About Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) is a private, non-profit, graduate-level health sciences institution located on over 500 acres in Fort Smith, Arkansas. ACHE’s service-driven mission is to educate and train a diverse group of competent and compassionate healthcare professionals; to create health and research support facilities; and to provide healthy living environments to improve the lives of others. Founded in 2014, ACHE has experienced rapid growth and is poised to be a leader in healthcare education for years to come. ACHE is the first and only private institution in Arkansas that is dedicated solely to healthcare and wellness, and maintains a strong commitment to the surrounding community.

About Fort Smith and the Arkansas River Valley

Fort Smith is a vibrant community of around 90,000, with a low cost of living and ample recreational opportunities. Located in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley at the foothills of the Ozark mountains, Fort Smith is nestled between the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests. The region provides hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, hang gliding, whitewater rafting, and camping all within a short drive. In addition, the city supports a variety of cultural attractions, including museums, theaters, an award-winning symphony, and two historic entertainment districts.

LOCATION

This position is fully on-site and requires a regular presence in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Remote or hybrid work is not available for this position.

JOB SUMMARY

The Associate Program Director (APD) must be a motivated individual. The APD will collaborate with the Program Director (PD) to manage the administrative structure and support system of the program to effectively deliver the PA degree. The APD will be a collaborative leader in the PA program supporting the PD in overseeing curriculum, program administration and development, student and faculty affairs, recruitment, and alumni engagement in collaboration with the PD. The APD will be committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, and continuous improvement of the program. The APD will collaborate with the faculty, staff, and students as directed by the Program Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Performs administrative and other duties as agreed upon and delegated by the Program Director to include:

Administration and Leadership

• Oversees development and preparation for and continuing assessment towards accreditation from the ARC-PA, State Council of Higher Education for Arkansas, and Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Conveys a clear sense of mission and purpose of the program consistent with that of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education
• Provides ongoing management of program matters, including faculty and staff hiring, evaluation and professional development
• Provides support to the Program Director in fulfilling responsibilities related to:

· Program organization (A2.09a)

· Program administration and support (A2.09b)

· Fiscal management of the program (A2.09c)

· Continuous programmatic review and analysis (A2.09d)

· Communication (A2.09e)

· Adherence to the standards and ARC-PA policies (A2.09f)

· Effective leadership and management of the program

• Assists in the preparation and review of administrative reports and accreditation documents as requested and assigned

Clinical Education

• In collaboration with the Didactic Director, responsible for the oversight of the design, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the clinical curriculum
• Responsible for the initial evaluation of clinical sites and preceptors
• Responsible for the oversite of clinical site development and monitoring of clinical affiliation sites and agreements
• Responsible for student clinical site placement and ensuring adequacy of each site for clinical training
• Provides guidance, training, and ongoing communication as needed for clinical preceptors
• Assists in the preparation of administrative reports as requested and assigned by Program Director
• Is responsible for the coordination and scheduling of all clinical rotations and end-of-rotation assessments
• Reviews all clinical assessments of students by preceptors
• Reviews student reports of clinical sites and evaluates the quality of instruction provided
• Reviews, maintains, and coordinates clinical content of PA Student Handbook annually
• Provides for ongoing clinical preceptor development and recognition
• Schedules and assists with SCPE remediation
• Provides for continuous review and update of all clinical course materials and learning objectives
• Is responsible for the development, administration and reporting of all other clinical assessments
• Provides security for all clinical year course and examination materials
• Maintains and coordinates the clinical rotation schedule with the Administrative Assistant
• Provides ongoing assessment and review of active clinical sites each semester
• Coordinates clinical course activity and schedules with the supporting clinical staff personnel
• Develops, revises, updates and maintains instruments for student evaluatiosn of clinical sites and preceptors and preceptor end of year evaluation of program
• Provides continuous program evaluation, analysis, and improvement

Principal Faculty

• Responsible for developing, reviewing, and revising as necessary the program’s mission statement, goals, and competencies (A2.05a)
• Responsible for interviewing and selecting applicants for admission to the PA program (A2.05b)
• Provide student instruction in area(s) of expertise (A2.05c)
• Responsible for evaluating student performance (A2.05d)
• Responsible for programmatic academic counseling of students (A2.05e)
• Responsible for assuring the availability of remedial instruction for students (A2.05f)
• Participates in designing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating courses (A2.05g)
• Participates in the continuous evaluation of the program (A2.05h)
• Instruction in Medical Practice Series as assigned
• Problem-Based Learning/Team-Based Learning facilitator as assigned
• Simulation instruction and curriculum design
• Participate in Clinical Procedures course with skilled instruction
• Attends all required program and institution mandated meetings
• Reviews instruments for student and faculty course evaluations
• Reviews the Student Handbook annually
• Is accessible to PA faculty and staff
• Works effectively with ACHE faculty, other ACHE administrators and academic support offices to ensure consistent and sound implementation of academic policies and procedures
• Contributes to the improvement of ACHE’s image and reputation within the educational community and beyond
• Performs service activities that advance the program and the profession, including assisting in the recruitment, selection of applicants for admission, orientation, and retention of students
• Other duties as assigned by the Program Director of Physician Associate Practice or their designee.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Arkansas PA License or eligible
• Graduate of an accredited PA program
• Current NCCPA certification status
• Master’s Degree

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate in Health-Related Field
• Greater than 5 years of clinical experience
• Greater than 2 years of full-time higher education experience
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Demonstrate proficiency in computer skills, i.e. Microsoft Office.
• Display professionalism for the college in all communication and interaction.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and privacy.
• Ability to prioritize and organize numerous and varied assignments.

ABILITIES AND COMPETENCIES ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTION OF THE JOB

Communication and Comprehension

ACHE is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodations when necessary. The following are essential abilities and physical requirements for all positions at the college.

• Ability to orally communicate effectively with others with strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation.
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues and supervisory staff at all levels.
• Ability to understand oral and written information, using the English language, and organize thoughts and ideas into effective forms of communication.
• Ability to make decisions which range from moderate to a significant impact on the immediate work environment, as well as outside contributors.
• Possess public communication skills that allow professional representation of ACHE to a variety of business and community customers and associates.
• Strong organizational skills.

Problem Solving

• Intuitively able to reason, analyze information and events, and apply judgment in order to solve problems of both a routine and complex nature.
• Expertise in negotiation.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• May be exposed to short, intermittent, and/or prolonged periods of sitting and/or standing in performance of job duties.
• May be required to accomplish job duties using various types of equipment/supplies to include, but not limited to pens, pencils, calculators, computer keyboards, telephone, etc.
• May be required to transport oneself to other campus offices, conference rooms, and on occasion, to off-campus sites to attend meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.
• May require significant travel or work away from campus.
• Requires attendance at events representing ACHE both within as well as outside of the college setting.
• Frequently required to work at a desk, conference table or in meetings of various configurations.
• Frequently required to see for purposes of reading matter.
• Frequently required to hear and understand speech at normal levels.
• Occasionally required to lift items in a normal office environment.
• Frequently required to operate office and presentation equipment.

If you need assistance in the application process because of a disability, or any other reason, please contact Vicki Broadaway, Vice President of Human Resources, at 479.308.2287 or vicki.broadaway@achehealth.edu.

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education is an equal opportunity employer.