Scrubs Welcome: UKPA Morehead celebrates 30 years of serving eastern Kentucky

CHS will commemorate three decades of educating physician assistants on Oct. 23

By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Coming straight from the clinic? No problem. Scrubs are welcome.

The University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Studies program in Morehead is inviting alumni, faculty, staff, friends and community partners to celebrate its 30th anniversary from 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the CHER Building Ballroom, 316 W. Second St., in Morehead.

Business casual attire is welcome, too. The important thing is showing up to celebrate 30 years of preparing physician assistants to care for communities across eastern Kentucky and beyond.

The program began in August 1996, when the University of Kentucky, Morehead State University, St. Claire Medical Center and the Northeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center joined forces to help address a critical need: providing health care education and expanding access to medical providers in rural and underserved areas.

The collaboration grew out of the state's 1994 Health Care Reform Act, which allowed state universities to work together to provide midlevel health care programs for students in medically underserved areas.

The goal was straightforward but ambitious — educate more health care professionals close to the communities that needed them most.

In 1998, the first eight students graduated from the MSU/UK Physician Assistant Program with bachelor's degrees from UK. The inaugural class included graduates from communities across Kentucky, including Wurtland, Mount Sterling, Morehead, West Liberty, Williamstown, Ashland and Pippa Passes.

Three decades later, the program's legacy can be seen in the physician assistants who practice throughout eastern Kentucky and other rural communities across the Commonwealth.

A legacy built on care

From the beginning, the Morehead campus has relied on educators and clinical leaders who understood the importance of preparing students not only to practice medicine, but also to understand the people and communities they serve.

Brad Schwarz served as the program's inaugural director, while Jim Fry, PA-C, was among the early faculty members who helped establish its educational and clinical foundation. Fry later served as program director from 1998 to 2002.

William "Bill" Grimes, D.Min., APRN, PA-C, professor emeritus, became another influential figure in the program's history after joining the faculty following 27 years in primary care practice.

Grimes brought a deep commitment to rural health care, patient-centered medicine and service to underserved populations. He mentored generations of students, developed relationships with regional clinical partners and encouraged graduates to build their careers in communities where their skills could make a difference.

His guiding philosophy — “Always keep the ‘care’ in healthcare” — became a hallmark of his teaching.

Grimes also co-founded the New Hope Free Clinic in Owingsville, continuing his commitment to providing care for people who might otherwise face barriers to accessing health services. His contributions were recognized with induction into the UK College of Health Sciences Alumni Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Kentucky Rural Health Association's Dan Martin Award for Lifetime Contribution to Rural Health in Kentucky in 2023.

Other leaders have continued that work over the years, including Michael Cooper, PA-C, David Fahringer, MSPH, PA-C Emeritus, and current site leadership under Shelley Irving, PA-C. Their contributions have helped strengthen the campus, expand clinical training opportunities and sustain its commitment to rural health.

The program’s story is ultimately about more than classrooms, clinical rotations or the number of students who have graduated. It is about the patients those graduates care for, the communities they call home and the importance of having qualified health care professionals close by.

As the Morehead campus marks its 30th anniversary, the celebration offers an opportunity to reconnect with classmates and colleagues, recognize the people who helped build the program and look ahead to the next generation of physician assistants.

And there is no need to rush home to change after a day in the clinic.

Scrubs and all, everyone is invited to help celebrate 30 years of healthcare education and service in eastern Kentucky.
 

Come Celebrate with Us!

WHAT: UK College of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Studies Morehead 30th Anniversary Celebration

WHEN: 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 2026

WHERE: CHER Building Ballroom, 316 W. Second St., Morehead, KY 40351

DRESS: Business casual or scrubs for those coming from clinic

RSVP: Respond through the event invitation

Come celebrate the people, partnerships and purpose that have made the Morehead campus part of eastern Kentucky's health care story for 30 years.