MBU taps new director of physician assistant program

Mary Baldwin University has named Harold Felton the new director of the Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences Physician Assistant program effective July 1.

Felton has diverse experience in multiple surgical and medical specialties as well as administrative experience in running private practices. He was often the first PA in a hospital or practice and established the protocols for PA practice at several institutions. He has been involved in PA education for more than 10 years, and most recently was the associate director at Touro College in Manhattan. Felton has received several educational awards, and in 2015 was selected as Teacher of the Year.

In addition to his extensive educational and clinical experience, Felton is a retired U.S. Army colonel who has served in multiple command and staff positions in both combat and peacetime assignments. He was appointed to several Army advisory boards and was one of a select few that has risen through the enlisted, warrant, and commissioned officer ranks. He is a certified Army educator with decades of experience in medical and combat training.

Felton has served on several American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and Physician Assistant Education Association committees as well as having been a journal reviewer. He is a distinguished fellow of the AAPA and remains active in several military and PA organizations.

He is a subject matter expert in post-deployment health assessment and continues to assist in that area. Other areas of interest include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), where he continues to serve on several TBI committees. He was formally the TBI coordinator for the Fort Dix region. Felton is also interested in mentorship and educational remediation. He developed and implemented a remediation program that improved PA students’ overall performance and board pass rate.

Felton earned his bachelor of science in physician assistant from Long Island University/Brooklyn Hospital and went on to complete the Yale/Norwalk PA Surgical Residency Program. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Nebraska and completed an advanced degree at the U.S. Air Force Air University. He earned his doctorate in health education from A.T. Still University.

Felton is married with four children and four grandchildren.

Mary Baldwin University, founded in 1842, is a small, coeducational university offering a range of degree programs from bachelor’s to doctoral. It serves a diverse student population on its main campus in Staunton, Virginia, at its nearby health sciences campus in Augusta County, online, and through regional advising centers throughout Virginia. All programs are coeducational except the Mary Baldwin College for Women. Throughout 2016–17, MBU is celebrating its 175th anniversary.