{"id":2661,"date":"2018-06-05T11:10:43","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T15:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/?p=2661"},"modified":"2018-06-05T11:28:27","modified_gmt":"2018-06-05T15:28:27","slug":"university-leaders-celebrate-a-blue-cross-nc-investment-in-physician-assistant-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/2018\/06\/university-leaders-celebrate-a-blue-cross-nc-investment-in-physician-assistant-program\/","title":{"rendered":"University leaders celebrate a Blue Cross NC investment in Physician Assistant program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gathered on Monday to celebrate an investment in the University\u2019s\u00a0Physician Assistant Studies\u00a0<\/a>program.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Paul Chelminski speaks at an event, held at UNC Hospitals, to recognize $1.2 million in support for the UNC Physician Assistant Studies program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blue Cross NC\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0the $1.2 million gift in February, building on its 2012 investment that established the PA master\u2019s program. The donation will be used to accommodate more students, recruit top faculty and develop rural sites for students to participate in clinical rotations.<\/p>\n

Chancellor Carol L. Folt said the partnership between the University and Blue Cross NC showcases Carolina\u2019s commitment to providing service to the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is nothing [more important] for the citizens of North Carolina than providing quality, accessible and affordable healthcare, and this kind of partnership is absolutely essential to our determination to do that,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are very proud of the Physician Assistant Studies program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Housed in the\u00a0School of Medicine\u2019s Department of Allied Health Sciences<\/a>, the PA program aims to address the shortage of medical professionals statewide, with a special focus on helping veterans with prior medical training transition to working in civilian health care.<\/p>\n

William Roper, dean of the UNC School of Medicine and CEO of UNC Health Care, said the program has done just that. Its inaugural cohort of 20 students \u2014 nearly half of them veterans \u2014 graduated in December 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great day in our institution\u2019s history,\u201d Roper said. \u201cWe\u2019ve achieved great success so far with much more to come. We owe much of our success in this program to Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina.”<\/p>\n

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