1. Physician Assistant Program

PA Program Mission, Vision and Goals

Physician Assistant Program Mission

To develop motivated, diverse individuals into Physician Assistants who practice patient-centered, evidence-based medicine, while creating an environment of academic excellence, leadership, and collaboration that is dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of the community.

Physician Assistant Program Vision

The Lake Erie College Physician Assistant program will serve as a model for physician assistant education. It will prepare the highest quality physician assistants to practice comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Physician Assistant Program Goals and Outcomes

The goals of the Lake Erie College Physician Assistant Program are to:

  • 1. Matriculate diverse, highly qualified applicants who successfully complete the program.

  • 2. Develop physician assistants who provide highly skilled healthcare.

  • 3. Practice evidence-based medicine and utilize current guidelines.

  • 4. Promote and foster collaborative teamwork.

  • 5. Develop physician assistants who demonstrate interpersonal skills and professionalism necessary for patient-centered care.

  • 6. Enrich the community through service.

  • 7. Be committed to professional development.

  • 8. Foster relationships to support Northeast Ohio regional health systems.

Effectiveness in Achieving Goals for the Past Three Years

Goal 1 Matriculate diverse, highly qualified applicants who successfully complete the program.

  • Goal

    1. Demonstrate diversity

    2. Average GPA above 3.5

    3. Average clinical hours above 1,000

    4. Graduation retention rate above the national average of 96%.

  • Outcome 1. The Class of 2023-2025 demonstrated diversity when compared to similar national PA program cohort composition. The Lake Erie College PA program exceeds in some categories of diversity paralleled with matriculating cohort compositions. The program analyses metrics in the following categories: age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and military service. 2. The average matriculant GPA for the Class of 2025 was 3.53. 3. 100% of the cohorts for the Class of 2023-2025 averaged over 1,000 clinical hours prior to matriculation. 4. See attrition and graduation rates table below.

  • Attrition and Graduation Rates Table

    • *Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.

    • **Graduation rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

    • All students who entered the Program over the last three years graduated. The Program has met its goal over the last three years.

Goal 2 Provide highly skilled healthcare.

  • Goal 1. First-time PANCE pass rate above the national average. 2. All students score above 75% for Final Summative Written examination on knowledge.

  • Outcome 1. The classes of 2021-2023 first-time PANCE pass rate was 96-100%, higher than the national average of 92% in 2023.

Goal 3 Practice evidence-based medicine and utilize current guidelines.

  • Goal 100% of students perform literature reviews of a medical topic.

  • Outcome All students have created innovative literature reviews with the intent on improving the quality of medicine.

Goal 4 Promote and foster collaborative teamwork.

  • Goal 1. All students receive higher than 80% for teamwork participation in Problem-Based Learning. 2. 100% of students demonstrate interprofessional collaboration in simulated patient cases.

  • Outcome 1. All students from the Class of 2021-2023 have demonstrated collaborative teamwork during problem-based learning. Students on average scored above 90% for their proficiency. 2. Since 2016, all students have demonstrated interprofessional collaboration in a simulated patient case at Lakeland Community College, participation in Tumor Board at UH Geauga Hospital. Students in the Class of 2021-2023 attended an interprofessional session at the simulation lab at Summa Health and with allied health students for the Lakeland Community College Interprofessional Education Symposium. In addition, students participated in the Attorney General’s Office Educational Symposium on Substance Use Disorders, poverty simulator with medical students from NEOMED as well as pharmacologic management of patient cases with pharmacy students from NEOMED. Student also participated in an oral health project with dental professionals.

Goal 5 Demonstrate interpersonal skills and professionalism necessary for patient-centered care.

  1. Goal 1. All students meet expectations for interpersonal skills and professionalism on faculty evaluations. 2. All students score higher than 70% on interpersonal skills and professionalism on their Final Summative OSCE. 3. Clinical cohort average scores on preceptor evaluation of student professionalism performance are greater than 80% for each clinical rotation.

  • Outcome 1. Class of 2021: 100% of all students (26/26) met expectations for interpersonal skills and professionalism on faculty evaluations. Likert scale average score was 4.0/4.0. Class of 2022: 96% of students (25/26) met expectations for interpersonal skills and professionalism on faculty evaluations. Likert score average was 3.5/4.0. Class of 2023: 100% of all students (25/25) met expectations for interpersonal skills and professionalism on faculty evaluations. Likert scale average score was 3.7/4.0. Any students not meeting goals have been provided remediation and mentoring for professionalism. 2. For the Class of 2021, 100% of students met expectations; students achieved an average score of 97.75%. For the Class of 2022, 100% of students met expectations, student achieved an average score of 91.26%. For the Class of 2023, 100% of students met expectations; students achieved an average score of 88%. 3. Class of 2022-2023: Clinical cohort average scores on preceptor evaluation of professional performance were 80% or higher for each clinical rotation. This is a newer goal that is being tracked.

Goal 6 Enrich the community through service.

  • Goal 100% of all students perform community-based projects and service.

  • Outcome 100% of all students perform community-based projects and service. All have participated in a community service learning project and have continued with community projects including Fresh Air Camp, Geauga Faith Rescue Mission, Hospice of Western Reserve, Kids Kicking Cancer, Lake County Free Clinic, Medwish, oral health at local elementary schools, Relay for Life, Victory Gallop, Project Access, Remote Area Medical Clinic, Gift of Life, Sub Zero Mission, and Lake Health's MDI project, Be the Match, Lifeline Dancing Under the Stars, Project Hope among others. With the Class of 2024, community service assignments were added to the curriculum with specific hourly requirements for each semester and completion will be required for graduation from the PA Program.  Students are required to complete 10 hours of community service in semesters 1-4 for a total of 40 hours in the didactic phase. They are required to complete 5 hours of community service in semesters 5-7 for a total of 15 hours in the clinical phase.

Goal 7 Be committed to professional development.

  • Goal 1. 100% membership in the Ohio Association of Physician Assistants (OAPA) professional organization. 2. 100% membership of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) professional organization. 3. Faculty and students attend professional development opportunities.

  • Outcome

    1. All Students from the Class of 2023-2025 have had 100% membership in OAPA. 2. All Students from the Class of 2022-2025 have had 100% membership in AAPA.

    3. In the last three years, faculty have attended conferences including the PAEA Education Forum, OAPA Annual Conference, OAPA Pharmacology Conference, PAEA Spring Into Assessment, PAEA Annual Conference, and ARC-PA New Site Visitor Workshop. Faculty have also facilitated or presented at PAEA Jumpstart for New Faculty, PAEA New Faculty Workshop, and the Ohio Association of Physician Assistants Annual and Pharmacology Conferences. In the last three years, over 30 students attended AdvancED Concepts emergency medicine workshop, the majority of students have earned the LEC PA Program Advanced Procedural Skills for the Acute Care Physician Assistant Certificate of Completion, and all students have been certified in Bloodborne pathogens, NIH Stroke Scale, AHA BLS, and AHA ACLS. In the last three years, over 30 faculty and students have attended the AAPA Annual Conferences which were virtual and in Indianapolis and Nashville.

Goal 8 Foster relationships to support Northeast Ohio regional health systems.

  • Goal 1. Over 50% of rotation placement of students in Northeast Ohio regional health systems 2. Over 50% job placement of students in Northeast Ohio regional health systems.

  • Outcome 1. Over 80% of clinical rotations have taken place in the Northeast Ohio area. 2. Job placement in northeast Ohio regional health systems has remained above goal for the last three years. Graduates working as physician assistants in northeast Ohio was 66% in 2021 (2021 data from 24/26 students), 80% in 2022 (2022 data from 25/26 students), 88% in 2023 (25/25 students).

Physician Assistant Guiding Principles

The philosophy, values, and beliefs of the Lake Erie College Physician Assistant faculty guide the educational principles upon which the curriculum is built:

  • Clinical Problem Solving

  • Utilizing Evidence-Based Medicine

  • Teamwork and Collaborative Spirit

  • Compassion

  • Self-Direction and Active Participation in Learning

  • Leadership in Self, Community and Global Populations

  • Lifelong Learning

  • Commitment to Patient Care

Lake Erie College Mission and Vision

The PA Program is committed and aligned to the mission and vision of Lake Erie College. The mission, vision, goals of LEC PA Program were reviewed, updated, and approved by the PA Faculty and Steering Committee in February 2024.