Fletcher Jones Foundation Grants $1 Million to Support KGI’s Shared Skills Lab for the MSPA Program

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) to build out the Shared Skills Lab in the new 555 Building for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPA) program.

“We are pleased to support KGI’s MSPA program with this grant,” said Mary Spellman, executive director and treasurer of the Fletcher Jones Foundation. “The Shared Skills Lab will be critical in developing the anatomical knowledge and clinical, technical, and procedural skills of MSPA students.”

The MSPA program will use a 3D virtual anatomy platform instead of traditional cadavers in the lab. This platform eliminates the extensive time required for dissection. It provides students with a more accurate representation of the human body, which typically has portions inaccessible or often destroyed through the dissection process. The 3D virtual anatomy platform will be augmented with anatomical models in the lab and radiographic images.

“As our nation braces for a continued decline in healthcare access, one of the top strategies to combat this includes the education of physician assistants,” said KGI President Dr. Sheldon Schuster.

“The Fletcher Jones Foundation grant will help our future students to learn and achieve more using the latest, most effective technology.”

KGI’s 27-month MSPA program, starting in fall 2022, recently received provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.

Through innovative teaching methods, rich clinical experiences, and interprofessional collaboration, KGI graduates will play an integral role in promoting health equity. MSPA graduates will enter the workforce fully prepared to provide compassionate care to diverse populations and play a leadership role in community and public health.