Carroll College Announces Developments in Physician Assistant Program Planning
Helena, MT – Carroll College is pleased to announce significant advancements in the planning of its new graduate-level Physician Assistant (PA) program. With the recent appointment of a Founding Program Director, progress in the planning for an on-campus location, and a planned matriculation date of August 2026 for the first cohort of students pending provisional accreditation, Carroll College is taking confident strides towards the establishment of a comprehensive PA program.
Appointment of Program Director
Carroll College has recently hired Ms. Claire Hull as the Founding Program Director of the developing Physician Assistant Program. A Carroll College alumna from the class of 1988, Ms. Hull brings with her 23 years of experience in PA education, having served in various faculty roles and administrative capacities. Her previous administrative experience includes roles as Clinical Coordinator and Academic Coordinator, and she has most recently served as Associate Professor in the Division of Physician Assistant Education at Oregon Health & Science University. She has been a faculty member in three different PA programs throughout the U.S. and received her Master of Health Sciences from Duke University School of Medicine, Physician Assistant Program in 1995.
With expertise in preparing programs for accreditation site visits, Ms. Hull currently serves as an accreditation site visitor for the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). She is an active member of several PA professional associations, including the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), and Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Ms. Hull's vast experience in PA education, her thorough understanding of the accreditation process, and her active role as a practicing clinician make her a valuable addition to Carroll College's PA program. She will officially begin her work at Carroll on September 5, 2023.
“I am thrilled to join the Carroll College community as the college’s founding director of the Physician Assistant program,” said Claire Hull. “Carroll is among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges, with an excellent reputation for preparing graduates for careers in health professions. I look forward to building a program that prepares its graduates to be competent, compassionate, and patient-centered clinicians. Carroll is poised to play an even greater role in improving access to health care for many rural and underserved communities in Montana. I look forward to building strong and innovative partnerships with communities across the state to create a PA program that is highly regarded and respected.”
Carroll College Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Jennifer Glowienka, expressed her excitement about Ms. Hull's appointment, stating, "We are honored to have Claire Hull join Carroll College at this pivotal time in our development of our PA Program. Her varied expertise and deep commitment to PA education will play an essential role in shaping the future success of our program and ensuring the development of highly skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals."
Program Location
Carroll College is moving forward on plans to locate the PA program on campus. Carroll's Board of Trustees has approved the establishment of the PA Program in the northeast section of the Fortin-Simperman Science building complex through renovation and an 8,500 square foot addition. This dedicated space will feature state-of-the-art labs, classrooms, and office facilities, fulfilling the requirements for PA Program student learning outcomes aligned with ARC-PA accreditation standards. The Fortin-Simperman Science complex, which currently houses the college's chemistry, nursing, and biology facilities, is well-suited to accommodate the PA Program.
The process of construction conceptualization, planning, and design development is already underway. The construction phase is scheduled to begin in November 2024, with move-in and commissioning expected to take place by June 2026. The decision to establish the PA program within the existing campus not only maximizes the value of Carroll College's resources but also enhances accessibility, integration opportunities, and overall visibility of the program on campus.
Carroll's Physician Assistant Program
Carroll College's Physician Assistant (PA) program is designed to be an intensive 27-month curriculum leading to a Master of Science (MS) in Physician Assistant Studies. Acknowledging that the process of seeking accreditation for a PA program is a multi-year endeavor, Carroll College has laid the groundwork by appointing a Program Director to oversee the process.
The college aims to matriculate the first cohort of 34 students into the program in the fall of 2026, pending provisional accreditation approval from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first cohort of students.
Carroll's PA program will address significant healthcare needs in Montana and the region, particularly in rural communities. According to the October 2022 Montana Department of Labor and Industry Postsecondary Workforce Report, there is a substantial demand for physician assistants in the state, with employment demand nearly double the available supply. Furthermore, the report highlights the median salary for PAs in Montana as $118,760.
As a profession highly sought after in both regional and national contexts, physician assistants play a vital role in healthcare. Ranked as the third-best occupation out of 100 by US News and World Report in 2022 and the second-best in the healthcare fields, the PA profession continues to experience significant demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a remarkable 28% growth for the PA profession by 2031.
“We are incredibly pleased to have reached these milestones in the development of our PA Program,” said Carroll College President Dr. John Cech. “There is a lot of excitement and energy behind the planning currently and we look forward to carrying this momentum forward as we proceed through the next steps in construction, accreditation, and program development.”
To learn more about Carroll College's Physician Assistant program, please visit www.carroll.edu/pa.