PAs Go Beyond

Jenny Burke was on her second day of ski patrol in Casper, Wyoming, when her team got the call: A man was lying in the snow at the bottom of the hill. Burke responded to Colin Anderson’s cardiac arrest as a volunteer at the ski facility, then later took the lead on a crucial procedure as a cardiothoracic physician associate on his open-heart surgery team at the local hospital.

In 2022, Carrie Hodge, PA-C, teamed up with a former ED colleague of hers, Gidon Coussin, DMSc, PA-C, and Sarig Reichert to develop a technology-driven post-discharge model of care. Together, they launched Dimer Health with a clinical platform designed to provide personalized, real-time, dynamic support for patients, during the critical time after a hospital discharge.

Caroline “Carrie” Hodge, PA-C, spent years in emergency medicine before setting out to redefine what is possible in post-hospital care. In 2023, Hodge co-founded Dimer Health, whose transitional care model has been deployed across parts of New Jersey, New York, and Florida. The rapid adoption is a testament to its effectiveness, as well as to Hodge’s leadership.

Onieta Stewart, DMSc, PA-C, is a critical care physician associate at UK St. Claire, a hospital that serves an expansive, rural area in eastern Kentucky. In addition to her work as the assistant director of the hospital’s residency program as well as a volunteer faculty for the University of Kentucky PA program, Stewart also visits other countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands, to educate medical professionals on evolving roles of PAs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, physician associate and engineer Bob Thomann set out to find a better way to sanitize medical equipment and hospital rooms. With innovation and patients in mind, he designed “BrightBots,” affordable and easy-to-use portable UVC lights that will kill germs and bacteria in a matter of minutes. His clients include hospitals, nursing homes, and dental offices.

A few months after graduating from her PA program, National Guardsman Makeda Tiye Young, PA-C, was assigned to Hurricane Helene recovery efforts for the Western Branch in North Carolina. The experience inspired her to take on similar leadership roles, both as an officer and a physician associate.

PA and preceptor Kara Szczomak gives back in both her personal and professional life. Each year, she and her family have a tradition of “adopting” two foster children and donating presents and essentials to give them a special holiday season.