ATSU-CHC welcomes newest CCPA class with White Coat Ceremony
Posted: August 9, 2024
A.T. Still University’s College for Health Communities (ATSU-CHC) in Santa Maria, California, conducted a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, July 26, 2024, to celebrate 88 members of the Central Coast Physician Assistant (CCPA) program’s class of 2025 entering their clinical year.
Part of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU), a nonprofit University with campuses in Arizona, California, and Missouri, the CCPA program is a 24-month master’s program with a goal of educating community-oriented physician assistants (PA) who will provide whole person primary care to underserved communities along the Central Coast and across the nation.
Students spend one year on campus in Santa Maria for the didactic phase of the program before entering the clinical phase, when healthcare partners including Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Marian Regional Medical Center, Lompoc Valley Medical Center, and others regionally and across the U.S. help prepare them to provide culturally proficient healthcare services.
Class of 2025 student Alexa Lodolo, of Morro Bay, California, understands the challenges faced by underserved populations firsthand, having experienced her own with access to healthcare services as she grew up on the Central Coast.
“Personal exposure to the foster care system and family members’ substance use disorders further demonstrated the health disparities prevalent on the Central Coast,” Lodolo said. “Becoming a PA allows me to make a tangible difference in people’s lives by providing quality care and support. I chose ATSU because of its commitment to community-focused and whole person healthcare, which will equip me with the tools necessary to excel in this field.”
The White Coat Ceremony, conducted at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande, California, included remarks from Jennifer Harrington, DMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, professor, chair, and director; O.T. Wendel, PhD, president, ATSU Arizona & California campuses; and Eric Sauers, PhD, ’97, dean and professor.
Paola Gonzalez, MPAS, PA-C, president, Physician Associates for Latino Health, delivered the keynote address. Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84, ATSU chancellor, provided closing remarks.
Dignity Health – Marian Regional Medical Center sponsored the white coats for all ATSU-CHC students. The formal “robing” or “cloaking” during the ceremony marks entrance into a health profession.
“The symbolism of the white coat you’ll don today represents not only a garment of professional identity, but also a mantle of responsibility, compassion, and unwavering dedication,” Dr. Wendel said. “This White Coat Ceremony marks a significant transition in your educational voyage, signaling the commencement of your clinical phase, a period where all that theoretical knowledge you’ve gained during the didactic phase seamlessly integrates with the practical application in medicine.
“As you embark on this transformational phase, I urge you to embrace this journey with humility, empathy, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Watch the complete ceremony here and check out more photos below!
