New Physician Assistant program launches to build Arizona’s healthcare workforce
The University of Arizona’s new Physician Assistant (PA) program has officially received accreditation and will now prepare future PAs to serve Arizona through primary care, rural health, and community-centered care.
The new Physician Assistant (PA) program at the University of Arizona has received accreditation-provisional and will now prepare future PAs to serve Arizona through primary care, rural health, and community-centered care. Housed in the School of Health Professions in the Zuckerman College of Public Health, the newly established program offers an innovative mission-driven approach to training PAs who will help to meet our growing healthcare needs in Arizona.
Dr. MJ Ellis
“This milestone reflects years of collaboration, innovation, and dedication from faculty, staff, institutional leaders, clinical partners, and community supporters committed to improving healthcare access across Arizona,” said program director Dr. MJ Ellis.
The PA program will welcome its first cohort of students in Fall 2026 for the 26-month Master of Physician Assistant Practice (MPAP) degree program. Designed to cultivate graduates who excel in delivering person-centered care within primary and underserved rural health environments, the program was developed with a resolute dedication to bridging health care disparities. The curriculum will prepare empathetic practitioners who possess adaptability, a collaborative spirit, and an unwavering commitment to enhancing the well-being of the communities they serve.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Ellis and her team who helped bring this vision to life, and we’re excited to begin preparing the next generation of Arizona PAs who will lead our state to better health,” said Dr. Kevin Lohenry, vice dean of health professions and executive director of the School of Health Professions.
The new PA curriculum was intentionally designed to train graduates for the program’s mission.
PA Program Mission
To develop skilled and compassionate physician assistants with a strong focus on primary care and rural health. We are committed to fostering a learning environment that cultivates clinical and inclusive excellence, wellness, and community engagement, ensuring graduates are equipped to provide comprehensive and accessible health care services to all populations.
“Our great state of Arizona needs more skilled healthcare providers, and I’m so grateful to the leadership of the Arizona Board of Regents and the University of Arizona who saw a way to expand the skilled workforce with our new PA program,” said Dr. Iman Hakim, dean of the Zuckerman College of Public Health. “We are fortunate to have so many talented faculty working to train the next generation of PA care providers with a public health perspective.”