Trevecca Announces New Director of Physician Assistant Program

Trevecca Nazarene University is pleased to welcome Kathleen Flach as director of the physician assistant (PA) degree program. A nationally certified physician assistant, Flach has more than a decade of academic experience in PA studies and nearly two decades of practice as a healthcare provider.

"Kathleen will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Trevecca's PA program," Trevecca Provost Tom Middendorf said. "She has established herself as an accomplished clinician and academic. Her vast experience will help ensure our PA program continues to be one of the best in the state of Tennessee."

Before coming to Trevecca, Flach served as the founding director of Drury University's physician assistant program, and prior to that she was the founding academic director of the PA program at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She also served as a faculty member and preceptor at South University in Tampa. In addition to her academic work, Flach has served as a clinician in adult and pediatric emergency care, family practice, geriatrics and psychiatry.

Trevecca's PA program was established in 1976, making it the longest-tenured PA program in Tennessee. In 2023, for the third straight year, graduates of the program achieved a 100 percent, first-time taker pass rate, which means all of Trevecca's 2023 graduates passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) on the first attempt.

"Trevecca's PA program has a longstanding history of success, and my only goal is to ensure the program stays on that same course," Flach said. "I look forward to working with the current faculty and staff to help students gain the education necessary to have successful and meaningful PA careers."

Flach earned her master's in medical science in physician assistant studies from Nova Southeastern University. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Ohio State University and a Master of Education in health promotion and education from Vanderbilt University.