The Xavier-Ochsner program received provisional national accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education. ARC-PA is the accrediting agency that protects the interests of the public and PA profession by defining the standards for PA education and evaluating PA educational programs within the territorial United States to ensure their compliance with those standards.

Commonly known as a PA, a physician assistant is a licensed and trained healthcare professional trained in general medicine who works under the supervision of a physician. The American Academy of PAs estimates there are more than 131,000 PAs in the United States today, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for physician assistants is projected to grow 37 percent from 2016 to 2026. Currently, Ochsner has more than 190 PAs working across its health system.

“Our goal at Xavier is to continue expanding our programs and create more opportunities for our students. The new Physician Assistant Program builds strong primary care and public health foundations for students enrolled in the program,” said Dr. Anne McCall, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Xavier University of Louisiana. “This 28-month program will allow students to receive a master’s degree in the health sciences, and students will have the opportunity to participate in over a full year of clinical training within the Ochsner Health System. By creating this partnership our students will get the chance to gain hands-on experience and receive an education that will prepare them to compete on an international level.”

Following three semesters of classroom instruction, the PA students will complete approximately 2,000 hours of hands-on clinical experience through 11 rotations at various Ochsner facilities. Students will work and study with healthcare professionals across a variety of specialties, including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Behavioral Health and Women’s Health. 

“People are at the core of everything we do at Ochsner and we are committed to training the next generation of healthcare providers. By collaborating and partnering with Xavier on this new PA program, we can train more healthcare professionals here at home in Louisiana. It is our hope that this new pipeline of physician assistants will practice locally and make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of our communities throughout the state,” said Leonardo Seoane, M.D., FACP, Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Ochsner Health System.

Varsha Castro Gusman has been appointed as director of the program and as a Clinical Assistant Professor of professional programs in the Physician Assistant Department. As the founding director, she oversees the degree approval process, plans and develops an accredited curriculum and serves as a classroom instructor, mentor, and advisor to students. A Xavier University alumna, Gusman earned a Bachelor’s degree in biology at Xavier and a Master’s degree in the physician assistant program at Our Lady of the Lake College. Prior to her new role, Gusman served as the Lead Physician Assistant for Ochsner Medical Center’s Neuro Critical Care Unit for five years.

“The future of the healthcare system is projected to be collaborative and diverse, with many different professions working at their highest levels to care for patient needs,” said Gusman. “The physician assistant program at Xavier University has the potential to have a great impact on the health of our communities. Graduates will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to advocate for patients, reduce disparities in access to health care, recognize and treat disorders, and advance prevention of chronic disease.”

The new PA program is the next evolution in a long-standing relationship, which dates to the early 1980s when Ochsner and Xavier’s College of Pharmacy established an affiliation agreement partnership to provide educational experiences to pharmacy students. Through this partnership, Ochsner has provided clinical training for an average of 80 Xavier pharmacy students each year. 

Of the more than 500 applications received, 40 aspiring PAs were accepted and will begin classes in January. According to the 2018 Statistical Profile of Physician Assistants published by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), 3.6 percent of PAs are African American. Xavier University’s inaugural class is comprised of 18 percent African Americans and a total of 58 percent minority students.

For more information about the Xavier University and Ochsner Physician Assistant program, visit http://www.xula.edu/physician-assistant-program or call 504-520-5119. For more information about Ochsner Academics, visit education.ochsner.org or call 504.842.1205. 

Note: The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Xavier University of Louisiana Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Xavier University of Louisiana. 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 class (cohort) of students. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.