The LGBT PA Caucus works to promote LGBTQ+ healthcare awareness, education, and advocacy within the PA community. Torres was also involved with the caucus in 2023 when he was named a PA Student Leader Fellow, which is a joint fellowship between the LBGT PA Caucus and PAs for Latino Health (PALH).
“Being ‘different’ should never keep you from your goals, on the other hand, it should be celebrated. There are many great opportunities out there and if you follow your passion, you will accomplish your individual goals and dreams.”
Dr. Harrington sought to create her own organization with a distinct focus on connecting practicing PAs and other medical providers to PA students during medical outreach trips, in order to create an opportunity to engage in short-term medical missions and mentor and equip students to begin a life-long journey of serving others through medicine.
The CCPA class of 2025 was invited to join the inaugural 2024 Called to Serve (CTS) mission in Carabayllo, the largest and poorest district in Lima, Peru. This past June, on their summer break, three CCPA students, Natalie Ramirez, PA, ’25, Wilson Niu, PA, ’25, and Brittney Whitlock, PA, ’25, and Cristina Tipei, PA-C, assistant professor, joined CTS to fulfill the ATSU mission and serve the primary care needs of the medically underserved.
View of Carabayllo
CTS set up its pop-up clinic across from one of Carabayllo’s health centers, Centro de Salud Juan Pablo II, the only health center for roughly 15 miles. Each morning, the team would assemble the clinic and patients lined up to be seen.
“My favorite part of the trip was setting up the tents in the mornings and learning more about the community,” said Niu.
Once constructed, the clinic included a triage station, three clinic rooms, a physical therapy station, a reading glasses/patient education station, a pharmacy/lab, and a prayer area where patients could pray with a pastor from Cristo Viene, a local church.
“I was so excited to put my skills and knowledge to practice but also terrified,” said Ramirez. “All of us [students] were on the same page… Helping those who need it most is why we chose the PA profession to begin with.”
Called to Serve clinic set up
In the CTS clinic, students put their didactic year education to the test and got a taste of what their upcoming clinical year would be like. Many of the visits to the clinic included musculoskeletal complaints which felt serendipitous as the students had just finished their finals which included mastering the musculoskeletal physical exam.
Niu fondly remembers working with Dr. Harrington and performing the Ortolani test to look for hip dysplasia on a baby. Another memorable patient brought their printed spine x-ray, CT, and MRI and asked for an interpretation.
Students also learned the importance of collaboration in working with the medical director of Centro de Salud Juan Pablo II, Ronald Mendoza. When a local matriarch presented with a stage four pressure ulcer, Dr. Mendoza welcomed CTS into his clinic to treat the patient. PA Tipei, who has extensive experience in wound care, taught Whitlock how to clean and debride the pressure ulcer, and Ramirez jumped in and put her prior phlebotomy experience and skills class knowledge to use to place a line for the patient to receive IV antibiotics.
When asked about the impact of mission work, Dr. Harrington likes to share an excerpt from “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eisley:
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. Approaching the boy he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”
“Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up, and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die,” the boy replied.
The man laughed to himself and said, “Do you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference.”
After listening politely, the boy bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the surf. Then, he smiled at the man and said, “I made a difference to that one.”
Medical Director of Centro de Salud Juan Pablo II Dr. Ronald, Summer Stephenson PA-C, Students Natalie Ramirez and Brittney Whitlock.
Of the 333,039 people in Carabayllo, the Called to Serve clinic served an estimated 500.
By emphasizing patient education about illness and teaching physical therapy techniques to use in activities of daily living, patients weren’t just treated but given the tools to continue to heal. What makes CTS unique is that not only were patients served but ATSU CCPA students were given the opportunity to apply their learning.
“I will never forget the people of Carabayllo. They were so appreciative and kind. Peru will always have a special place in my heart because it was there that I saw and treated my first patients, bonded with my faculty and our CTS team became like a family. I am so thankful to CTS for this opportunity,” said Whitlock.
Breanne Jaqua, DO, MPH, ’17, associate professor, department of clinical science education, A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-SOMA), has been selected for the 2024 class of U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Fellows, specifically for the NAM Fellowship in Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Jaqua is one of seven selected health professionals for the class of 2024, who will collaborate with researchers, policy experts, and clinicians from across the country during this two-year fellowship. Chosen based on their professional qualifications, reputations, accomplishments, and current field expertise, the fellows will also participate in initiatives convened by the National Academies to provide nonpartisan, scientific, and evidence-based guidance to policymakers, academic leaders, healthcare administrators, and the public.
NAM is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The academy’s Fellowship in Osteopathic Medicine is supported through an endowment from the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), and the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF).
Dr. Gallagher currently serves as associate dean for clinical services and previously as the executive associate dean and chair of the Department of Clinical Oral Healthcare at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California.
With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Dr. Gallagher brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to ATSU-ASDOH. He began his dental and military career as a general dentistry and anesthesiology program resident in Germany. During his seven years of active service, Dr. Gallagher undertook several operational tours, including command and leadership of combined medical/dental assets.
After military service, he established a dental office, and in 2012, he joined the Dugoni School of Dentistry as a group practice leader and course director for the dental urgent care clinic and clinical application of evidence-based dentistry. He is also an examiner for the License in Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a CODA site visitor.
Dr. Gallagher earned his dental degree from the University of Wales College of Medicine School of Dentistry in 1994 and received a master’s degree in dental education from the University of the Pacific in 2016. His honors and awards include the Dugoni Dental Faculty Council Distinguished Faculty Award and the Associated Student Body Award for teaching excellence. He is a Fellow of the ADEA Leadership Institute and the American College of Dentists and an Associate Fellow of the College of General Dentistry in England.
Held annually, the fair is open to the public and provides families, students, and community members an opportunity to participate in health screenings, explore educational booths, and connect with local healthcare providers and social services organizations.
ATSU-CCPA students were able to share their recently learned knowledge with attendees, including crucial blood pressure information and guidance on sun protection, including how to choose the right sunscreen. In addition, students had the opportunity to shadow a physician assistant at the Santa Barbara County Clinic during recent back-to-school sports physicals.
Board certified by both the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Osteopathic Family Physicians, Dr. Klamo is currently a family physician with Ascension Medical Group in Oxford, Michigan. In addition to her full-time work as a physician, she serves on Ascension’s Physician Operations Council, chairs the Ethics and Continuing Medical Education (CME) committees, and acts as the Physician Champion for statewide Hospital Medication Safety.
Earlier this year, she received the Ascension Medical Group Excellence in Medicine award, which recognized her volunteerism, dedication to underserved populations, exceptional patient care, and reputation among her peers.
Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH, professor and assistant dean for research at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), recently presented the keynote address during the research workshop at the 2024 American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) annual conference in New Orleans.
Dr. Spolarich presented the address, entitled “Developing the Discipline: Progress and Possibilities,” on July 25, 2024. Over 70 educators from across the country, along with representatives from the private industry, attended the eight-hour research workshop.
Dr. Andrion presented his platform presentation, entitled “The Identity Formation of Transnational Physiotherapists in Ontario, Canada,” during the February APTA 2024 Combined Sections Meeting in Boston.
This was Dr. Andrion’s first presentation at the APTA since living in the U.S., and he said of the opportunity to present as an ATSU faculty member, “I’m glad to be carrying ATSU with me!”
Part of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU), a nonprofit University with campuses in Arizona, California, and Missouri, the CCPA program is a 24-month master’s program with a goal of educating community-oriented physician assistants (PA) who will provide whole person primary care to underserved communities along the Central Coast and across the nation.
Students spend one year on campus in Santa Maria for the didactic phase of the program before entering the clinical phase, when healthcare partners including Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Marian Regional Medical Center, Lompoc Valley Medical Center, and others regionally and across the U.S. help prepare them to provide culturally proficient healthcare services.
Class of 2025 student Alexa Lodolo, of Morro Bay, California, understands the challenges faced by underserved populations firsthand, having experienced her own with access to healthcare services as she grew up on the Central Coast.
“Personal exposure to the foster care system and family members’ substance use disorders further demonstrated the health disparities prevalent on the Central Coast,” Lodolo said. “Becoming a PA allows me to make a tangible difference in people’s lives by providing quality care and support. I chose ATSU because of its commitment to community-focused and whole person healthcare, which will equip me with the tools necessary to excel in this field.”
The White Coat Ceremony, conducted at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande, California, included remarks from Jennifer Harrington, DMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, professor, chair, and director; O.T. Wendel, PhD, president, ATSU Arizona & California campuses; and Eric Sauers, PhD, ’97, dean and professor.
Paola Gonzalez, MPAS, PA-C, president, Physician Associates for Latino Health, delivered the keynote address. Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84, ATSU chancellor, provided closing remarks.
Dignity Health – Marian Regional Medical Center sponsored the white coats for all ATSU-CHC students. The formal “robing” or “cloaking” during the ceremony marks entrance into a health profession.
“The symbolism of the white coat you’ll don today represents not only a garment of professional identity, but also a mantle of responsibility, compassion, and unwavering dedication,” Dr. Wendel said. “This White Coat Ceremony marks a significant transition in your educational voyage, signaling the commencement of your clinical phase, a period where all that theoretical knowledge you’ve gained during the didactic phase seamlessly integrates with the practical application in medicine.
“As you embark on this transformational phase, I urge you to embrace this journey with humility, empathy, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Watch the complete ceremony here and check out more photos below!
Worn for more than 100 years by physicians, white coats have been adopted by other health professions. This ceremony serves as a symbol of transformation and a right of passage, and recognizes students for reaching this point in their education.
Brittney Hulsey, DMSc, PA-C, ’15, program director, associate professor, welcomed students and introduced the stage party, which included Ann Lee Burch, PT, EdD, MS, MPH, ATSU-ASHS dean and associate professor, and Clinton Normore, MBA, vice president, diversity & inclusion, who both delivered opening remarks.
In total, 100 students received their white coats.
Check out more photos and watch the full ceremony here.
