools in Louisiana, two in New Orleans, and one in all seven Traditionally Black Faculties and Universities within the nation to supply a PA program.
