Inside Wake PA Winter 2018

INSIDE WAKE PA

curricular innovation p 7 A first-of-its-kind interprofessional event 5 PA Program alumni honored 9 Share the Health Fair 10 Boone campus hosts workshop WINTER 2018

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FROM THE VICE CHAIR

Wild and wonderful “Oh, the West Virginia hills! How majestic and how grand, With their summits bathed in glory, like our Prince Immanuel’s Land!

Is it any wonder then, that my heart with rapture thrills, As I stand once more with loved ones on those West Virginia hills?”

If I had a dollar for each time I’ve heard our colleague from West Virginia break into a pleasant warble of her state song, well . . . let’s just say that those student loan payments would have passed by a little more quickly.

This issue of Inside Wake PA is dedicated to Janie McDaniel on her retirement from Wake Forest, following 22 years of service to our PA Program and School of Medicine. Her influence will continue to reach across the landscape of PA education through her upcoming ventures, but we must pause to celebrate her here. Let’s start with just a few facts to add sharp relief to the impact she’s had over the years: ▷A s Director of Admissions, she shepherded the admission of almost 900 students to our PA Program. ▷S he served on and chaired (often as the only non-PA) national committees within PAEA and CASPA, our education and admissions representative bodies. ▷H er research activities have shaped the forward evolution of PA admission processes, benchmarks and data collection within our program, and through dissemination, at the national level with PAEA and CASPA. ▷S he routinely used her children’s medical concerns as fodder for her lectures on abnormal diagnostic test findings.

At first blush, Janie’s background would not have predicted such a trajectory.

Working endless hours as a medical technologist, she was invited to provide a few lectures to PA students at Wake Forest. Following the immediate recognition of her magnetic personality and reputation for thorough preparedness, content expertise and work ethic, she was invited to join the PA Program faculty as director of the clinical diagnostics course. Shortly thereafter, her do-it-all and do-it-well attitude propelled her to lead the admissions process. Here, her natural curiosity and process-minded approach opened doors within CASPA, and she was soon chair of their advisory board. Her admissions-based research was readily recognized as significant and laid the foundation for the benchmarks we use today in our admissions screening processes and as predictors of student success. And she did all of these things without becoming a PA — such is the quality of her work and clear ingenuity of her vision.

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As remarkable as each of the above achievements may seem, these are but small boats on the sea of her work. The great volume of influence she’s afforded our students has been in the lab, in her office, at the lecture podium and in her tireless work on their behalf.

But if you talk with Janie about her family’s 18th century farm in West Virginia, you’ll find a heart that has always been bound to return there — to care for that old house, her family and the heritage that brought her the gifts she’s given to us. We’re sad to lose the daily presence of Janie — her passion for education, her work ethic, her warm wit that enlivened every boring committee meeting — but we should pause here to treasure the gift. Thank you, Janie.

Erich Grant, MMS, PA-C Assistant Professor Vice Chair, Education & Curricular Innovation

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I N S I D E W A K E PA

CONTENTS

Winter 2018 • Volume 2 • Number 1

Department of PA Studies, Wake Forest School of Medicine Associate Professor and Chair L. Gail Curtis, MPAS, PA-C Associate Professor and Program Director Suzanne Reich, MPAS, PA-C

FEATURES 5

PA Program alumni honored at first APP Recognition Forum

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I nnovative IPE event marries sim lab with practicing goals of care discussion

ED IT OR

Tanya Gregory, PhD C O NT R I BUTORS

Carol Cooper, MEd Megan Curan (’19) Alisha DeTroye, MMS, PA-C Sarah Garvick, MS, MPAS, PA-C Erich Grant, MMS, PA-C Sobia Hussaini, MHA Camille Jones OIivia Jones (’19) Suzanne Reich, MPAS, PA-C Traci Streit P H O T OGRAPHY

Megan Curan (’19), Cameron Dennis, Alisha DeTroye, MMS, PA-C, Sarah Garvick, MS, MPAS, PA-C, Camille Jones, OIivia Jones (’19), Suzanne Reich, MPAS, PA-C, Traci Streit, Audrey Tuttle

INSIDE WAKE PA is a digital quarterly publication for students, faculty, staff, alumni, preceptors, and friends of the Department of PA Studies, Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Please send correspondence to: PA Studies, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157 or email PAAlumNews@ wakehealth.edu.

The Wake Forest School of Medicine and the Department of PA Studies are committed to diversity, inclusion and the spirit of Pro Humanitate. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by School of Medicine and Department of PA Studies policies, the School of Medicine prohibits discrimination in its educational programs, admissions, and activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status.

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OF NOTE 9 PA students participate in Share the Health Fair 10

oone campus hosts joint injection B CME workshop

DEPARTMENTS 11

Alumni Profile: Karen Hills (’99)

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Preceptor Profile: Kat Mercer (’08)

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New Faces

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Alumni News

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Faculty Facts

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Student News

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Photo Album

https://www.facebook.com/WakePAStudies/

F E AT U R E S T O R Y

PA Program alumni honored at first annual APP Recognition Forum The Wake Forest PA Program was well represented at the first Wake Forest Baptist Health Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Recognition Forum held on October 17, 2017. This event expressed appreciation for all the hard work of the more than 850 APPs (PA, NP, CRNA, CNM) who work in the health system.

Director of PA Services and adjunct assistant professor Alisha DeTroye (‘04), MMS, PA-C, and Director of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses Melissa Coble, APRN, DNP, NNP-BC, NEA-BC, welcomed attendees. Remarks of gratitude were provided by Chief Nurse Executive Cathleen Wheatley, System Chief Medical Officer Dr. Russell Howerton and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Julie Freischlag.

A special recognition was given in memory of our dear friend and colleague John Lloyd (‘98), PA-C, who passed away in August 2016. He was thanked for his 17 years of service to Wake Forest and to Interventional Radiology. His colleagues described him as a warm and funny gentleman who was kind and considerate to a fault and who gave generously of his time and expertise to all students and colleagues. He trained several of the present IR attending physicians when they came through as residents, and he maintained social contacts with a variety of employees, especially on the golf course.

The Recognition Forum culminated in the distribution of Outstanding APP awards.

Approximately 50 APPs were nominated by their collaborating physicians, colleagues and other team members; of those, nine received a plaque for their outstanding contributions to the medical center.

Wake Forest PA Program alumni were well represented among the nominees. These included Abigail Bagliani (‘16), MMS, PA-C; Christopher Craig (‘08), MMS, PA-C; Sage Haresnape Stringfellow (‘14), MMS, PA-C; Tiffany Hiatt (‘07), MMS, PA-C; Susan Lyerly (‘82), PA-C; Katherine Pickett (‘04), PA-C; Diana Stindt (‘94), PA-C; Matt Yoder (‘11), MMS, PA-C; Bryan Geigler (‘15), MMS, PA-C; Jeff Hinshaw (‘92), PA-C; Audrey Tuttle (‘84), PA-C; and Alice Wood (‘13), MMS, PA-C. Congratulations to our PA alumni nominees! continued

Nominees for Outstanding APP

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PA Program alumni honored

Award winners included Audrey Tuttle, who has served Wake Forest in nephrology for the past 33 years. She has been a Audrey Tuttle link between nephrology and vascular surgery, ensuring that dialysis patients have the best access possible. She sees the patient from admission through procedure and complete to discharge to ensure the most successful transition. She is valued by her APP and faculty peers as a resource and is known for educating physicians on the specifics of dialysis access and its management. Outside of clinical practice, Audrey Tuttle has served as president of the local Piedmont

Association of PAs and the state North Carolina Association of PAs.

Residency for PAs. On his return to Wake Forest, he received formal specialized training for advanced resuscitation for cardiac arrest after CT surgery. He was selected as the LEAD APP in the CVICU and has enhanced the onboarding and retention process.

He is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of PA Studies and is committed to better patient care through education.

Matt Yoder and Alisha DeTroye

Award winner Matt Yoder began work in the CVICU immediately after graduation but realized he could enhance his knowledge by an additional year of training at The Johns Hopkins Postgraduate Critical Care Alisha DeTroye and Sage Haresnape Stringfellow

Consistent, selfless and patient centered were terms used to describe award winner Sage Haresnape Stringfellow in her nomination. During a time of transition with her hospitalist service, she was able to help onboard new faculty physicians and keep the momentum of the service going. She oversees the Lexington Hospital Medicine initiative to reduce readmissions of CHF patients. She also is the lead preceptor of Wake Forest PA students for the Lexington inpatient service and was chosen Preceptor of the Year by the Wake PA Class of 2017.

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F E AT U R E S T O R Y

Innovative IPE event marries sim lab with practicing goals of care discussion Bright lights, an overcrowded room in the “At this point in the curriculum, the students function emergency department, the hum of oxygen being extremely well in groups when they are able to administered, the beeps and alarms of monitors, thoroughly discuss the clinical reasoning process multiple people asking questions—quite simply, over hours. Simulation allows them to work together organized chaos. In medicine, this is a typical work making decisions in real time while managing the environment. Providers assess the patient to gather entire clinical environment as well as the patient.” as much information as possible, review the data On the first day, PA students provided care for a collected and then rush to evaluate their other mannequin, Mr. Baily, who could respond audibly patients. Eventually, they talk with the patient’s to their questions. The mock emergency room was family. Two very different clinical responsibilities, but chaotic, with numerous questions being asked of both are important to do well.

On November 20 and 21, first-year PA students had a chance to experience both in a first-of-its-kind interprofessional event. On day one, they cared for seriously ill patients in a simulation lab; on day two, they paired with second-year chaplain residents to engage standardized family members around questions of prognosis and end-of-life decision making for one of the simulated patients, who had a poor prognosis and no advance care planning documents.

Faculty member Brian Peacock, MMS, PA-C, explained the importance of the simulation activity.

“Simulation allows students to take concepts that they have been working on throughout the unit and apply them in real life, real time scenarios,” he said.

the patient, the patient’s wife, a “nurse,” and a “physician” who stepped in as necessary to check on Mr. Baily. The room was outfitted like an emergency room, complete with monitors, oxygen, and personnel coming quickly in and out of the room to obtain scans and draw labs. Students were given small pieces of information by a faculty facilitator but used their own knowledge and judgment to manage Mr. Baily’s care. As their requests came in, changes were made to the mannequin’s vital signs and tests results were displayed on the room monitor. The students quickly had to reassess the patient and make changes in real time.

First-year PA student Caylin Iannotta thoroughly

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enjoyed the simulation experience and appreciated the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom.

She stated, “ The simulation allowed us to see how much we know and also how much more we need to work on. I loved having the interaction with the patient as well as nurses and concerned family members.”

After the simulation, students received Mr. Baily’s progress note indicating that his condition had deteriorated and a family meeting would be necessary on day two of the event. Standardized family members sat together with PA students and second-year chaplain residents for the meeting. The students shared news of Mr. Baily’s decline, which was a shock for the family members as his status the evening before had been stable. Suddenly, the family was faced with processing his decline as well as being his voice for future treatment options.

Family members’ conflicting views about his care further complicated the already stressful situation.

Students delivered the medical diagnosis and prognosis, but the more difficult piece was listening closely, navigating the struggle between the family members, and helping them to reach a point where next steps could be contemplated.

In commenting about the family meeting experience, Erich J. Grant, MMS, PA-C, Vice Chair of Education and Curricular Innovation, said, “Endof-life conversations and the sometimes murky discussions around prognosis are challenging, though health care providers do not routinely

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receive training for these difficult situations. This is beginning to change, as new interprofessional activities aim to increase our students’ preparedness for such real-life scenarios.”

First-year student Olivia Jones described the family meeting experience as “very real.” She stated it was the first time a patient had looked to her for answers, and it was humbling as well as motivating.

Her group employed communication strategies they learned in the classroom, such as reflective listening and opening and closing conversations effectively.

While PA students are attuned to their patient’s spiritual needs, they are not equipped to offer the emotional and spiritual counseling that was offered by the chaplain residents. Olivia appreciated the chance to partner with a chaplain in the family meeting; emotional and spiritual components are part of the healing process, and she felt the

chaplain’s presence had a very peaceful and calming effect.

Grant summed up the value of the experience for students when he said, “Participants found great value in practicing these encounters in a safe, non-graded environment. In particular, our PA students learned of the practical importance of using patient-centered language, finding pathways for direct yet compassionate communication, and facilitating the assistance of other professionals’ expertise to provide the best care to patients and their families.”

OF NOTE

PA students participate in Share the Health Fair Twelve PA students from the Wake PA classes of 2018 and 2019 volunteered time and energy on a sunny September day to help provide health-related services to residents of Boomer, N.C. Located in rural Wilkes County between Wilkesboro and Lenoir, Boomer is a farming township with fewer than 2500 permanent residents.

PA students paired with MD students to set up booths and tables in the Thankful Community Center, an old one-room schoolhouse that has been repurposed.

For an entire Saturday, the center was a bustling, busy place! Those attending were able to get their blood pressure, body mass index and pulse measured, have finger-stick glucose checks, and obtain vision testing. Information tables contained handouts on topics such as nutrition, exercise, advance directives, weight and diabetes management and stress reduction techniques. One station allowed residents to check in about personal health-related questions and be given access to licensed providers on site.

PA and MD students gathered initial information from Boomer residents and then presented their patients to Suzanne Reich, MPAS, PA-C, the PA program director, or to a family medicine physician. Patients received explanations or advanced-level health information that they could discuss with their primary care providers (PCPs).

Almost all the residents attending the health fair had a known PCP, although many providers are located at least 30 to 40 minutes from the residents’ homes.

A wonderful spirit of camaraderie, friendship and teamwork permeated the center. There was even a children’s play area with games and arts and crafts so that the adults could focus on obtaining important health and wellness information. Women from the Boomer community treated the students and providers to a scrumptious meal of sandwiches, salads, fruit and decadent homemade brownies. By the end of the day, all agreed it had been a generous reward for what was already a valuable fellowship and service learning opportunity.

Clinical year PA students Xiao Fu Liu and Kaisey Medley provide information to residents about end-of-life planning and explain advance directive forms.

The Wake presence at the health fair included, in the back row, Stephanie Watson, Kate Moss, Emily Patterson, Caitlyn Joyce, Meredith Was, Xiao Fu Liu and Shannon Ginty. In front are Tori Hitz, Suzanne Reich, Anshuma Pal, Kaisey Medley, Erika Cummings and Rachel Pienknagura.

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OF NOTE

Boone campus hosts joint injection CME workshop In conjunction with the Wake Forest PA Program Boone campus, the North Carolina Academy of PAs provided a regional joint injection CME workshop on Saturday, September 16, 2017. Forty local and regional PAs and NPs attended the workshop, which was led by Frank Caruso, PA-C, a preceptor for Wake Forest students.

Faculty member Sarah Garvick, MS, MPAS, PA-C, facilitated the workshop along with Brittany Donaldson (’16), MMS, PA-C, and Jay Peterson, PA-C, Assistant Program Director from High Point University.

After an interactive lecture session in the main PA classroom, the workshop focused on using evidencebased practice guidelines in clinical decision-making to determine when and what kind of injection is needed.

Anatomic landmarks were reviewed for safe injections, and appropriate injection techniques were demonstrated on joint injection models. For the hands-on demonstration and practice portion of the workshop, participants were divided into groups of 10 and rotated through four rooms where joint injection models were strategically placed on the tables for use.

Most of the participants (including five Wake Forest graduates from within the past four years) practice in primary care/internal medicine and were looking to refresh their skills. These providers are now better equipped to provide service to their patients in the office, without having to send them to a specialist. By the end of the workshop, everyone felt comfortable with basic joint injections of the knee, shoulder, and hip bursae. Instruction on billing and coding was also given.

Many of the participants expressed interest in attending more procedure workshops and CME events in the region and agreed on the need for such events in the more rural, western part of the state. The Wake Forest PA Program Boone campus looks forward to hosting more (and larger) regional CME events after they move into the new Beaver College Health Sciences building next summer.

Hip injection was one of the skills taught at the workshop.

Forty participants attended the NCAPA Joint injection workshop, hosted by the Wake Forest PA Program, Boone campus.

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Karen Hills’s career takes her to DC to serve PA educators at the national level Karen Hills’s personal philosophy is “to live life with the intention of being kind, compassionate, generous, and grateful.” After hearing her life experiences, it is clear that she has dedicated herself to fulfilling this philosophy—both through providing primary care for patients and also through her passion for continuously improving PA education.

Born and raised in Winston-Salem, N.C., Hills attended Wake Forest University to earn her bachelor’s degree in Latin and Psychology and then attended American University in Washington, D.C. for her masters in health fitness management. After finishing that program, she worked in Greensboro as the Executive Director of the Wellness Council of North Carolina. Hills recalls, “I saw that lack of access to primary care was a huge barrier to good health. I was running a nonprofit organization that engaged other community resources, such as businesses, hospitals and health departments, on public health initiatives; however, I realized that I did not want to just talk about preventive health. I wanted to actually provide care to patients.” This realization drove Hills to pursue a career as a PA, so she earned her PA certificate from the Wake Forest PA Program in 1999. Hills proudly wears the title of “double Deacon.”

After completing PA school, Hills began working in cardiology at a rural hospital, but within one year she transitioned to working at a family medicine practice.

“I truly felt that the best way for me to serve patients was through practicing primary care.” In 2001, Hills joined the Duke University PA Program as a

one-year teaching fellow and then as a clinical coordinator. She quickly became engaged in many different aspects of the PA program, and within a short amount of time Hills became the associate program director. She was appointed as program director in 2013. Hills is motivated by her “love for PA education as it is related to the patient and [she emphasizes] the importance of the educational model being focused on taking the best care of the patient.” During her time at Duke, Hills practiced in a variety of clinical settings, including student health, a diet and fitness center, and at the Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA) treatment program. Hills recalls, “Seeing how hard the residents of TROSA were working to overcome their addiction despite so many challenges is something that continues to inspire me to this day.”

Her love for PA education is what then motivated Hills to serve as president of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) in 2014. In October 2017, Hills left her role as director of the Duke PA program and joined PAEA in a newly developed role as the chief of educational development. “I have been working as a PA educator with students and faculty every day. Now I am working on a national level to provide the best member services to PA program colleagues, such as faculty development, curriculum support and scholarly opportunities. On any given day, I can be in different meetings and discussions about PA education needs at the national level. I am excited to be part of a very talented team that is moving the profession forward.”

Get to know Karen Hills What is an item that you have on your bucket list?

I would really like to hike the Inca Trail.

Another item I used to have on my list was visiting Hawaii, and I’ve been fortunate to be able to visit a couple of times now.

What music is currently on your playlist?

A lot of songs by David Gray. He’s a British singer/songwriter in the pop/ rock genre.

What was your first job as a youth?

Well, I started babysitting when I was around 10 years old, but my first official job was as a lifeguard at Camp Betty Hastings outside of Winston-Salem.

Name something interesting about you that is not listed on your resume?

I got married in Venice, Italy. We had already planned on visiting Italy, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get married there.

How do you define success?

Success is being able to do the things that you enjoy with the people you love.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

I am a “mountain person.” I love being up in the mountains where you can take hikes and be completely in nature.

What three words would you use to best describe yourself?

Kind, compassionate, thoughtful.

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PRECEPTOR PROFILE

Mercer observes as PA student Jon McGuirt examines a patient.

K AT M E R C E R Kathryn “Kat” Satterfield Mercer (’08) is a scientist at heart. A graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Math, she has always loved science, particularly human biology, and when she enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), her plan was to become a researcher. While at UNC, Mercer worked as a lab technician and after graduating in 2005, she became a researcher at the UNC Center for Neurosensory Disorders. But, she says, something was missing. “I needed people contact,” she realized, whereupon she used her considerable research skills to investigate various healthcare careers, landing on the PA profession as her choice. After shadowing a PA, she realized the profession was the perfect fit for her: flexible, intellectually challenging, with the opportunity to be part of a collaborative team providing patient care.

“I applied to a lot of PA schools,” Mercer said, “but I fell in love with the problem-based learning curriculum at Wake Forest.” Once here, she appreciated the supportive environment fostered by faculty and staff, and she felt part of a family. Mercer says her Wake Forest PA education prepared her well to know where to go to get answers when she began practicing medicine, and it taught her the importance of teamwork. She related a humorous story to illustrate her point: On a surgery rotation during her clinical year of PA school, a surgical nurse took her into the locker room, told her to remove her socks, and had her suture the sock openings together until she could do it well. The next day in surgery, the nurse suggested to the surgeon that he allow Mercer to close. When he complimented her on her suturing, Mercer says the nurse winked at her 12

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and she immediately realized the value of learning from others and leaning on them for help.

After graduation, Mercer accepted a position at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she worked first in general oncology and then with breast cancer patients. After a couple of years, she became interested in blood cancers and moved to the Lymphoma Clinic where she treats patients with lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma. She was drawn to medical oncology because of her interest in biology and her curiosity about cell physiology and how drugs work at the cellular level.

After seven years, Mercer still loves her work as an oncology PA, though it is, admittedly, difficult work at times. Asked how she copes with the difficult days, Mercer explains, “I was drawn to oncology because of the continuity of care it affords both the patient and the provider. There’s something special about sharing this journey with patients and their families. You’re there when the patient is diagnosed and treatment begins, you’re there to celebrate the successes along the way and you’re there to share the difficult days with patients who become like family.”

Mercer has served as a preceptor for Wake Forest PA students for over four years. Being a preceptor gives her the opportunity to teach, which she loves, and share her expertise with students. She tries to expose students to a variety of patients and experiences, beginning in the Lymphoma Clinic, where they take

histories and perfect physical exams.

Afterwards, she moves them into other clinical areas where they work with providers to broaden their knowledge and skills.

Of her oncology rotation, Wake Forest PA alumna Jana Villanueva (’16) said, “While working with Kat Mercer in her lymphoma clinic the very first week of my oncology elective, I witnessed what it means to deliver a poor prognosis to a family in an honest, compassionate and empowering way. She shared difficult medical knowledge in a way her patient and their family could receive at that time, and I would come to find her methods and empathy were second to none on my entire rotation. That truly impacted me, reminding me medicine is an art above all else.”

Current PA student Jon McGuirt (’18) says, “This (hematology/oncology) rotation is absolutely my favorite to date. Kat laid out a comprehensive, well-rounded experience, with exposure to many aspects of oncology. All the providers have taken me in as one of their own. It has been awesome.”

Mercer and her husband, Andrew, are the parents of Will (3), and Claire (18 months). In their spare time, they enjoy UNC basketball, ethnic food and travelling. As a couple, they have always loved hiking and camping and, having taken a camping trip when Claire was just two months old, are already instilling a love the outdoors in their children.

NEWFACES Brian Robinson joins the Boone campus faculty Brian Robinson, MS, MPAS, PA-C, started out as a microbiologist, but after doing research at the state and federal levels and spending some time in the military, he decided he wanted to be a PA. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, he became interested in environmental science early on.

He earned a BS in marine biology and an MS in microbiology at the University of Southern Mississippi, after which he worked as a contract research microbiologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before commissioning with the U.S. Army as a clinical microbiologist.

Robinson left the military in 2010 to pursue his desire to become a PA. After training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, he worked in family medicine for a year before moving to Boone and joining an ENT practice. Robinson joined the PA program in October 2017 to realize his dream of training PAs. He continues to work clinically one day a week in ENT. Brian is also a proud father and husband. He and his wife Abby have been married since 2002 and have two beautiful children. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing guitar and spending time in the beautiful outdoors.

ALUMNINEWS 1970s Doyce J. Emmert (‘75 ) is retired!

2000s Beth (Lisi) Buie (’12) married Ryan Buie, a Winston-Salem native in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina on June 24th, 2017.

Samantha D. Rogers (‘10 ) is the NCAPA President for 2018.

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SPOTLIGHT

FACULTYFACTS Sonia J. Crandall, MS, PhD, professor and director of scholarship and research, published “Promoting Academic and Student Leadership” in The Health Professions Educator: A Practical Guide for New and Established Faculty (Springer, 2017).

Her co-authors were former department chair Reamer Bushardt, PharmD, PA-C; and former departmental projects manager Teri Capshaw, MBA. Crandall also presented an innovation poster, “Walk in their Shoes: An Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Immersion Curriculum,” at the Association of American Medical Colleges—Learn Serve Lead Annual Meeting in Boston in November.

L. Gail Curtis (’81), MPAS, PA-C, associate professor and department chair, published “Female PAs—Where are we today?” in the September 2017 issue of JAAPA. Carol A. Hildebrandt, research project coordinator, was a coauthor.

Curtis also attended as an invited guest at the 2017 World Diabetes Commemorative Dinner hosted at the Danish Embassy in New York City by Ambassador, Consul General Anne Dorte Riggelsen. Also attending were the CMO of the American Diabetes Association, Will Cefalu, and the Institute Chair of the American Heart Association, Mikhail Kosiborod, MD.

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Sarah J. Garvick, MS, MPAS, PA-C, assistant professor, presented “Enhancing a Platform for an Internal Faculty Development Program” at the October 2017 Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Education Forum in Denver.

Physician Assistant Education. Gregory is a former editor of JAAPA and currently oversees Art of Medicine, Mindful Practice, and Becoming a PA, the health humanities departments in JAAPA. The Art of Medicine department won a 2017 Folio Society publishing award for the best series of articles in the health-medical-nursing category.

Jill P. Grant (’05), MS, Tiffany Hiatt (’07), MMS, PA-C, assistant MMS, PA-C, assistant professor and former professor and director co-director of clinical of preclinical education, education; Brian B. presented “Standards Peacock (’10), MMS, of Care in Diabetes PA-C, assistant profesManagement—2017 sor and co-director of Updates” in August at the North clinical education; and Carolina Academy of PAs Summer Gayle Bodner, MMS, CME Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. PA-C, assistant profesSobia Hussaini, MHA, sor and director of was asked to serve as clinical education, the co-chair of the presented “Divide and Women’s Forum at Conquer: Rotation Wake Forest University Splits for Pediatrics and and Wake Forest School Women’s Health” at the of Medicine. This will be October 2017 Physician a two-year term with this cross-instituAssistant Education tional group focused on collegiality, Association (PAEA) advocacy, and mentorship.

Education Forum in Hussaini also conducted a virtual Denver. presentation at the 7th International Grant and Tanya Gregory, PhD, assistant Conference on New Challenges in Management and Business in Dubai, professor and director UAE. The presentation was titled of student services, “Examining the Academic and published “The Sacred Leadership Performance of Students in Seven Elective: an Interprofessional Program Aiming to Integrating the Health Create Leaders for the PA Profession.”

Humanities into Physician Assistant Education” in the December 2017 issue of the Journal of

M. Jane McDaniel, MS, With Class of 2016 graduates MLS(ASCP)SC, assisKelly Conner, PhD, MMS, PA-C; tant professor, preCameron Young Sweeney, MMS, PA-C; sented the poster Tayla Brown, MMS, PA-C; Lauren Childs, “Innovative Strategies MMS, PA-C; and former PA program for Clinical Microscopy faculty member Samantha Rogers (’10), Instruction: Virtual MMS, PA-C, Gregory also published versus Light Microscopy” at the “Practical Applications of Physical October 2017 Physician Assistant Activity for Successful Cognitive Aging” Education Association (PAEA) in the August issue of JAAPA. Education Forum in Denver. Her Catherine Shull, MPAS, coauthors included Carol A. PA-C, is the didactic Hildebrandt and Sonia J. Crandall. director of the Physical McDaniel also published Diagnosis and Medical “Physician Assistant Applicant Pool: The Risk Assessment course First 50 Years” in the 2017 50th for the Department of anniversary supplement of the Journal Dentistry Residency of Physician Assistant Education.

Program, Wake Forest School of Courtney Perry, Medicine, for first-year dental residents.

PharmD, assistant professor, published “Considerations for a Logical Approach to Medication Prescribing” in the 2017 textbook Physician Assistant: A Guide to Clinical Practice 6e. Her co-author was Reamer Bushardt, PharmD, PA-C.

Caroline Bell Sisson (’13), MMS, PA-C, assistant professor, presented “Sleep Apnea: The Unwanted Bedfellow” on November 4 at the Virginia Academy of PAs CME conference in Roanoke.

Suzanne Reich, MPAS, PA-C, associate professor and program director, and Tanya Gregory, PhD, published “The Effects of Obesity on Pulmonary Function in Children” in the September 2017 issue of JAAPA. Co-authors were Class of 2016 graduates Courtney Durbin, MMS, PAC-C; Robin Egan, MMS, PA-C; Kristin Gervasi, MMS, PA-C; Nicole Nadeau, MMS, PA-C; and Emily Neal, MMS, PA-C.

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STUDENTNEWS

Wake Forest PA Studies celebrates PA Week!

The Wake Forest PA Class of 2019 showed their appreciation for faculty and the PA profession during PA Week this year from October 6th through October 12th.

The Boone campus kicked off PA Week by putting their cooking skills to work and hosting a celebratory breakfast. Faculty and students enjoyed homemade waffles, mini-quiches, parfaits, donuts, fruit and, of course, coffee! The faculty received cards, chocolate and clever coffee mugs

Boone students in their Wake Forest PA T-shirts

Wake Forest PA students during PA Week

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displaying, “Caffeine, PO, Q4H, PRN.” Three faculty members were also gifted new stethoscopes. Later in the week, students created and participated in their own “PA Jeopardy” to learn more about the PA profession. They also wrote personalized letters to practicing PAs in Western Carolina expressing appreciation for their hard work. To increase public awareness of PAs, the Boone class participated in a social media campaign, and two students prepared a presentation for Appalachian

State’s Pre-PA Club. Wrapping up the week, the Boone class donated food to the Hunger and Health Coalition, a local community resource to assist people with food and medication needs.

The Winston campus celebrated PA week in similar fashion. The Class of 2019 hosted an appreciation breakfast for the faculty and staff, replete with breakfast pastries and customized goodie bags. Those on campus coordinated by wearing purple for a class photo and participated in a social media campaign aimed at furthering public awareness of the PA profession.

PA students also held a food drive sponsored by Piedmont Association of Physician Assistants to bolster the supply of food pantries throughout the Piedmont, raising more than 50 pounds of food in just two days. They rounded out the week by hosting a class fundraiser at local favorite haunt Brynn’s Frozen Yogurt, benefiting both the Community Care Center of Winston Salem as well student participation in the 2018 AAPA conference in New Orleans, LA.

Ryan O’Hara receives NCAPA Endowment student scholarship Class of 2018 student Ryan O’Hara received the Thomas Benjamin Houck scholarship for 2017 from the NCAPA Endowment. The Endowment awards annual scholarships to deserving clinical year students at each of the North Carolina PA programs.

O’Hara graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he worked in the athletic training program with collegiate and high school sports teams. He also was a resident assistant and summer bridge counselor in a program that focused on minority, LGBTQ, underrepresented and educationally disadvantaged students. Studying abroad in London enabled Ryan to work with children who had diseases such as muscular dystrophy, autism, epilepsy and cystic fibrosis. Not surprisingly, he also volunteered in his hometown to work with the Special Olympics and with the local YMCA. Within PA school, Ryan stepped into leadership as a student admissions ambassador; he consistently volunteers at a student-run clinic for uninsured patients and at the local hospitality house for family members of hospitalized patients.

Ryan’s career goals include working in a rural community in NC and pursuing leadership as a PA graduate.

Watson and Nall awarded National Health Service Corps scholarships Stephanie Watson of the Boone campus and Jennifer Nall from the Winston campus were chosen as recipients of the prestigious National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholarship for both years of their medical education. This scholarship provides them with full tuition and a monthly stipend, followed by two years of clinical practice in a medically underserved community. More than two thousand medical learners nationwide apply for approximately 185 scholarships awarded each year.

Watson, 23, studied biology and worked previously as a nursing assistant in a rehabilitation center.

She also traveled to Guatemala and worked alongside

residents of Mayan villages, implementing infrastructure to prevent smoke pollution in homes. Her aim is to become a primary care provider in a rural community.

“I grew up in a really small town and went to college in a rural area,” she said, “so I’ve always been in an environment that doesn’t have the best access to healthcare. That’s where my interest came from.” Watson is eager to help address the provider shortage in primary care in rural parts of North Carolina and to act as the first point of contact for her future patients. Of her career plans, she said, “I was already going to work in a rural, underserved place, but this scholarship frees me of so many of the obstacles that can come along with that.”

Nall, 38, served at a South African orphanage in the Peace Corps and

spent more than a decade as a public health official prior to matriculation to PA school. She noted that her Peace Corps experience taught her the human impact of public health and informed her work improving infrastructure and policies that keep communities healthy. Nall hopes to incorporate her public health knowledge into her practice of medicine.

Her interests center on infectious disease epidemiology and preventive health, and she aims to be placed in a community health clinic serving a pediatric population or working in infectious disease.

Of the NHSC, Nall said, “The goal of the scholarship aligns with my values of placing equal importance on all human life, including those who don’t have access to care and are in out-of-theway places.”

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Spooky Duke racers support Parent-to-Parent in Boone Class of 2019 students in the Boone cohort took a break from their October midterm studying to participate in the Spooky Duke Race.

The Spooky Duke is a 5K and 10K race fundraiser for Parent to Parent Family Support Network – High Country, a network providing support and connections to parents of children with diverse health needs in Boone and other areas of the High Country. This year marks Parent to Parent’s 7th annual Spooky Duke fundraising and awareness event. The Spooky Duke name comes from its Halloween theme and to honor Dr. Charles R. Duke, former Dean of the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University and Parent to Parent sponsor.

The race takes place on campus at Appalachian State University and includes running or walking options, as well as a costume march and contest. North Carolina native and avid runner Stephanie Watson comments, “the Spooky Duke was a great way to raise money and show our support for a very deserving organization. We had the privilege of interacting with some children involved in Parent to Parent and enjoyed seeing their costumes and smiles.”

The race certainly lived up to its “Spooky” name this year, with costumed witches, skeletons, pirates, and ghosts running through campus. Less spooky costumes featured Mickey Mouse, The Cookie Monster, Care Bears, Minions, Wonder Woman, and even Cinderella and her Seven Dwarfs! Adults, children and pets came out to enjoy the Halloween fun together.

The Boone students enjoyed celebrating Halloween together with the Appalachian community while supporting Parent to Parent, whom they volunteer with monthly as a cohort. A few second-year students even returned from their clinical rotations to participate in the race. The Spooky Duke is a tradition the Boone Class of 2019 is proud to continue in their support of volunteerism and Parent to Parent.

Minnesota native Nathan Bates, dressed as a Minnesota Wild hockey player, placed 4th overall with a 5K time of 21:42.

Left to right (Top Row): Savannah Nohr, Stephanie Watson, Rachel Pienknagura, Claire Porter, Megan Curan, Nathan Bates. (Bottom Row): Candice Creecy, Dominique LaLiberte

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PHOTO ALBUM

Therapy dogs visit the PA students for a little stress relief before exams

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Faculty, staff and students of PA Studies bundled up against the cold to attend the 2017 American Heart Association Heart and Stroke Walk on November 11.

Happy Winter Spring from from the the Wake Wake Forest Forest School School of of Medicine Medicine Department Department of of PA PA Studies!

Studies!

We are always available to help. Please use the quick reference guide below when you need assistance.

We are grateful for your support and contributions.

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C O N TAC T PER SO N

EMAIL

P HO NE

Department chair

L. Gail Curtis

gcurtis@wakehealth.edu

336-716-2027

Department administrator

Dorothy Carter

dncarter@wakehealth.edu

336-716-2026

PA Program

Suzanne Reich, program director

suzreich@wakehealth.edu

336-716-2035

Preceptor education

Lori Cook, program coordinator, clinical year

lcook@wakehealth.edu

336-716-2023

Admissions information

Elise Gmuca, student admissions administrator

egmuca@wakehealth.edu

336-716-4358

Emerging Leaders Program

Sobia Hussaini, director, academic partnerships

ssharif@wakehealth.edu sshariff@wakehealth.edu

336-716-2167

Boone campus

Sherrie Spear, distant campus coordinator

shspear@wakehealth.edu

828-262-7366

Completion of enrollment Camille Jones, registrar verification forms, transcripts, credentialing and licensure documents

camjones@wakehealth.edu 336-716-7068

Alumni news or address change

PAalumnews@wakehealth.edu

All other requests or questions and to join our mailing list list

tcapshaw@wakehealth.edu 336-713-0819 tgregory@wakehealth.edu 336-713-0820

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Teri Capshaw, Tanya Gregory,departmental assistant professor, projectdirector manager

of student services