Texas Tech program at Midland College renamed

A decade-old program at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Midland now bears a brand new name: The Nadine and Tom Craddick Physician Assistant Studies Program.

The recently unveiled moniker honors Rep. Tom Craddick and his wife Nadine, a duo who have been instrumental in starting and continuing the program on the Midland College campus, according to the Center.

In 2019, Rep. Craddick was essential toward rounding up $20 million in state funding, ultimately leading the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Health Professions Physician Assistant Studies Program to complete a $30 million expansion in 2022.

The “state-of-the-art spaces ensure the university is equipped to train the next generation of physician assistants in West Texas,” according to TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D.

The Center said that physician assistants are essential in bridging health care gaps in remote and underserved areas. To date, the program has produced more than 1,000 alumni.