News

Southwestern Takes Step Toward Launching Physician Assistant Program-
Program Director Begins Work, Downtown Winfield Site Selected

Winfield, Kan., March 6, 2025 - Southwestern College has announced updates regarding the launch of a Physician Assistant/Physician Associate program (PA).
The College has applied for Accreditation-Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and anticipates matriculating its first class, a cohort of up to 40, in January 2027, pending the achievement of “Accreditation - Provisional” status at the June 2026 ARC-PA Commission meeting.  
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.
Additionally, the College has applied for approval of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies by the Higher Learning Commission and is pending approval.
Some of the first steps toward achieving provisional accreditation status require that the college hire an experienced program director, prepare a program location, and begin hiring faculty.
Toward that goal, the College has formally entered an agreement with the McNeish family on the lease of a portion of the facility at 800 Main in downtown Winfield.
“We are grateful to the McNeish family, who have long been incredible supporters of Southwestern College, for their willingness to partner with us as we work the launch of the PA program,” said Southwestern President, Dr. Liz Frombgen. “800 Main is a beautiful space offering downtown amenities for our PA students as well as visibility and it will serve as an extension of our Main Campus for these specialized learners.”
Per the terms of the agreement, the College will occupy the leased space in June of 2025. The College will begin to make renovations to the space in preparation for the arrival of PA faculty and students.
“Our family built 800 Main Place in 1988 as an investment in the future of Winfield and in support of the vitality of our downtown,” said Tom McNeish. “Our partnership and support of Southwestern as they begin the PA program represents a continuation of that investment and our belief in what is possible for Winfield.”
The College is working with Agora Architecture, also located at 800 Main, on renovation plans for the space.
“This level of investment and educational innovation in Winfield is exciting for many reasons,” said Taggart Wall, Winfield City Manager. “Of course, primary among them is the investment in downtown and the literal doors this will open for further private investment downtown. We look forward to all of the ways Southwestern PA students will positively affect the economy of our downtown businesses and our regional healthcare systems.”
Additionally, Chandra Lynch, MSHS, MBA, Pa-C has begun work as the inaugural director of the College’s PA program. Lynch has moved to Winfield and has already begun work on meeting the next requirements as outlined by the accreditation pathway standards.
“Chandra has an incredible depth of experience as a PA program director and as a healthcare provider and she is uniquely positioned to lead the continued development of our PA program forward,” said J.K. Campbell, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Southwestern College. “It was clear during the selection process that Chandra is a dedicated educator and a knowledgeable practitioner, she is an exceptional fit.”
Lynch comes to Southwestern College from Baldwin Wallace University’s physician assistant program, where she has served since 2012. She has led the program at Baldwin Wallace for the past two years as director. Lynch is a licensed physician assistant with a range of medical experience, including neurology and family practice. She has maintained a PRN position as a clinical physician assistant, treating primary care patients since entering academia.
Lynch earned her bachelor of science in biology from Cleveland State University. She attended Cuyahoga Community Program for Physician Assistant Studies before earning her master of science in health science at Cleveland State University. Additionally, Lynch holds an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University and is working to complete her Ph.D in leadership in higher education at Concordia University in Chicago.
“We have made great progress toward launching a PA program at Southwestern College, but one of the most challenging tasks when opening a new PA program is finding a highly qualified and experienced program director,” said Dr. Frombgen.  “We are thrilled to have found Chandra during a national search process. Her approach to educating and preparing PAs and her network will serve our college and students well in the coming years.”
Currently, there are 308 accredited master’s degree level programs in the U.S. Gaining acceptance to PA programs is highly competitive, it is reported that approximately 20% of all program applicants across the nation gain acceptance to a PA program in any admissions cycle and the demand for PAs in the workforce is growing steadily growing according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. PA programs generally take 24-27 months to complete and PA candidates must engage in 2,000 hours of clinical rotations and pass a certification exam.
ARC-PA summarizes the work of PAs as members of collaborative healthcare teams, PAs make clinical decisions and provide a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services. The clinical role of PAs includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice settings.
With the addition of Lynch to lead the program forward, Southwestern College has launched a search for principal faculty. Southwestern College alumnus, Dr. Bryan Dennett, who is a local family-practice physician is serving as the medical director of the program.
“Physician Assistants/Associates are a highly sought piece of the healthcare delivery model and in rural communities in Kansas and across the country they will play an increasingly important role,” said Dr. Frombgen. “We are excited to lean into historic institutional strength in the sciences as we’ve reestablished a bachelor of science in nursing program and work to launch a PA program at Southwestern College.”