Dr. Veronica Marciano will serve as program director and Dr. Timothy Lietz as medical director for a new physician assistant studies graduate program planned for launch in 2027 at Elon University’s national campus in North Carolina’s largest city.
Elon University has appointed two administrators whose accomplished academic and medical backgrounds will help steer the creation of a new physician assistant studies graduate program in Charlotte.
Dr. Veronica Marciano joins the School of Health Sciences administration in February as the first program director for the developing program to be taught at Elon’s Charlotte campus in the city’s South End neighborhood, pending accreditation by ARC-PA.
Dr. Timothy Lietz has been named the developing program’s inaugural medical director.
Both begin their assignments on Feb. 17, 2025 – Marciano in a full-time position, and Lietz in a part-time capacity. Together, the duo will start building a two-year physician assistant studies program with a tentative launch date of January 2027.
“The need has never been greater in our country for compassionate physician assistants who recognize the unique physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of patients,” said Maha Lund, dean of Elon University’s School of Health Sciences. “Through their commitment to excellence, Dr. Marciano and Dr. Lietz will make a profound impact on our future students in Charlotte and, by extension, countless patients and families to be served by Elon-educated physician assistants.”
Through their commitment to excellence, Dr. Marciano and Dr. Lietz will make a profound impact on our future students in Charlotte and, by extension, countless patients and families to be served by Elon-educated physician assistants.
– Maha Lund, dean of the School of Health Sciences
Marciano brings to Elon nearly six years of academic and administrative experience in the Physician Assistant Program at the John Sealy School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
She currently serves as the program’s director of didactic education and assistant professor of instruction. In her leadership roles as director of didactic education, chair of the curriculum committee, and assistant director of program evaluation, Marciano contributed to writing the program’s Self-Study Report and oversaw curriculum revisions.
As an educator, she developed case-based and team-based learning activities and delivered many lectures in both medical and scientific disciplines.
Marciano said her decision to enter academia was “driven by a desire to give back to the profession and community in ways that I could not solely as a practitioner and preceptor” that has “allowed me to mentor and coach students on their own path in this dynamic and evolving field.”
In her new role establishing an Elon Physician Assistant Studies program in Charlotte, Marciano will, among other responsibilities:
- Lead the organization, administration, continuous analysis, and development of the program
- Supervise the medical director, faculty, and staff in all activities related directly to the program
- Manage all activities related to ARC-PA accreditation
- Manage departmental budgets and funding to meet program goals and objectives.
- Recruit, hire, and evaluate all staff and faculty
- Aid in student recruitment and admissions
- Serve as spokesperson for the department and take part in public relations and development office activities at the local, state, and national level
The new Elon Physician Assistant Studies program in Charlotte is a separate program from an existing graduate program established in 2012 on the university’s main campus. Though the two will eventually share common features – a commitment to experiential education, a holistic approach to preparing future healthcare professionals, and more – they will run independently of each other within the university’s School of Health Sciences.
“Elon’s initiative to bring a PA program to Charlotte is truly brilliant,” Marciano said. “Charlotte’s diverse medical landscape presents a unique opportunity for students to engage with a wide variety of clinical settings that will provide them with training experiences that are broad and impactful. The chance to serve such a diverse community, paired with the extensive local resources, such as the medical centers, hospitals, and health network, makes this an ideal setting for training the next generation of PAs.”
Selected to serve as medical director for a new Elon PA program is Dr. Timothy E. Lietz, who has led Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates as president and CEO for the past 11 years. He also serves on the MagMutual Insurance Company Board of Directors, a medical professional liability insurance company based in Atlanta.
Prior to assuming the role of president with Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates, Lietz held several key positions with MEMA at Novant Health in Charlotte, including a 17-year tenure as the medical director for the emergency department in Matthews, N.C.
From 2013-2019, Lietz served on the North Carolina Medical Board where he contributed his expertise during the early stages of the opioid epidemic to ensure educational programs for proper prescribing by clinicians in North Carolina. He held many leadership roles on the board, including service as president in 2018.
As medical director for Elon’s PA Program in Charlotte, Lietz will report to Marciano and, among other responsibilities:
- Assist in the development and evaluation of admissions criteria, as well as the development and assessment of student learning outcomes
- Contribute to the development and evaluation of both didactic and clinical year curricula
- Help in the recruitment, development, maintenance, and evaluation of clinical sites for experiential training
- Serve as an “ambassador” for Elon University, the School of Health Sciences, and the Physician Assistant Studies Program in Charlotte
“I have worked with physician assistants throughout my career as an emergency physician and am acutely aware of the value a well-trained physician assistant can bring to any practice,” Lietz said. “Elon has recognized the value of our medical community, and I am excited to partner with them in expanding their health sciences program to Charlotte by training future generations of physician assistants.”
About Elon University’s School of Health Sciences
Established in 2011, the School of Health Sciences is a vibrant learning community dedicated to creating innovative and engaging learning opportunities for more than 300 graduate and undergraduate students in the Departments of Nursing, Physician Assistant Studies and Physical Therapy Education. The school is based in the university’s Gerald L. Francis Center and features more than 50,000 square feet of classrooms, research spaces and skills labs, including an anatomical donor laboratory.
Interprofessional learning opportunities for students are embedded into the curriculum and afford future health care providers the opportunity to articulate their unique role on health care teams, understand the roles of other health care professionals and collaborate to provide optimal patient care. School of Health Sciences students work together in co-curricular pursuits, including community outreach through the Health Outreach Program at Elon (H.O.P.E. Clinic) and the Open Door Clinic of Alamance County, global learning opportunities, inclusive excellence initiatives and social events with graduate students from across the university.
Students accepted into the School of Health Sciences’ Accelerated Pathways Program are mentored during their first 3.5 years at Elon and, upon successful completion of all requirements, matriculate directly into the PA or PT program in January of their senior year. The school also features two tracks for aspiring nurses: a four-year program for newly matriculated undergraduates, and an accelerated program for students who previously completed a bachelor’s degree in any field who complete prerequisite coursework prior to admission.