One PA alum's dedication to rural health care

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Media Contact: Kayley Spielbusch | Digital Communications Specialist | 918-561-5759 | kspielb@okstate.edu

Taylor Lanning, physician assistant certified (PA-C), always aspired to build her career around serving rural communities. 

Growing up, her family had access to tribal health care. She recalls times when her family would not have been able to care for their health without that resource. 

“I’ve always wanted to give back for all that tribal health care has done for me,” Lanning said. 

Her career in medicine began as a nurse technician in the emergency department at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. She was inspired to pursue a career as a physician assistant after working alongside PAs in the department and seeing how their collaboration with supervising physicians benefitted patient care. 

“I saw firsthand the impact PAs have on improving health care access for patients. I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” she said. 

Lanning graduated from the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences’ Physician Assistant program in 2024. The program’s focus on rural health is what originally drew her to OSU-CHS. 

The PA program focuses on increasing health care access in rural and underserved Oklahoma. Lanning saw this reflected in the curriculum. 

“OSU-CHS did a great job preparing us to work in rural and underserved communities. There were several rotations around the state in rural areas that helped me learn more about how rural medicine works,” she said. 

Now, Lanning is a primary care provider for Cherokee Nation Health Services at the Three Rivers Health Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, fulfilling her dream of working in tribal health care. 

She said she enjoys working in primary care because it gives her the chance to treat her patients’ overall health and experience something new every day. The most gratifying part of her career is the relationships she builds with her patients. 

“I love seeing my patients and getting to be a part of their lives. It’s rewarding seeing them for follow-up appointments and helping them better their health,” said Lanning. 

Regarding her success, she credits the supportive environment at OSU-CHS. 

“I cannot say enough good things about the faculty," she said. "Everyone wants to make sure their students succeed in the classroom and the real world. OSU-CHS has a great atmosphere for fostering learning and development. Not just as a professional, but as a person too,” she said. 

Lanning advises aspiring PAs to enjoy the entire experience. 

“Make sure to find moments of joy. Appreciate the journey and keep in mind what a privilege it is to work in health care and help people throughout their lives,” she said. “Find the area you are passionate about and pursue it to excellence. If you do, you will never work a day in your life.”