South University physician assistant faculty and students with the College of Nursing students at the Village Academy
By Vanessa Orr
Since 2018, South University’s College of Nursing has partnered with Palm Beach County (PBC) to help children in underserved populations get ready to go back to school. Thousands of people attend the event annually, which is held in July at Palm Beach Convention Center and the Village Academy in Delray Beach. It is an event where children receive school physicals, vision screenings, haircuts, backpacks and more.
College of Nursing Professor Kimberly Dawkins, Professor Rebecca Magwood, and Dr. Sharon Ramjohn at the Palm Beach Convention Center
The College of Nursing first collaborated with South University’s Nurse Practitioner Program to provide student physicals, and now works with the Physician Assistant Program (PA) to carry on the tradition since the Nurse Practitioner Program transitioned online. Nursing students assist with registration, obtain students’ height, weight, blood pressure, BMI and perform vision screening, while PA students and faculty provide complete physicals for the school health entry form required by Florida schools and provide referrals as needed.
According to the College of Nursing Professor Sharon Ramjohn, a total of 368 school physicals were completed in both locations at the Back to School Bash on July 26, 2025, compared to 331 last year.
In addition to Dr. Ramjohn, nursing faculty included BSN Program Director Dr. Mary McMullen and nursing professors Dr. Sonia Brown, Dr. Susan Hamley, Dr. Priscilla Baer and Dr. Dorean McLaughlin. PA faculty included Medical Director of the South University MSPA Program Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, Program Director of the PA Program Prof. Lysa Diggins, Assistant Program Director and Back to School Bash Coordinator, Dr. Kimberly Dawkins and PA faculty members Caitlin Spaulding, Dr. Suzanne RoseGreen, Rebecca Magwood, Desiree Hussain and Dr. Sarah Aziz Mahareb.
Dr. Diggins highlighted the importance of local community outreach as, “integral to the PA programs’ mission and vision to improve healthcare equity and reduce disparity.”
According to Dr. Ramjohn, the collaboration not only provided an opportunity for nursing and PA students to work together, but to collaborate with other healthcare providers to ensure that students are ready for school.
“It’s a circle,” she said. “Nursing does one part and PAs do another and if a referral is needed, the students are referred to additional vendors at the bash.”
The students who were invited to the event by PBC Office of Community and Revitalization (OCR) can get haircuts, sneakers and school supplies. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office also provided a bounce house, games area, food and a fire truck to make the event fun for all.
“We are teaching our students to collaborate as an interdisciplinary team,” Dr. Ramjohn said. “Studies have shown that collaboration in healthcare improves patient outcomes, and that shared decision making and problem-solving increases nursing students’ clinical competencies, knowledge and skills. Moreover, student participation in community activities such as this also enhances advocacy and brings awareness of the need to serve vulnerable populations.”
