Miami Physician Associate Studies program earns honor from ORHA
Award given for focus on serving rural communities
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Published
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Miami University's Physician Associate Studies program recently earned a Rural Health Champion Quarterly Award from the Ohio Rural Health Association.
Miami Physician Associate Studies program earns honor from ORHA
•
Published
•
Miami University’s Physician Associate (PA) Studies program has ambitious goals when it comes to serving Ohio’s rural communities.
The program has taken active steps in an effort to create compassionate, dynamic, and well-rounded clinicians with an interest in rural medicine — and the Ohio Rural Health Association (ORHA) has taken notice.
Miami’s PA program recently received a Rural Health Champion Quarterly Award from ORHA, becoming the first program to receive the new honor. The 27-month PA Studies program at Miami began in May 2023.
Christopher Howell, the PA program director and associate professor of Biomedical Science, said the curriculum is geared toward serving rural families, not just from a medical standpoint but also in regard to socioeconomic conditions and partnerships with rural advocates .
“We definitely put that at the heart of our program,” Howell said. “Unless you focus on rural communities with intention, they will be forgotten.
“We are recruiting students from the heart of these communities who have the desire to go back and serve these families.”
Lectures and discussions in Miami’s PA program focus on the challenges of rural medicine and the unique spectrum of medical problems, along with addressing needs with stewardship and responsibility in serving these patients.
As part of their focus on rural medicine, students also create a poster presentation for community awareness and engagement, as well as education in clinical research, with an emphasis on the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) and bioethics.
“We are thrilled to recognize Miami University Physician Associate Studies Program as our quarterly Rural Health Champion,” said Rosanna Scott, ORHA’s executive director. “Their unwavering commitment to improving access to quality healthcare in Ohio’s rural communities, coupled with their innovative research and training programs, truly embodies the spirit of what the Ohio Rural Health Association stands for. Their efforts today will help shape healthier, more resilient rural communities for generations to come.”
ORHA’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of Ohio’s rural communities. On Aug. 7-8, the association will hold its 2025 Ohio Rural Health Conference at Miami.
Currently, Miami’s PA program has 25 clinical students, who rotate through various clinical disciplines, and 36 didactic students. The clinical portion of the program has adopted a rotation model similar to the rural family medicine residency program for physicians. The program will graduate its first cohort in 2025
“We are very honored to receive this award,” Howell said. “I can’t say enough about how invaluable the ORHA’s work is to the underserved rural communities and patients and how important it is for our students to be aware of such resources. It is humbling to think we are making a difference and to have such a great partnership with an important organization.”
The program has taken active steps in an effort to create compassionate, dynamic, and well-rounded clinicians with an interest in rural medicine — and the Ohio Rural Health Association (ORHA) has taken notice.
Miami’s PA program recently received a Rural Health Champion Quarterly Award from ORHA, becoming the first program to receive the new honor. The 27-month PA Studies program at Miami began in May 2023.
Christopher Howell, the PA program director and associate professor of Biomedical Science, said the curriculum is geared toward serving rural families, not just from a medical standpoint but also in regard to socioeconomic conditions and partnerships with rural advocates .
“We definitely put that at the heart of our program,” Howell said. “Unless you focus on rural communities with intention, they will be forgotten.
“We are recruiting students from the heart of these communities who have the desire to go back and serve these families.”
Lectures and discussions in Miami’s PA program focus on the challenges of rural medicine and the unique spectrum of medical problems, along with addressing needs with stewardship and responsibility in serving these patients.
As part of their focus on rural medicine, students also create a poster presentation for community awareness and engagement, as well as education in clinical research, with an emphasis on the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) and bioethics.
“We are thrilled to recognize Miami University Physician Associate Studies Program as our quarterly Rural Health Champion,” said Rosanna Scott, ORHA’s executive director. “Their unwavering commitment to improving access to quality healthcare in Ohio’s rural communities, coupled with their innovative research and training programs, truly embodies the spirit of what the Ohio Rural Health Association stands for. Their efforts today will help shape healthier, more resilient rural communities for generations to come.”
ORHA’s mission is to enhance the health and well-being of Ohio’s rural communities. On Aug. 7-8, the association will hold its 2025 Ohio Rural Health Conference at Miami.
Currently, Miami’s PA program has 25 clinical students, who rotate through various clinical disciplines, and 36 didactic students. The clinical portion of the program has adopted a rotation model similar to the rural family medicine residency program for physicians. The program will graduate its first cohort in 2025
“We are very honored to receive this award,” Howell said. “I can’t say enough about how invaluable the ORHA’s work is to the underserved rural communities and patients and how important it is for our students to be aware of such resources. It is humbling to think we are making a difference and to have such a great partnership with an important organization.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Physician Associate Studies program? Visit the PA program website for more information.
