In 1973, Ken Dodge stood among the first graduates of Stony Brook University’s Physician Assistant program, a trailblazer in a profession still in its infancy. “In September 1971, 15 very nervous people walked into South Campus,” he recalls. “Our medical director was supportive and beloved as he mentored us through those first months.” Although leadership changed during the program’s first year, the foundation was set for a group of determined students to make history.
Ken’s path to becoming a PA began after serving as a senior corpsman with Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, completing two tours. After his military service, he returned to civilian life, unaware that a new opportunity was on the horizon. “The PA program had not been formulated, and I went back into the workforce until my wife saw the article about the new program. I applied and was accepted.”
The early days were challenging. “We were split up into groups, and it seems like we were thrown to the wolves. Nobody knew what a PA was, and there were mighty struggles across the different disciplines. We persevered and somehow survived.” Of the original 15 students, 13 graduated—Ken’s New York State license number? 000100. “I never met a PA with a lower number. Pretty cool!”
Ken began his career at a multi-disciplinary medical group in East Hampton, serving a largely working-class community. “Most people see East Hampton as an upper-class location, but the truth of the matter is that it was full of working-class people—fishermen, farmers, and landscapers, among others—wonderful people who saw that a PA could get them access to quality health care quickly.”
Over the course of 43 years, Ken became a cornerstone of the East Hampton and Montauk communities. “House calls were routine and enjoyable,” he says. From fish hooks to dislocated shoulders—often from surfers—he handled it all. Ken spent his final working years in a practice that echoed the early days of walk-in emergencies and close-knit care.
But Ken’s contributions extended far beyond the clinic. He raised nine children and now enjoys the company of 14 grandchildren. “All pretty much grew up here and graduated from East Hampton,” he shares with pride. He coached youth soccer for 23 years, served on the East Hampton UFSD board for nine years—six of which he was president—and dedicated 30 years to the East Hampton Village Ambulance, including five years as chief.
