MIDDLETOWN – Touro College in Middletown hopes to have certification to begin a new Master of Science physician assistant program by this fall.
Dean Dr. Kenneth Steier said physician assistants can fill the void areas face with a shortage of doctors. “The hope is the physician assistants will where there are not enough physicians, some of the areas upstate, many of the under-served areas, Sullivan County, where there are not enough physicians, perhaps physician extenders, or mid-level providers like physician assistants and nurse practitioners can pick up some of that slack,” he said.
To help jump-start the program, the state labor department has given the college $200,000.
The target date for the start-up of the first class of 45 students is January 2021, said Dr. Steier. Students will earn their degrees after completing a 36-month program.
