Brescia University plans to launch a new Physician Assistant (PA) program by 2026, pending accreditation. The university partnered with HealthForce Kentucky and Owensboro Health to develop the program to address a growing need for healthcare professionals in the region.
The program is currently seeking “Accreditation – Provisional” from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). If granted in March 2026, university officials hope to welcome the first class of students in August.
Fr. Larry Hostetter, president of Brescia University, explained that the program is still in its early stages.
“We are in the process of creating the school and working through our accreditation,” Hostetter said. “These are all steps necessary to ensure we can function properly and have our first students in 2026.”
Hostetter emphasized the alignment of the program with the university’s Catholic mission.
“This flows right from our mission, especially as a Catholic university. We’re called to be part of the ministry of Christ, both in teaching and healing,” he said. “The Catholic Church has always been involved in some form of healing ministry, and this is our opportunity to participate in that.”
Blair Whitaker will serve as the program’s director. She brings experience from positions at Sullivan University, South University-Savannah, and the University of the Cumberlands. Dr. Brent Hayden, MD — a specialist in psychiatry, internal medicine, and infectious disease — will be the program’s medical director.
“We’ve come so far in this process, but we still have the necessary challenging accreditation to navigate,” said Dr. Lauren McCrary, Brescia University’s executive vice president. “Our main goal right now is to finish staffing the program with the right people to ensure we graduate students who are knowledgeable, confident, and practice their skills with a servant’s heart.”
HealthForce Kentucky, a coalition that aims to inspire healthcare careers by providing access to top-level instruction and technology, is supporting the initiative. The program received startup funding from HealthForce Kentucky, which partners with nine colleges and universities across Western Kentucky.
“Brescia University proposed an excellent and innovative plan to create a much-needed Physician Assistant program,” said Bart Darrell, Chancellor of HealthForce Kentucky. “Bringing a high-caliber PA program to Owensboro will strengthen the region’s healthcare network and make the area more attractive to live and work.”
If accredited, Brescia’s PA program will be the only one in Owensboro, with the next closest option in Evansville, Indiana.
For more information about the program, contact Rachel Whelan, Director of Public Relations and Marketing, at [email protected] or 270-686-2110.
