PAs Go Beyond

In the year following the withdraw of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, thousands of evacuees have sought refuge in the U.S. In spite of limited resources, PAs Caryn Covella and Amy Keim have dedicated their time and medical expertise to ensure Afghan evacuees receive the full range of quality healthcare.

With over 30 years of military service, including 17 as a PA, Col. Amy L. Jackson, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, is the 2022 recipient of the Military Service Award. Jackson is the commander at Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy, West Point, where she is the first PA to hold this position.

Shani Fleming, MS, MPH, PA-C, is the 2022 recipient of the inaugural AAPA Diversity Award. An associate professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore PA program whose scholarship addresses the need for greater diversity in the PA profession, she also serves as the graduate school’s chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer.

Kelly Gassman, MPAS, PA-C, is the recipient of the Preceptor of the Year Award. Gassman is a PA in psychiatry in Omaha, Nebraska, helped design a psychiatry rotation schedule for University of Nebraska PA students, and has precepted over 40 PA students throughout four-week rotations.