Get to Know: Joanne Jones, MBA
PCOM South Georgia Campus Officer
May 13, 2021What is your role at PCOM?
As the Campus Officer, I oversee the day-to-day business operations of the South Georgia campus. This includes budget preparation for departments, ensuring that the campus facility
is working properly and also making sure that faculty and staff have the educational
resources they need to deliver curriculum to our students.
When I started this position in 2018 the PCOM South Georgia campus was still under
construction. Being here from the very beginning, it is exciting to see our first
class of doctor of osteopathic medicine students, who are now in their third year, start their clinical rotations.
Please share a brief background of your professional career including details of previous
positions at PCOM.
When I first joined PCOM in June of 1985, I was a medical assistant at the Cambria Healthcare Center. In 1990, I transferred to the Roxborough Healthcare center. I loved working with
the patients and the fourth-year medical students.
In 1993, I transferred to the Healthcare Center Administrative Suite on the PCOM campus
as a senior secretary and was subsequently promoted to practices manager in 1995.
I was responsible for the daily operations of family medicine, internal medicine,
pediatrics and geriatrics in Rowland Hall and the Healthcare Center in LaPorte Pennsylvania.
In May of 1999, I transferred into the Department of Graduate Medical Education. For the next 18 years, I was responsible for daily operations of the 12 PCOM residency
programs, ensuring the quality and continued accreditation of the MEDNet partner programs
(41 hospitals), and assisting in residency program development with our numerous hospital
systems.
In addition to creating numerous residency programs, I think my greatest accomplishment
in this office was working with the program directors and other members of the graduate
medical education staff, to transition to a single accreditation system which combined
the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American
Osteopathic Association (AOA). Under this new system, the PCOM residency programs
were required to apply to ACGME for program approval.
What are some of the challenges you see in your role? How do you plan to face those
challenges?
We faced many challenges when we opened PCOM South Georgia. As a team, we worked together
to overcome construction delays, host numerous visits from the Commission on Osteopathic
College Accreditation (COCA) to gain accreditation, hire caring and competent faculty
and staff and, ultimately, prepare the campus for our students’ first day of class.
Instead of seeing challenges, we see opportunities to embrace new programs here on
our campus. We are constantly exploring new methodologies for delivering instruction.
We are also very excited to involve the local community in the life and growth of
PCOM South Georgia.
What is your favorite thing about PCOM?
My PCOM family! I enjoy working with students, faculty and staff alike.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I was a majorette in high school and twirled fire at halftime during football games.
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About PCOM South Georgia
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) extended its commitment to the
Southeast by establishing PCOM South Georgia, an additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia. PCOM South Georgia offers both
a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit
institution which trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields.
Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state,
PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the South Georgia region. The
medical campus, which welcomed its inaugural class of medical students in August 2019,
has received accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association's Commission
on Osteopathic College Accreditation. For more information, visit pcom.edu/southgeorgia or call 229-668-3110.
For more information, contact:
Jordan Roberts
Public Relations and Social Media Manager
Email: jordanro1@pcom.edu
Office: 229-668-3198 | Cell: 229-873-2003
Connect with PCOM South Georgia