Tri-C Physician Assistant students to graduate

Cuyahoga Community College has announced that its Physician Assistant program will retain accreditation through December of 2018 and the graduation of all current students.

The program will hold an accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant during this period, according to a Tri-C press release. The timeframe allows two classes totaling 60 students to complete their studies.

“This outcome offers our PA students the opportunity to continue a legacy of success that dates back more than four decades,” Tri-C President Alex Johnson said in the release. “These are the caregivers of tomorrow in our community.”

The announcement follows a contested accreditation review process by ARC-PA, which moved earlier this year to withdraw accreditation from the college’s program. Tri-C appealed the decision.

An agreement between the college and organization led to probationary accreditation for the program through the end of next year, the release stated. Tri-C can then reapply for accreditation in accordance with ARC-PA standards.

In the meantime, no new PA students will be enrolled.

The PA program at TriC began in 1974, when it became the first accredited program in Ohio, the release stated. It grew to a graduate-level program offered in partnership with Cleveland State University, with students enrolled at both institutions while working toward a professional certificate and master’s degree.

The Tri-C program has graduated 169 students since 2013. The average overall pass rate for TriC students taking the national certifying exam is 98 percent over the most recent five years of data, according to the release.