Marietta, OH – Though our community may be small in size, the 8.75 square miles that comprise Marietta, OH, is large in tenacity. A distinct characteristic of our city is the ability to leverage resources to influence our future development.

On April 24th, 2019, Marietta College’s Physician Assistant Program and its students celebrated its 101st in-class session with their own ultrasound machine. This machine was purchased in 2018 after the PA Program was awarded a collaborative grant from Marietta Community Foundation and Memorial Health Foundation.

“We are proud to be a part of this triumphant moment,” said Heather Allender, President & CEO of Marietta Community Foundation. “Projects such as this have a direct impact on these students’ professional development, their education, and the patients they will serve in the future.”

According to the PA Program’s data, almost 70% of their graduates continue their professional careers in Ohio and/or the Appalachian region and roughly 25% of each graduating class stay in close proximity to Marietta.

Prior to being awarded the grant, the program’s students were only able to interact with ultrasound equipment at limited intervals due to time constraints and availability. Now, after reaching this milestone, current students are able to gain the essential experience needed to develop their educational and professional careers.

“The extra time with the machine was quite evident in the skills the students demonstrated,” wrote John Grosel, MD, after observing students during the Spring 2019 assessment portion of the ultrasound curriculum. “In short [this grant] has been put to good use.”

Currently, the Foundation is underway with its 2019 Spring Grant Cycle. All grants are given due diligence by the Foundation’s Board and Staff. If you have an upcoming project in Washington County and would like to potentially receive funding, please refer to the Foundation website: www.mcfohio.org/grants.