Ken Harbert
Ph.D., MCHES, PA-C, DFAAP
Dean and Program Director
Current Position and Professional Experience:
Dr. Harbert currently serves as the Dean and Program Director for the School of Physician Assistant Studies at South College in Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Harbert has over twenty plus years of medical education experience teaching a variety of health care providers including emergency medical technicians, nurses, medical students, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and post graduate physicians. He has developed graduate physician, physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs throughout the United States. He assisted in the development of the physician assistant profession in the Netherlands with Drs. B. vanBergen and Fons Wierink, Director of International Studies of the University of Arnheim-Nijmegen. His clinical experience includes psychiatry, internal medicine, occupational and disaster medicine. As a Health Care Administrator he has been responsible for the management of Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Physicians within large tertiary health systems, urban community hospitals and rural clinics. He served as the visionary Project Director for the Center of Excellence for Remote Medically Underserved Areas (CERMUSA) which designed and directed research activities for the Office of Naval Research (DOD) health care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) dedicated to identifying optimal solutions for remote health care delivery via telemedicine and distance education, using a technology mix that was applicable, available, affordable, and reliable.
Professional Education:
Dr. Harbert is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University where he obtained a doctorate in health education, Central Michigan University where he obtained a masters of health administration, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he obtained a bachelor of science degree as a Physician Associate. He obtained the rank of full Professor from both South College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been a Visiting Professor for the University of Arnheim-Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Teaching Responsibilities:
Course Director: PA History
Course Director: Professional Issues and Health Policy
Lecturer: HAPE, CAM II and III, Emergency Medicine, Evidence Based Medicine.
