Maxwell Named Assistant Dean and Tampa PA Program Director

Lincoln Memorial University-School of Medical Sciences (LMU-SMS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tiffany S. Maxwell as the new assistant dean and director for the developing Physician Assistant program in Tampa.

Maxwell brings over eight years of experience in physician assistant education, including a distinguished career within the University of Maryland System.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Tiffany Maxwell to our team,” said Dean Michael Stephens, DMS, PA-C. "Her wealth of experience and dedication to excellence in physician assistant education will undoubtedly enhance our program and benefit our students. We look forward to the contributions she will make to our institution."

Previously, Maxwell served as the founding department chair and program director at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), where she played a pivotal role in implementing and developing the UMES Physician Assistant Program, which successfully received accreditation. Her expertise and leadership were instrumental in establishing UMES as one of the six physician assistant programs located at Historically Black College Universities in the United States.

Maxwell was honored as the 2023 recipient of the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistant (MdAPA) Health Care Educator of the Year Award. This accolade recognized her teaching excellence and significant contributions to educating health care providers in Maryland.

During her tenure at UMES, Maxwell chaired the Public Safety and Health Work Group and served as an Advisory Board member at the University of Maryland Baltimore Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA). She currently contributes to the PA Profession as a member of the Grants Scholarship and Research Committee at the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), the National Education Association for the profession.

Maxwell is a board-certified physician assistant with over eighteen years of clinical experience, specializing in military and family medicine. She has provided emergency services, family medicine, and deployment support to military communities in various military facilities, including the Okinawa Japan Naval Hospital, The Pentagon, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Maxwell holds a Doctor of Health Science Degree, a Master of Science in Health Services Administration, and a degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Her mission-focused leadership and ability to foster strong team dynamics position her to provide effective guidance for the continued organizational and educational advancement of LMU's Physician Assistant Program in Tampa.

Lincoln Memorial University School of Medical Sciences Physician Assistant program for Tampa has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Lincoln Memorial University School of Medical Sciences Physician Assistant program for Tampa anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2026, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the September 2025 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

Established in 2019, the School of Medical Sciences (LMU-SMS) is home to LMU’s PA program with a primary care focus at the main campus in Harrogate, Tennessee, a PA program with a surgical focus at LMU-Knoxville, the online Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) program, and the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program. The school supports the University’s mission of service to Appalachia and other underserved areas by maintaining high quality medical education and supporting student success.