SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Aug. 19, 2026) – John Brown University announced today a $34.5 million gift commitment to launch a Master of Science in physician assistant (PA) studies and three Master of Science nurse practitioner (NP) tracks: family nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.

The gift, provided by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, advances JBU’s goal of helping to address the critical shortage of advanced medical professionals in Arkansas to serve the state’s primary care, behavioral health and maternal health needs.

Arkansas currently only has two PA programs, with one more in the approval process. JBU’s PA program will be the first in Northwest Arkansas.

JBU is not new to healthcare education. The university's Bachelor of Science in nursing program, launched in 2016, has grown from 35 to 156 students and built a strong regional reputation, with 73% of 2024 graduates and 81% of 2025 graduates remaining in Northwest Arkansas to practice — a retention rate that reflects the program's deep roots in the region it was built to serve.

"JBU has built a nursing program that competes with anyone in the region on clinical preparation and simulation technology, while offering the whole-person formation that shapes not just competent healthcare professionals but compassionate ones," said Natasha Trotter, D.N.P., JBU department chair for nursing. "Expanding into nurse practitioner and physician assistant education is a natural next step for a program that has already demonstrated it can produce graduates who stay and serve.”

Arkansas currently faces a significant healthcare workforce challenge, ranking 46th nationally in physicians per capita, and with 68% of its counties designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas, according to the 2020 Arkansas State Health Assessment. The shortage is particularly acute for physician assistants, with the state projected to meet only 48% of its PA workforce needs by 2026, according to the Arkansas Health Workforce Projects: 2021-2035 report published by the Arkansas Hospital Association.  

"Every year, Arkansas loses talented, motivated students to out-of-state PA programs because there aren’t enough openings in our state. Many of those students never come back,” said Ted Song, Ph.D., JBU’s chief innovation officer. “JBU’s program changes that by giving students a high-quality option right here in Northwest Arkansas.”

The need is equally acute for nurse practitioners. In rural Arkansas communities, family nurse practitioners frequently serve as the sole primary care provider for entire communities. In addition, Arkansas has the nation's smallest maternity care workforce per capita and the second-highest infant mortality rate, according to The Commonwealth Fund's 2024 State Scorecard on Women's Health and Reproductive Care. The state's behavioral health crisis is equally severe: only 29.7% of Arkansas's behavioral health needs are currently met by existing prescribers and clinicians, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. With more than half of practicing psychiatrists approaching retirement age nationwide, the need for psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners, particularly in community mental health clinics and through rural telehealth, has never been more urgent.

"For over a century, JBU has prepared graduates to go where they are needed most and serve with both excellence and conviction,” said Chip Pollard, Ph.D., JBU president. “Northwest Arkansas is growing rapidly, and plans are already underway for the region to become a destination for healthcare. By expanding our healthcare offerings, JBU hopes to contribute to that regional goal by training the next generation of advanced practice professionals to help care for the medical needs of their neighbors.”

The grant will be implemented in two distinct phases. Phase 1 includes a gift of $9.5 million to finish a 7,500-square-foot expansion of JBU’s Health & Technology Center to provide state-of-the-art labs and classroom space, as well as the initial startup costs for faculty recruitment and accreditation. Phase 2, which is contingent on accreditation, establishes a $15 million faculty endowment to ensure market-competitive compensation for faculty and a $10 million scholarship endowment to ensure that the programs remain accessible to students committed to practicing in Arkansas. As part of its Steadfast Faith capital campaign, JBU has raised $7.7 million for the new programs from generous donors and is committed to raising another $6.5 million, for a total project investment of $48.7 million.  

To support the clinical requirements of the new programs, JBU will work with regional partners, including Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, Washington Regional Medical Center, Freeman Health Systems, and Community Clinic, to develop high-quality local rotations. JBU is committed to growing clinical capacity in coordination with regional health care partners to ensure these opportunities benefit the Northwest Arkansas community.

Because of the rigorous requirements for national accreditation, faculty recruitment and clinical site development, the programs will roll out over three years. The fully online nurse practitioner programs are expected to begin with the family nurse practitioner and nurse-midwifery tracks in 2028, followed by the psychiatric-mental health track in 2029. The residential physician assistant program is slated to welcome its first cohort in 2030.  

JBU has initiated the multiyear accreditation process with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Trotter, a certified healthcare simulation educator, will oversee the NP expansion, while Song will lead a national search for a PA program director to lead the residential medical track.

For more information about JBU’s healthcare programs, visit jbu.edu.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked regional university (U.S. News) and Arkansas’ No. 3 university (The Wall Street Journal), JBU enrolls more than 2,500 students from 34 states and 43 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers over 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including business, nursing, visual arts, engineering, teacher education, psychology, computer science, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Fourteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling and cybersecurity.

 

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