MedWise Urgent Care announced a strategic partnership with the OSU Center for Health Sciences aimed at enriching the education and training opportunities for physician assistant students.

Through this collaboration, MedWise will serve as a clinical rotation site for PA students at its urgent care facilities, offering invaluable hands-on experience under the guidance of seasoned professionals.

MedWise has also made a donation to support the OSU-CHS program through a contribution to the OSU Foundation.

The inaugural PA class at OSU-CHS, comprised of 21 graduates, completed its studies in October. More than 80% of these graduates are practicing in Oklahoma.

“MedWise relies on a competent team of physician assistants to manage their clinics and it provides an excellent training site for OSU PA students to acquire knowledge and skills from MedWise PAs who manage care plans for their patients. We are excited about the opportunity this partnership provides for our students,” said Amy Harrison, PA-C, and director of the OSU-CHS Physician Assistant program.

Dr. Dennis Blackstad, president of MedWise, and an OSU-CHS alumnus, highlighted the significance of the partnership in fostering hands-on learning experiences for PA students.

“As a proud OSU-CHS alum, I am thrilled that we can provide this opportunity for PA students to have hands-on learning experiences in our world-class facilities,” Blackstad said. “These students will have the unique opportunity to learn from the very best in their classrooms at OSU and in our MedWise Urgent Care centers.”

Ali Thurman, a recent graduate of the OSU-CHS PA program, grew up in a small community in northwest Oklahoma. She was inspired to follow this career path after seeing a PA practicing in a nearby rural community hospital. Thurman completed the last month of her rotations at a MedWise clinic in Sand Springs.

“I appreciate the opportunity that MedWise provided me,” Thurman said. “I enjoyed the variety of clinical presentations that I saw during my time there, as well as learning to assess and treat patients quickly."

Thurman said that the MedWise model of quick and efficient care was a challenge but provided a well-rounded experience. 

In addition to educational experiences, the partnership creates a pathway for OSU-CHS PA graduates to explore employment opportunities in underserved urban health care settings, addressing critical gaps in patient care.

Dr. Michael Steele, executive physician at MedWise, emphasized the organization’s commitment to hiring OSU graduates and leveraging the partnership to attract top talent.

“MedWise has been proud to hire many OSU grads into our ranks, including myself. As we continue to expand our footprint, I’m excited to see this partnership help us recruit and retain top OSU talent,” Steele said.

MedWise currently operates 14 urgent care clinics in the Tulsa area with two additional clinics expected to open in 2024.