Purpose Health professions programs often respond to academic difficulty as an individual learner problem, intervening after poor performance. This program evaluation describes how one U.S. physician assistant program shifted from reactive support to a coordinated, data-informed system designed to promote sustainable learner success while maintaining its mission-focused admissions approach. Methods Over five years, the program reviewed admissions characteristics, course performance, academic difficulty and support patterns, standardized examination results, faculty observations, and student feedback. Findings informed iterative changes across curriculum, assessment, and learner support. Strategies included earlier identification of academic risk, revised assessment thresholds, individualized learning plans, targeted support, faculty coaching, structured tutoring, study and test-taking support, a student success course, and a multidisciplinary Student Success Team providing longitudinal follow-up. Results The program evolved from isolated responses to student difficulty into a coordinated learner success system spanning didactic and clinical training. Multiple data sources were used to identify emerging concerns and connect learners with targeted support. First-time national certification examination pass rates increased from 72% in 2022 to 100% in 2025, while the overall certification pass rate remained 100% for 2018–2024 cohorts. Throughout these changes, the program held steadfast to its mission-focused admissions approach. Conclusion Academic difficulty can be viewed not only as a learner-level challenge, but also as a signal for program learning and system redesign. Sustainable learner success may require structures connecting assessment, curriculum, faculty response, and longitudinal support. This systems approach offers a practical model for health professions programs seeking to move from reactive intervention to proactive learner development.