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From AAPA’s Leaders

Hear directly from the president and chair of AAPA’s Board of Directors, the organization’s chief executive officer, and your fellow PAs who volunteer their time and expertise in support of the profession. Be inspired by the ways in which they give back to their communities and their patients and work to raise awareness of PAs, and stay up to date on AAPA’s short- and long-term initiatives and business goals.

From Our President

From Our CEO

Our Volunteer Leaders

Orozco Jennifer headshot

Jennifer M. Orozco, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

President and Chair, Board of Directors

From Our President

  • January
    2023

    • Our Collective Resolution
      To open 2023, AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozo has a resolution for the PA profession: to answer the call to be stronger advocates for patients, and for every PA to stand up and take action.

    • December
      2022

      • A Defining Year for PAs
        To end the year, AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco reports on the success of PAs Go Beyond, gives an update on a critical advocacy win, and highlight’s AAPA’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

      • November
        2022

        • Gratitude As We Honor Our PA Veterans
          AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco reflects on the PA profession’s military roots and recognizes Native American Heritage Month. She also highlights the 2023 Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program final rule.

        • October
          2022

          • AAPA Holds it First Town Hall Meeting
            On October 27, AAPA hosted a virtual town hall meeting featuring reports from AAPA’s President, Speaker of the House of Delegates, CEO, and Student Academy President. Click the link above to view the recording!

          • October
            2022

            • Happy (Almost) PA Week!
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco spotlights the numerous ways PAs can participate in National PA Week. She also provides highlights from AAPA’s Leadership and Advocacy Summit.

          • September
            2022

            • PA Week 2022: Help Us Spread the Word
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco urges PAs to use PA Week as an opportunity to amplify and extend the new PAs Go Beyond brand – to help build a movement that will create greater awareness for the profession.

          • August
            2022

            • The Power of Volunteer Leadership
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco unveils “Our Volunteer Leaders,” the leadership spotlight section of aapa.org, and highlights opportunities for PAs to help advance the profession.

          • July
            2022

            • Welcome to the New Leadership Year!
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco introduces the newest members of AAPA’s Board of Directors and encourages PAs to lend their voice to support critical federal legislation.

          • June
            2022

          • May
            2022

          • April
            2022

            • The Countdown’s On To Indy!
              The countdown is officially on to AAPA 2022! AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco highlights the main stage events, CME, networking opportunities, and more.

          • March
            2022

            • Inspired by the PA Community
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, shares how she’s been inspired by PAs recently — from a meaningful board reunion to AAPA’s grassroots advocates around the country.

          • February
            2022

          • January
            2022

            • PA Again a Top Job!
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, celebrates PA being named the number two healthcare job in the country. This month, she previews three priority initiatives for 2022: Partnering with Purpose, launching the new PA brand, and ongoing advocacy efforts.

          • December
            2021

          • November
            2021

            • Honoring Veterans, Advocacy Advances, 11-Day Power Play
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, reflects upon the profession’s deep roots in military service and provides updates on key policy changes regarding reimbursement. Orozco also highlights two PAs participating in an 11-day ice hockey game to raise money for a cancer hospital.

          • October
            2021

          • September
            2021

            • PAs on NBC, Title Change Updates, and Negative Noise
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, celebrates NBC’s coverage of frontline PA Arianna Campbell on both the “Today” show and on MSNBC. Orozco also addresses the effectiveness of behind-the-scenes work.

          • August
            2021

            • Title Change and PA Brand Updates
              AAPA President Jennifer M. Orozco, MMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, launches a monthly letter to members. This month, she highlights four key areas of strategic work: title change, the new PA brand, advocacy, and education.

Lisa Gables CEO 2020 headshot

Lisa M. Gables, CPA

Chief Executive Officer

From Our CEO

Our Volunteer Leaders

  • September
    2022

    • PA Ben Reynolds Represents PAs at the Leadership Table
      Ben Reynolds, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, believes participation is the lifeblood of a community. But he’s more than a participant; he’s a leader, always looking for ways to improve others’ lives – whether PAs, patients, or fellow community members.

  • August
    2022

 

PAs Go Beyond News

Major Marc Latta Focuses on Transformation

Major Marc Latta, DHSc, PA-C, has spent more than two decades in cardiac surgery, education, and aviation medicine. Now he navigates his own transformation while building Elevated Black Man, LLC, his organization that will address sociocultural traumatology by creating safe spaces for African American men to connect and grow.

February 28, 2023

Cardiology PA Viet Le Helps Pave the Way for More PA Researchers

Viet Le, preventive cardiology PA and associate professor of research at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute in Utah, devotes much of his time to cardiovascular research. His clinical practice and research often go hand in hand as he treats complex cardiovascular diseases.

February 23, 2023

Mental Health is Part of Everyone’s Health: Psychiatry PA Jessica Tabb Wants to Change the Narrative Around Mental Health Care

Psychiatry PA Jessica Tabb has worked with a wide age range of patients in a variety of settings, providing them with individualized care and helping them gain trust in mental health care. Also an advocate for health equity, she believes all PAs can help expand access to mental health care.

February 21, 2023

Focused on Efficiency: PA Kevin Riddleberger Develops In-Home, High-Acuity Care Delivery Model

For PA Kevin Riddleberger, improving care delivery models is both his passion and his profession. As the co-founder and chief strategy officer of DispatchHealth, Riddleberger leads a rapidly expanding network of providers who bring emergency and hospital medicine directly to the patient’s front door.

February 17, 2023

From Addiction and Tragedy, PA Josh Thornhill Treats Body and Soul

Josh Thornhill sees patients every day as a PA at NorthCrest Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Springfield, Tennessee. But on Tuesday evenings, Thornhill takes care of other people: approximately 100 men and women who come to an area church to confront their addictions and to deal with their anger, depression, and anxiety.

December 22, 2022

PA Katherine ‘Kaesa’ GeeBah Footracer Believes Healthcare Can Make the World a More Equitable Place

Katherine “Kaesa” GeeBah Footracer followed a winding path to becoming a PA. Now, from volunteering on a Navajo Nation reservation during the pandemic to leading a pilot program called the COVID-Like Illness Outpatient Clinic, Footracer is helping to improve the healthcare landscape for all.

November 17, 2022

Through ‘She’s the Veteran,’ PA Brooke Jackson Kahn is Building a Community to Improve Women Veterans’ Mental Health

Army veteran and neurosurgery PA Brooke Jackson Kahn noticed a lack of mental health resources and community for women veterans – so she decided to create her own. Her nonprofit organization, She’s the Veteran, serves women veterans across the country.

November 9, 2022

Texas PA Provides Critical Psychiatric Care in El Paso Region

As a PA working at the designated Local Mental Health Authority in El Paso, Texas, Elisa Hock serves on the frontline of mental healthcare. Speaking from her own experience, she is adamant that PAs are integral to ensuring patients have timely access to psychiatric care.

October 13, 2022

Meet Two PAs Working to Improve Access to Maternal Mental Health Care

When PAs Mary Banahan and Amy Roberts learned that Indigenous women have higher rates of pregnancy-associated suicide, they set out to make a difference. Both women are open about their own past mental health struggles and hope their stories help to raise awareness.

October 12, 2022

Interventional Radiology PA Thea Nolan’s Advocacy on Behalf of Patients Led to a Nationwide Medical Device Recall

When interventional radiology PA Thea Nolan identified a defective implantable port, her perseverance in ensuring action was taken led to a nationwide recall. For Nolan, speaking up and advocating for patients is a crucial part of being a PA.

October 11, 2022