PAs Go Beyond Archives

2025 Diversity Award Recipients Advance Equity, Access, and Representation Within the PA Profession

PAs of Color is the 2025 recipient of the Diversity Award. Also known as ThePAC, PAs of Color is a nonprofit organization serving as a pipeline to the PA profession for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) individuals, from pre-matriculation to PA professional practice.

May 8, 2025

2025 PA of the Year Transforms Healthcare Through Leadership and Public Service

Colonel James J. Jones, PhD, PA-C, is the 2025 recipient of the PA of the Year Award. Committed to advancing the PA profession, military healthcare, and public health initiatives at the local, national, and international levels, Jones is the first PA in history to serve as Director of the White House Medical Unit.

May 8, 2025

2025 Preceptor of the Year is Known for Her Unwavering Dedication to Service

Emily Monahan, PA-C, CPAAPA, ATC, OTC, is the recipient of the 2025 Preceptor of the Year Award. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Monahan felt called to become a preceptor. Along with precepting students from two PA programs, she also co-manages a social media platform that offers shadowing opportunities to pre-PAs.

May 8, 2025

2025 PA Student of the Year Helps Patients and Providers Better Navigate the Healthcare System

Phoebe Zhang is the 2025 recipient of the PA Student of the Year Award. A PA student at Long Island University, Zhang is an active volunteer leader and founder of a healthcare advocacy website dedicated to improving healthcare literacy.

May 8, 2025

2025 Publishing Award Recipient Examines the Effect of a Doctoral Degree on PA Graduates

James Kilgore, DMSc, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA, is the recipient of the 2025 Publishing Award as the lead author of the article, “Characteristics and career effect on PA graduates of a doctor of medical science program,” a comparative analysis study of DMSc program graduates that was published in JAAPA.

May 8, 2025

2025 Outstanding Student Society Aims to Make Healthcare More Accessible, Equitable, and Compassionate

The 2025 Outstanding Student Society is the James Madison University PA Program, whose members lobbied the Virginia General Assembly, conducted outreach to local schools, and received a PA Foundation IMPACT Grant for their Healthcare for the Homeless Suitcase Clinic.

May 8, 2025

CO Outreach and Advocacy Award Recipient Ensures PAs Have a ‘Seat at the Table’

The recipient of the 2024 CO Outreach and Advocacy Award is the Maine Academy of Physician Associates (MEAPA). MEAPA participated in public health events related to gun safety and opioid use disorder, advocated for the adoption of the PA Licensure Compact in Maine, and more.

May 8, 2025

In-Flight Medical Emergency: PA Saves Physician’s Life Over the Pacific

After a 10-day family vacation in Hawaii, Emily Haley, PA-C, boarded a late-night flight bound for home, expecting nothing more than a quiet ride. But high above the Pacific Ocean, she found herself back in the role she knows best—emergency medicine provider.

April 30, 2025

Asha Byrd Prioritizes Connection When Caring for Her Patients at the Sacramento Native American Health Center

Asha Byrd, PA-C, first saw the importance of building a rapport with patients through her volunteer work at medical facilities like the Northeastern Tribal Health System in Oklahoma. Now as a physician associate in primary care, she continues to prioritize connection—along with creating safe spaces and addressing barriers—when caring for undeserved patients at the holistic-minded Sacramento Native American Health Center.

April 16, 2025

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