New Director of PA Program Welcomed

Salus University provost, Dr. Janice Scharre, has announced the appointment of Donna Agnew, MSPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, as director of the Physician Assistant (PA) program, effective August 1. In her internal announcement to the Salus community, Dr. Scharre noted that Agnew formerly served as associate director of the PA program at Arcadia University, has strong experience in accreditation and also serves as an ARC-PA site visitor. ARC-PA is the accrediting body for all Physician Assistant programs in the US. During her tenure at Arcadia University, the PA Program developed a satellite campus, increased class size to 100 admitted students annually and maintained a 100% first-time pass rates on the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) board examination. Additionally, Agnew was involved in the promotion and development of the Physician Assistant model in South Africa.

A Physician Assistant for 16 years, Agnew maintains a current clinical practice in internal medicine. She was named “Best of Bucks” in the category of Physician Assistant by her patients in 2011 and is a volunteer member of the Bucks County Department of Health Medical Reserve Corps. Her clinical areas of interest include infectious and autoimmune disease and connective tissue disorders.

A Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), Agnew is a co-author of the PANCE/PANRE (Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam) board review textbook. She holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Medical Technology from Temple University and worked for sixteen years in the departments of microbiology and hematology prior to pursuing her Master of Medical Science (MMS) degree in physician assistant studies at Arcadia University.