James Hammond, better known as Jim, was a recognized PA educator. A common focus of his career was the assurance and improvement of the quality of PA education. He served as secretary and treasurer (1988-1992) and as president-elect, president and past president (1994-1997) of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs (APAP, now PAEA). He was a co-developer and co-chair of Program Assistance and Technical Help, (PATH), a national service of APAP to promote and maintain excellence in PA educational programs. Hammond also served as a commissioner (2007-2013) and chair (2010-2011) of the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). For over thirty years, Hammond led or was a team member on accreditation site visits to PA programs. He continued working with the ARC-PA as an independent contractor (2014-2018). He served as faculty at two PA programs: Western Michigan University (WMU), Kalamazoo, Michigan (1978-1997, Director 1985-1991) and founding program director at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA (1997-2013).
Hammond grew up in small towns in southwestern lower Michigan. During his high school and college years, he held summer jobs on farms, in manufacturing plants, at an inner-city community action center, and an inner-city neighborhood children’s activity center. After college while working as a hospital-trained respiratory care technician, he needed to decide what to do in life. He spoke with the only PA in Michigan at the time. As in Robert Frost’s poem, he found two divergent roads – PA school or medical school. As in the poem, he chose the road less traveled by, and that made all the difference. Hammond was married to Jean for 54 years. They had three sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Hammond received a BA degree in philosophy from St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, WI (1968) and a BSM (Bachelor of Science in Medicine) from Western Michigan University (WMU), Kalamazoo, MI (1975). After completing his PA studies, he worked full-time at the Daniel Boone Clinic in Whitesburg, KY (1975-1978), a town with less than 1,500 people nestled in the valley of the North Fork of the Kentucky River, five miles west of the border of KY and Virginia. In 1978, he returned to Kalamazoo and joined the WMU PA program faculty. This afforded him the opportunity to continue his education by completing a masters degree from WMU in educational leadership (1983). While at WMU, he also served part-time as the interim manager of PA services at the Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI (1993-1994). As a faculty member, Hammond continued to practice clinically part-time in various settings including the Family Health Center, Kalamazoo, MI, Veterans Administration Hospital, Battle Creek, MI and Otsego Family Physician PC, Otsego, MI.
Hammond taught many clinical courses in the PA curriculum for 35 years as a PA educator. He was a contributing chapter author for three editions of Ballweg’s A Guide to Clinical Practice published by W.B. Saunders Co. Philadelphia, PA. His chapter titled “Education” related the history and contribution of PA education to the PA profession. He also authored a chapter titled “Physician Assistants” that appeared in Chisolm’s Health Professions: Trends and Opportunities in U.S. published by Jones and Bartlett, Sudbury, MA. Hammond presented workshops on how to prepare for program accreditation, program development, grant writing, precepting, and on teaching PAs in community settings. In recognition of his contributions to the PA profession, Hammond received the William G. Birch, M.D. Society Award, for outstanding support for the PA concept and commitment to the improvement of education for students and program (1986), a leadership award from the Michigan Academy of PAs (1988), a president’s award, by the Association of Physician Assistant Programs (1996), an Academy of Outstanding Alumni Award, inaugural inductee, Western Michigan University (2002) and the Physician Assistant of the Year Award, from the Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants (2013).
James Hammond retired as a professor emeritus from James Madison University in 2013. He passed away on February 26, 2026 at the age of 80. You may go to a wonderful writeup of his life by clicking here.
Acknowledgments: This biography was written by Reginald Carter with the assistance of James Hammond and submitted to the Society April 2021. The biography was updated in March, 2026 with information from his obiturary. The portrait photograph is courtesy of Mr. Hammond and the other photograph is courtesy of the PA History Society, Johns Creek, GA.
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