Arkansas PA Day 2025

by Ava Swearingen, student writer

The Arkansas Academy of Physician Assistants hosted its annual Physician Assistant Day at the Capitol on Oct. 16 in celebration of PA Week. PAs and PA students from across Arkansas gathered at the State Capitol to meet with legislators and recognize the growing role of PAs in improving health care access throughout the state.

The event concluded with a visit from Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge, who joined the group in recognition of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ proclamation designating PA Week in Arkansas.

Among the attendees were members of the Harding community who appreciated the significance of this day. Audra Wilson, president of ARAPA, was one of the speakers at the event who highlighted the vital contributions PAs make daily in health care. For Wilson, her passion for this field began at Harding. The impact of Christian faith, small class sizes and an expectation for academic excellence drew her to the University’s PA program. She also valued Harding’s commitment to medical missions.

“One of my most memorable experiences was joining the PA program’s medical mission trip to Guatemala, where I witnessed firsthand how faith and medicine can come together to serve others,” she said.

For Wilson, being a PA is both a privilege and a calling. They are able to work in every area of medicine and collaborate with other health care professionals to provide compassionate, patient-centered care.

Mary Madill, Harding’s program director, sees PA Day as an opportunity to honor PAs who came before her and the patients they care for. In Arkansas, it is a field that has been relatively unknown.

Madill also sees this event as a reminder of God’s love and the ways she has been able to see it in her career. When reflecting on her time as a PA in a rural setting, she said this:

“The patients I had the honor of caring for were diverse. Many were from various ethnic groups due to immigration patterns years ago or job availability in the area, and others had families who had lived in that area for generations. They trusted me as a green PA to take care of them and their families. I saw the goodness of God in the trust they put in me. I was grateful to receive so much from them and also give to them through medical care.”

Lee (Wally) Thomas, associate professor, hopes that PA Day will further emphasize the need current students will be able to meet in their careers.

“There are significant shortages of health care providers in much of this country,” he said. “PAs can fill gaps in those shortages with quality health care to improve the lives of those in need. It's important to spread the message of how well trained and qualified PAs are and how they can allow access to those who have poor access traditionally.”

PA Day provides a spotlight on a growing profession, which Harding students are preparing to enter. There is so much to celebrate but also more work to be done to improve health care for the patients they will serve.

To learn more about the PA program at Harding, visit harding.edu/pa.