2026 PA of the Year is a Champion for Patients in Cardiology and the PA Profession 

“Viet Le is the type of clinician who elevates an entire team simply by being a part of it.”   

May 14, 2026

By Jennifer Walker 

Viet Le, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, HF-Cert, AAPA’s 2026 PA of the Year, was the only one of his seven siblings to be born in the United States after his parents arrived as Vietnamese refugees in 1975.  

“I grew up watching my family learn a new language, find work, and navigate a health system that wasn’t built for them,” said Le, a preventive cardiology PA and an associate director of research at Intermountain Health in Utah. “Those experiences formed a quiet promise in me: People should feel seen, safe, and informed when they seek care.”  

Today, this credo guides Le, who began his career as an athletic trainer, a role in which he saw how relationship-centered care could improve patient outcomes. Le became a physician associate to continue fostering these relationships while also having the opportunity to bring evidence-based research into practice.  

The PA of the Year award honors a PA who embodies excellence in clinical practice, leadership, advocacy, research, and/or service; demonstrates the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare to all; and has made a far-reaching impact on the advancement of the PA profession. 

Now, having been a PA for more than 20 years, Le prioritizes developing care plans that consider the needs of each of his patients and leading and collaborating on research that will ultimately benefit his patient population. Outside of his clinical work, Le—who has worked on multiple committees to advance the PA profession—helped successfully advocate for use of the “physician associate” title within cardiology organizations to better reflect the education and expertise of PAs.  

Along with preventive cardiology, Le also practices advanced lipid management at Intermountain Health. There, he works with patients who have complex cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) diseases as the co-director of the specialized Advanced Lipid and Cardiovascular Prevention CKM clinic.  

“Many of my patients balance multiple jobs, limited transportation, and cost barriers,” he said. “My response is simple on purpose: meet people where they are, make cost and tolerability a part of every plan, and use shared decision-making so patients leave with one clear next step. The most rewarding aspect of being a PA is the trust patients place in us.”  

At the national level, Le has also highlighted the power of language to clarify the PA role. For six years, he co-chaired the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Cardiovascular Team PA Work Group, where he worked with colleagues to successfully encourage the adoption of the “physician associate” title in ACC communications. While serving in his term as President, he also helped transition the name of the PA cardiology specialty group to the “Academy of Physician Associates in Cardiology.  

“Whether in exam rooms, classrooms, boardrooms, or newsrooms, I work to elevate patients and elevate PAs,” said Le, who was the 2024-25 president of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants. “The result is better access, better understanding, and better outcomes, especially for those who too often sit at the edge of our systems.”  

To amplify the profession, Le has been involved on conference, education, and leadership committees with various organizations, including the Heart Failure Society of America, the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, and the National Lipid Association. He is currently the Editor of ACC’s CardioSmart, an education platform for patients and providers to find information about dozens of heart conditions and access resources designed to support heart health conversations.  

As an Associate Professor of research at Intermountain Health, Le has contributed to more than 60 publications, consensus statements, and abstracts focused on heart failure and lipids, as well as imaging and prevention.  

“My aim is to translate evidence into care that expands access and protects dignity,” he said. “I bring those learnings back to the clinic by simplifying regimes, leveraging genetics and assistance programs, and building follow-up pathways that keep patients connected.”  

“He not only advances scientific knowledge but ensures that findings are translated into real-world care improvements,” said Kaley Graham, MBS, BSN, RN, who has worked directly with Le at Intermountain Health for more than a decade.  “What distinguishes Viet most, however, is the combination of humility, kindness, and excellence with which he leads. He fosters mutual respect among colleagues, champions interdisciplinary teamwork, and consistently prioritizes the success and well-being of those around him. He is the type of clinician who elevates an entire team simply by being a part of it.”  

Jennifer Walker is a freelance writer in Baltimore, MD. Contact Jennifer at [email protected].