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SCU is proud to recognize Chanel Green, Master of Science: Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program class of fall 2023, for being awarded an Exxat Student Scholarship award for Diversity and Inclusion.
Chanel has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the SCU value of inclusivity, through which we welcome and celebrate the breadth of human diversity and cultivate a safe and thriving environment where everyone can learn, work, serve, and seek care. Diversity and inclusivity broadens perspective in our reasoning and leads to better representativeness in our conclusions, more ingenuity in our problem solving, and greater equity in our care.
Exxat’s 2022-23 academic year student scholarships spotlight the contributions of 16 students to the future of healthcare by awarding four scholarships each across four categories: Scholarly Productivity, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, and Care for Underserved Communities. The Diversity and Inclusion Award honors students who promote diversity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce, leading to improved healthcare outcomes for all.
“In accordance with the standards of our accrediting body, the values of our university of health equity and inclusivity, as well as our program mission, vision, and goals to support diversity and inclusion we train students from various backgrounds with an array of life experiences,” MSPA Associate Director of DEI Roshalda Williams, MS, PA-C said. “The SCU MSPA program is committed to graduating highly qualified culturally competent individuals to provide equitable health care to a diverse population. Chanel Green is the perfect embodiment of this commitment.”
MSPA Program Director Melanie A. Catalano, MSPA, PA-C spoke to the numerous ways Chanel has exemplified her commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts in numerous ways while in SCU’s MSPA Program. “She currently serves as the Physician Assistant Student Society Diversity Chair member at our institution as well as a student representative for the program’s founding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee,” PA Catalano said.
“She has assisted in hosting events for faculty and students including a ‘Marginalized in Medicine’ and ‘Chill and Chat’ session. Additionally, Ms. Green is deeply involved in the community with participating in service projects including senior health fairs and food banks. She is a well-deserving recipient for this award.”
As a student in SCU’s MSPA Program, Chanel Green is preparing to become a licensed healthcare professional who can provide many of the same services as physicians. Often referred to as physician extenders, PAs were introduced as a new category of healthcare category in California in 1970 through the Physician’s Assistant Law (Statutes of 1970, Chapter 1327) with the aim to redress “the growing shortage and geographic misdistribution of healthcare services in California.”
According to the American Academy of Physician Associates, there are currently over 168,000 PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and the uniformed services.
Due to the decreased time investment and cost to become a physician assistant compared to what it takes to become a doctor, PAs are integral for both alleviating shortages of primary care doctors and bridging the gap in healthcare between physicians and patients. PAs continue to be in high demand, with the U.S. News & World Report ranking PAs among the top five Best Jobs overall and #2 in Best Health Care Jobs.
PAs are academically and clinically prepared to practice medicine on collaborative medical teams, where they diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. The clinical role of PAs includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice settings. PAs may also work in the areas of medical education, health administration, and research.
SCU’s MSPA Program stands apart as the first integrative PA Program, offering a whole-person approach where students learn to use science and evidence-based research to provide patient care alongside other disciplines, including SCU’s Chiropractic and Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine programs.
This integrative, whole-person approach is enhanced by the MSPA Program’s commitment to recruiting, supporting, and retaining highly qualified faculty and staff members from various backgrounds, resulting in a diverse and inclusive team with differing abilities to support and educate students.
This commitment extends to recruiting, supporting, and graduating highly qualified individuals from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, resulting in a diverse and inclusive cohort of students with differing abilities to provide equitable care to all patients.
SCU joins PA Catalano and PA Williams to congratulate Chanel Green on demonstrating SCU’s co-curricular learning outcome of inclusivity and her ongoing efforts toward diversity and inclusion in healthcare. She is well on her way to becoming a transformational leader in healthcare. To read more about SCU’s values, visit scuhs.edu/about-scu/