VCOM View Magazine Vol. 12 | No. 1

News & Events

Master of Health Science in Anesthesia Program to Launch in Summer 2023

T here is so much work to be done to improve health outcomes and access for people across the Delta and Appalachian regions. To that end, VCOM is always looking for new ways to improve healthcare and in summer 2023, the College will partner with Bluefield University to launch a new Master of Health Science in Anesthesia (MHSA) Program. The 28-month program of study will be based in a state-of-the-art learning space at VCOM-Auburn and is a joint collaboration between VCOM and Bluefield University. Under the medical direction of a physician anesthesiologist, anesthesiologist assistants assess patients and plan, administer and evaluate anesthesia care.The program’s block-based curriculum includes classroom learning, simulated immersive learning and community based clinical anesthesia rotations. The faculty will use several innovative education and assessment methodologies, and the learning facilities are designed with these methodologies in mind. Classroom resources support all types of learning,

“We are proud to bring an Anesthesiologist Assistant educational program built on the foundation of VCOM’s excellence in medical education and Bluefield University’s focus on servant leadership. ”

-Michael S Nichols, CAA, MBA

Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA). “We are proud to bring an Anesthesiologist Assistant educational program built on the foundation of VCOM’s excellence in medical education and Bluefield University’s focus on servant leadership,” says Michael S. Nichols, CAA, MBA, dean for anesthesiologist assistant programs. “The MHSA program is an extension of the institutional mission to bring high-quality healthcare to medically underserved and historically disadvantaged populations with a compassionate and empathetic mindset.”

including interactive distance learning, and students will use the on-site multidisciplinary simulation center to provide an immersive environment to correlate the classroom instruction with hands-on clinical scenarios. Core clinical rotation sites are set throughout Alabama, North Georgia, and upstate South Carolina and rotations will provide students with a comprehensive experiential knowledge base in anesthetic techniques and clinical scenarios. Graduates of the program will be eligible to take the certification exam administered by the National Commission on Certification of

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Spring 2023 | VCOM V iew