Agnes Scott College is developing a physician assistant program and announces the appointment of LeAnne Martinelli, DHSc, RPh, PA-C, as program director and professor of physician assistant studies. Dr. Martinelli is president-elect of the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants (GAPA). Previously, she served as a clinical associate professor and academic director in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at Mercer University in Atlanta. She earned her Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Emory University before completing a Doctor of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University.
The program is slated for the 2025-2026 academic year—pending the accreditation process of both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)—to meet the urgent, growing need for healthcare professionals. In rural Georgia, some 3.3 million people do not have access to a primary care physician. The Kaiser Family Foundation identified Georgia as a Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area, noting that the state has met only 40 percent of its healthcare needs. Agnes Scott endeavors to address these disparities head-on with the development of the new program.
Demand for physician assistants is expected to grow 34.2 percent in the Metro-Atlanta area in the next decade, 25.9 percent above the national average. Among the demand is a dramatic increase in the need for maternal, neonatal, pediatric and mental health specializations. Agnes Scott has developed mission-aligned, health-focused graduate programs to address community and workforce needs while providing pathways for careers in healthcare for underrepresented minorities in medicine. Currently, approximately 70 percent of its graduate student population in medical sciences and pre-medical programs identify as students of color.
“Agnes Scott’s mission and values…
Read the full article here