Stormont Vail has signed an agreement with Kansas State University to form an academic partnership in the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Physician Assistant Program. Stormont Vail will also develop the Cotton O’Neil Manhattan Medical Campus. A 55,000-square-foot medical office building to be completed fall 2022 in the K-State Research Park will increase public access to medical professionals in the Manhattan region.

Kansas State University’s Physician Assistant Program, with its inaugural class starting Spring 2021, will graduate health care providers who provide excellence in medical care and serve the local communities and beyond with uncompromising commitment and compassion.

Stormont Vail relies on the expertise of physician assistants as advanced practicing professionals. Through this partnership with K-State, the organization will be able to provide input on the curriculum using real-world examples and skills. Students of the program, as well as Stormont Vail and Cotton O’Neil physician assistants, will have access to the Stormont Vail Health Simulation Lab located in the adjacent Mary and Carl Ice Hall. This lab will have adult, pediatric, infant and trauma simulators.

“Stormont Vail Health works closely with our physician assistants to provide high-quality care to our patients under the supervision of a physician,” said Robert Kenagy, M.D., president and CEO, Stormont Vail Health. “This partnership with Kansas State University will allow us to have an integral part in developing new physician assistants as well as providing continued education to our providers.”

“The partnership between Stormont Vail Health and K-State’s new Physician Assistant Program is innovative and significant in addressing a critical demand for health care professionals not only in our Kansas communities but around the country,” said K-State President Richard Myers. “This collaborative effort within K-State’s Research Park supports the university’s mission to foster excellent teaching, research and service to develop highly skilled and educated citizens to advance the well-being of Kansas, the nation and international communities.“

“The College of Health and Human Sciences is delighted to establish an academic program at K-State to meet a critical need in Kansas for Physician Assistants,” said John Buckwalter, Betty L. Tointon dean of the college. “We are also thankful for the partnership with Stormont Vail that will help provide clinical training for these future health care professionals.”

“The K-State Physician Assistant Program has collaborated with Stormont Vail to provide a state-of-the-art simulation center that will propel students to a level of excellence and competence unobtainable in the traditional classroom setting,“ said Gwen Ferdinand-Jacob, Physician Assistant Program director in K-State’s College of Health and Human Sciences. “The Stormont Vail Simulation Center at Ice Hall will provide crucial training of a more realistic hands-on experience while maximizing patient safety. The program is thankful for the contribution and commitment that Stormont has made in the area of clinical exposure for our students in most of the required medical disciplines.”

The new medical campus will be located just across the street from the Simulation Lab on seven acres at the K-State Research Park in the university’s Edge Collaboration District — a partnership between Kansas State University, the KSU Foundation, the City of Manhattan and the State of Kansas to attract industry and research to the northern edge of K-State’s Manhattan campus.

“Our partnership with Stormont Vail is a great example of how industry, research and talent can come together,” said Greg Lohrentz, senior vice president, Operations & Finance for the KSU Foundation. “This real estate solution allows us to create meaningful outcomes for Kansas and beyond.”

About Stormont Vail Health: Stormont Vail Health is a nonprofit integrated health system that has been serving the health care needs of Kansas for more than 130 years. Stormont Vail has been recognized as a Magnet® organization since 2009 by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It is composed of Stormont Vail Hospital, a 586-bed acute care hospital, and Cotton O’Neil Clinic, a multi-specialty physician group with more than 500 providers, which includes more than 250 physicians. Nearly 5,300 employees provide care and support services for patients in the hospital and 35 other locations, including the Cotton O’Neil Heart Center, Cancer Center, Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, Digestive Health Center, Pediatrics clinics and 10 regional primary care clinics. Stormont Vail Health is committed to its mission of improving the health of the community by being a national leader in providing compassionate, high quality and efficient integrated care through collaboration that results in a healthier community. For more information about Stormont Vail and Cotton O’Neil, visit stormontvail.org. For breaking news and videos, follow Stormont Vail on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance the K-State family. Visit ksufoundation.org for more information.