Dr. Coombs is a Board-certified Critical Care Specialist, Anesthesiologist and Internist, who has been actively practicing medicine for more than 35 years in both Private and Academic settings. She completed her medical training at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Internal Medicine and Anesthesiology, and a MGH Critical Care Medicine fellowship and Tufts University Cardiothoracic fellowship. Dr. Coombs has extensive experience in clinical operations, healthcare delivery, healthcare policy and advocacy. She is a Virginia Delegate to the AMA HOD currently serves on the AMA Council on Medical Services. She has served two terms as a commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the body that makes recommendations to Congress annually regarding payment for Medicare beneficiaries. She served as Chair of the National Medical Association of Anesthesiology Section throughout the Pandemic until 2022.

Dr. Coombs is currently the Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at VCU/MCV. She has also completed a master's in public administration with a focus on health care policy, leadership and negotiations. She was recently appointed by Governor Northam to the VCU Health System Board of Directors.

With a passion for serving minority and vulnerable populations, Dr. Coombs has also been on multiple commissions and boards that address racial and ethnic health care disparities. Working with the AMA Commission to End Racial and Ethnic Healthcare Disparities for more than 10 years, she served as Chair of the Workforce Diversity Committee and spearheaded the development of the health care Diversity Educational Toolkit and was also a driving force behind the AMA's “Doctors Back to School Program”, which teaches physicians and medical students how to encourage youth to pursue health careers.
Dr. Coombs is a trustee of the Richmond Academy of Medicine and the Medical Society of Virginia. She currently serves as President of the MSV and is engaging in health reform and patient and physician advocacy.

Dr. Rebecca “Becky” Hosey is a physician assistant and chiropractor residing in NY. She has years of clinical experience in the fields of pain medicine and psychiatry. She became ill in 2015 and authored a book titled, Girl on a Gurney: Trading My White Coat for a Hospital Gown, which reveals the unique perspective of an unwell medical provider struggling to navigate a convoluted health system. She is compelled to help others become empowered patients and is a regular presenter at various medical institutions. Becky is also the recipient of the 2024 Autoimmune Advocacy Leadership Award, sponsored by the Autoimmune Association.

Experienced Physician Assistant with over 23 years' experience in Urgent Care medicine. I am also a Certified Professional Coder and Certified Evaluation and Management Coder for the past 8 years. I contribute articles/coding challenges to Evidenced Based Urgent Care Medicine, College of Urgent Care Medicine and the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. I present Coding Excellence to state PA conferences and other organizations. Member of Novant Health's Advanced Practice Providers Leadership team for the past 7 years.

Marianna Garcia is a 2013 Physician Assistant graduate of Eastern Virginia Medical School. For the past decade, she has subspecialized in Structural Heart with focus on catheter-based interventions. She has been involved in programmatic development and best practices leading to increased clinic access, reduced patient wait times, and overall increase in patient satisfaction. She has mentored prospective students as well as new hires, and has had opportunities to extend her experience and offer expertise on more national level with speaking engagements at professional conferences. Within rapidly advancing field of Structural Heart, she has participated as Sub Investigator on more than 15 clinical trials, allowing patients access to therapies not yet readily available to general population. Marianna resides in Hampton Roads with her husband and three children and enjoys traveling, and spending time with her family.

"Dr. Ajay Manhapra completed his medical school training at Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala in India and completed his internal medicine residency at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI. He was a practicing hospitalist managing complexly ill patients for over a decade before he made a career transition to addiction medicine and research. After a two-year VA-funded fellowship at Yale University, he started a primary care-based clinic for patients with treatment-resistant chronic pain. The clinic follows https://services.easterassociates.com/conference/speaker/VAPA/17a whole-person approach to help these patients recover their functional life focusing on multimorbidity as the main target of pain treatment. Medical and psychiatric care, treatment of dependence and addiction, and polypharmacy management are combined with the behavioral treatment of pain as the main set of interventions. PTSD is a common comorbidity among veterans with chronic pain and Dr. Manhapra actively manages more than 200 patients with PTSD and comorbid pain. His research is also focused on the interaction of PTSD with pain and addiction.

Dr. Manhapra is currently the Director, of the Advanced Pain Clinic at the Hampton VA Medical Center. He is also a Research Scientist at the VA New England Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center located at West Haven, CT. Dr. Manhapra also lecturers at Yale School of Medicine for the Department of Psychiatry and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Psychiatry, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA.”

CDR Patrick Neubert, US Public Health Service, serves as the Opioid Rapid Response Coordinator for the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the United States Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, he works to alert state health authorities and insurance partners of clinic closures due to law enforcement actions on controlled substance providers, supporting care continuity and risk reduction for patients by coordinating federal law enforcement actions and public health overdose risk mitigation.
CDR Neubert is a recognized expert in healthcare claims analysis and policy. Previously, he worked for nine years within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the Center for Program Integrity, focusing on Medicare fraud analytics. In his last position at CMS, he served as the Acting Director of the Division of Provider Investigations and Audits.
CDR Neubert served on multiple public health deployments, including on the COVID-19 surges, influx of unaccompanied children, Operation Allies Welcome, and Hurricane Irma and Maria. He holds an MSPH from Emory University and an MSW from Case Western Reserve University and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.

Michael Cohen DHSc, JD, PA-C
Operations Officer, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

As a Headquarters Operations Officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Investigations, Dr. Michael Cohen is responsible for fraud trends analysis and pharmaceutical fraud law-enforcement program oversight in Washington, D.C. He has been at OIG headquarters for the past fourteen years. He previously worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, Florida in the Healthcare Fraud division. Dr. Cohen also has 30 years' experience in clinical health care. He is also the professor of health law in the Doctor of Medical Sciences program at the University of Lynchburg. He received undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry from the University of Richmond, physician assistant training from George Washington University, a law degree with a specialty in Health Law, and Doctor of Health Sciences from A.T. Still University.

Dr. Hanner is a Norfolk native. She earned her medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed psychiatry residency training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She then completed fellowships in Addiction Psychiatry at Columbia University and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at New York University. Dr. Hanner is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at EVMS, serving as a Community Faculty member.

Stephanie Peglow DO, MPH did her residency here at EVMS and fellowships at Yale Univeristy in Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Research as well as a Public Health Degree in Health Policy. She is currently the Regional Medical Director for Behavioral Health Group and a passionate advocate for MOUD.

David W. Munter, M.D., MBA, FACEP Dr. Munter's retired as a Captain from the US Navy in 2004 after a distinguished career, and is considered one of the founders of Emergency Medicine in the Navy. He then worked for 15 years as a partner with Emergency Physicians of Tidewater. Now in his third career, he is practicing wound care and Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy. He has published or edited over 60 textbook chapters and books, was a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners, is a reviewer for several publications including Annals of Emergency Medicine, has garnered multiple awards and honors, and has given hundreds of presentations all over the world on a variety of topics.

Dr. Kimberly Sapre (suh'- pray) is a Medical Consultant in the insurtech industry and has been a PA for 13 years. Before transitioning to nonclinical work, she worked as an Emergency Medicine PA at the only Level 1 trauma center in northern Virginia. Kimberly loves teaching. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Shenandoah University Doctor of Medical Science program where she teaches the Health Equity & Justice course. She is the Chief Delegate for VAPA and she just completed her term as the Chair of the AAPA DEI Commission. She lives with her husband in Alexandria, VA, and enjoys reading in her free time.

Bobby L. Cockram Jr, DMSc PA-C, DFAAPA
Dr. Cockram is a native of Virginia and has lived in Virginia almost his entire life. He did his undergrad at Virginia Tech and subsequently graduated from Jefferson College of Health Sciences PA school. As a PA, he has practiced primarily in Cardiac Surgery and Critical Care. He practiced initially in Roanoke and moved to Northern Virginia in 2012 and taking a position with Inova Health System. He has served in multiple leadership positions throughout his career, including the Chief APP for Critical Care at Inova Health System and a Director of the medicine service line. He currently serves as the system APP director for Inova Health System, assuming the role in 2021. As the system APP director, Dr. Cockram serves as an expert on advanced practice and leads over 1500 APPs across the health system including 5 hospitals and over 170 ambulatory centers. He is responsible for overall management and strategy for PAs, NPs, CRNAs, and Certified Nurse Midwives and has led numerous initiatives to advance the practice of APPs. In addition to his clinical and administrative roles at Inova, he is active in the VAPA serving as a director at large for VAPA and as the chair of the government affairs committee and as a delegate for VAPA for the AAPA HOD. He is an adjunct professor for the University of Lynchburg and Shenandoah University, teaching courses in healthcare administration and leadership. In his spare time he enjoys flying and volunteers as a search and rescue pilot for the USAF auxiliary. He loves advocating for the PA profession and is excited to be a part of the conference!

Michelle Kerr has been a Physician Assistant for nearly 30 years, practicing initially in primary care and then expanding to urgent care. She has been at Atrium Health in NC for 13 years, practicing clinically in urgent care, and holding a leadership position within the organization. Michelle serves as an Assistant Specialty Medical Director responsible for 10 of the 30 Atrium Health Urgent Care locations, and as Chief APP (Advanced Practice Provider) for the entire Urgent Care division, advocating and representing over 120 APPs. She actively teaches, updates, and reviews the standard of care practiceses within the Atrium Healthcare system. She serves on several system-wide and interdisciplinary committees and strategy groups.
Michelle continues to serve as adjunct faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology's PA program for over 25 years, still returning yearly to lecture even after moving to NC.

Anthony Poole serves as the System Director for Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Programs at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). In this role, he leads a team of Quality and Safety Managers to implement quality initiatives across all clinical and non-clinical services at MUSC Health system wide. In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Poole also practices clinically as a Physician Assistant in Family Medicine. Prior to transitioning to MUSC, he served as the Chief Clinical and Quality Officer at Fetter Health Care Network, the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of the quality improvement and risk management programs as well as clinical, quality, and outreach operations.

Anthony Poole is a graduate MUSC's Physician Assistant Program and completed his Doctor of Medical Science degree through the University of Lynchburg in 2022 with a concentration in Clinical Administrative Leadership. He earned two graduate certifications while at Lynchburg, one in Executive Leadership and another in Healthcare Administration and Management. He is proud to now serve as adjunct faculty in the University of Lynchburg's DMSc Program. He was recognized as the South Carolina Provider of the Year in 2020 by the SC Primary Health Care Association and one of Charleston's Forty Under 40 Professionals in 2020. He is passionate about health equity and increasing access to quality healthcare services for all people.

On a personal note, Dr. Poole is married with 5 children. His wife, Gabby, is also a PA and is the Founding Program Director for the PA Program at Charleston Southern University and serves as the Dean of the College of Health Sciences. He loves college football, and is actively involved in leadership development and global missions training through Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC. He has led medical mission trips to South Africa and Togo, West Africa and spearheads fundraising efforts for clean water wells in remote villages across West Africa.

Dr. Jonathan Sobel is the Vice President Human Resources for Strategic Workforce Planning for Northwell Health based in New Hyde Park, NY, an inaugural role that he has held since 2022. In his current position, Sobel provides leadership for several HR functions including recruiting, pre-boarding, pipelining, compensation strategy, career development, performance management, talent assessment, succession planning, workforce intelligence, fair employment practices and workforce equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. The primary focus of his work is to ensure that Northwell has the right people with the right skill sets to meet the current and future needs of its patients as it fulfills its promise to the community.
Sobel began his career as a cardiothoracic surgery PA, caring for pediatric open-heart surgery patients as a member of the highly skilled teams of surgeons, cardiologists, PAs and nurses at Cohen Children's Medical Center. He moved to several adult CT Surgery positions where he helped to advance new techniques in coronary bypass conduit harvesting. Sobel was serving as a PA in the National Disaster Medical System and responded to the World Trade Center attack in this capacity. In 2002, he joined the CT surgery team at LIJ Medical Center where he led innovations in care, quality improvement and patient experience as the Supervising PA. He received leadership training through Northwell's Center for Learning and Innovation and completed his MBA in Quality Management through the Northwell-Hofstra University partnership.
After twenty years of clinical practice, he worked for the next decade in clinical operations at Northwell, serving as the administrator for Advanced Clinical Providers at the three Manhattan campuses of Lenox Hill Hospital and later at North Shore University Hospital where he worked with hospital and system leadership to support clinicians as they cared for community members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sobel holds a Bachelor of Science in PA Studies from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University's Zarb School of Business, and a Doctor of Medical Science degree from the University of Lynchburg. He has completed professional certificates in Strategic HR Leadership and Executive Insight from Cornell University and a certificate in Strategic Foresight from the University of Houston. He is also certified in Strategic Workforce Planning through the Human Capital Institute.
A member and past president of the American Academy of Physician Associates for nearly 30 years, Sobel has served in a variety of leadership positions within AAPA and the Association of PAs in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (APACVS), where he is a fellow and a past president. He currently serves as the Chief Delegate and Vice President of the New York State Society of PAs (NYSSPA) and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the American Society for Healthcare HR Administration and the Society for Human Resource Management. Most recently, Sobel, joined the board of the Nassau Community College Foundation.
Sobel lives in Long Island, NY with his wife, Lisa and has three adult children. He is an avid boater and board member of the Freeport Yacht Club and a member of the Rockville Centre Fire Department.

Matt Bowles, MBA, PA-C, is the Director of Advanced Practice Providers for LewisGale Physicians, HCA Virginia. He has worked as a PA for the past 20 years and still practices clinically in Cardiology at LewisGale Physicians in Salem, VA. Matt completed his B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from Radford University, B.S. in Physician Assistant Studies from The College of Health Sciences, and MBA from The University of Lynchburg. Over the past two decades, he has worked clinically in Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine, Cardiology, Correctional medicine, and as a Local medical examiner in Virginia. Matt also serves on several VA PA school advisory boards and leads multiple leadership committees within HCA. He is a clinical preceptor for Radford University, University of Lynchburg, and Emory and Henry. With 20 years of APP leadership experience, Matt advocates for APPs to operate at the top of their license. He focuses on elevating APPs in organizational leadership, advancing team-based care to provide high-quality, cost-effective healthcare across all specialties. His aim is to improve best practices, orientation and onboarding, mentorship, and scope of practice for all APPs. In his free time, Matt enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, two children, and bluetick coonhound, Gilburt.

Dave Mittman has been a PA leader for over 50 years. Dave co-founded the LIU PA Program student society in 1973, was President of the New York State Society of PAs in 1978/1979 and served on the AAPA Board of Directors, twice, thirty-five years apart. Dave also has won the AAPA Public Education award for leading the march in Trenton NJ to establish PA practice. Dave was introduced to medicine as a medic in the USAF. He later had the distinction of becoming the first PA allowed to practice in the USAF Reserves. Dave spent almost 9 years in a primary care group practice in Brooklyn, N.Y. and left to begin a career in medical publishing with Physician Assistant (PA) Journal in late1983.
Dave left PA Journal to co-found Clinicians Publishing Group in 1990 and Clinician Reviews Journal in 1991. This was the first journal written for both NPs and PAs. Dave and his partners took Clinicians Group and built it into a major publishing business launching eight journals in six different physician specialties within an eight-year period, something never done before in the history of medical publishing. In 2001, Clinicians Group was acquired by Jobson Publishing. Dave left in 2004.
Dave recently completed his term as President of the AAPA after serving on the AAPA Board for 5 years. Dave also previously served on the AAPA Board from 1982-84. Dave also was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Medical Science in 2020 from the Trustees of Lynchburg University, in Lynchburg, VA. He currently teaches a course in PA Professional Advocacy at Lynchburg University.
In 2008, Dave co-founded Clinician1, which was the largest NP and PA informational/clinical/social community on the web. Clinician 1 was acquired by a private firm and Clinician 1 ceased publication in late 2019.
Dave has also served as Treasurer of the Association of Family Practice PAs. A co-founder of the American College of Clinicians, the first President for Executive and Administrative PAs and first Vice President of PAFT.
Dave has authored numerous papers and studies in publications as diverse as "Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mothers Soul", "U.S. Pharmacist", “Medical Marketing and Media”, "The British Medical Journal" and many others. His article in the BMJ was the first ever written on the PA profession internationally and also the first published in the BMJ.
Dave is a noted expert in PA and NP practice both in the U.S. and around the world. He has published papers on both NP and PA practice and prescribing. He has consulted for many companies on NPs and PAs and has spoken at numerous PA and NP meetings with audiences ranging from 5 to 8,000.
Dave is married to his high school sweetheart Bonnie for over 48 years and has two wonderful adult children and a rescue dog named Jett.

Raquelle Akavan is a PA with over a decade's experience in several surgical sub-specialties and a founding faculty member at South University, Austin. Beyond her clinical and academic expertise, Raquelle's leadership journey encompasses influential roles in the PA community, founding pivotal PA organizations, and serving on several CO committees. Raquelle is also recently received her Doctor of Medical Science at the University of Lynchburg with a concentration in Education. Today, Raquelle will educate us on how core values mold leaders and foster a harmonious integration of our professional and personal lives.

Dr. Gabrielle Poole began at Charleston Southern University in 2016 as the Founding Program Director for the Physician Assistant Program. Dr. Poole was named the Dean of the College of Health Sciences in May 2023 after serving as the Interim Dean since January 2022. The College of Health Sciences houses four graduate programs (Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, and Clinical Counseling) and two undergraduate programs (Kinesiology and Public Health).

Dr. Poole graduated from Wofford College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in biology degree and earned her Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2009. She received her Doctor of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Education from the University of Lynchburg in 2020 with an additional certificate in Healthcare Administration and Management. Dr. Poole is currently adjunct faculty with the Lynchburg DMSc program, teaching the Organizational Behavior and Leadership course.

Prior to CSU, Dr. Poole was a PA with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. In addition, she served on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants for seven years, including a two-year term as President. She was honored as the 2015 South Carolina PA of the Year for her work with this organization. On a national level, she has served on the Leadership Mission Advancement Committee, the Finance Steering Committee, and as Program Director Workshop Facilitator for the Physician Assistant Education Association.

Dr. Poole and her husband have had the honor and the privilege to serve on and lead medical mission trips to South Africa and Togo, West Africa since their time as PA students. In addition, Dr. Poole served as the Director of Global Missions Training for Seacoast Church where she is an active member for 5 years prior to coming to CSU. When she is not at work, she is spending time with her husband, Anthony, and their five children, Reagan, Emmy, Will, Michael, and Sam.

Travis Kaufman specializes in emergency medicine, global health, and strategic medical planning. He plays a crucial role advising and training NATO and partner nations globally on optimal medical practices, with a dedication to strengthening healthcare systems for improved outcomes and international cooperation. Additionally, PA Kaufman serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Lynchburg College of Medical Science, instructing the Emergency Management and Global Health program. Entering the U.S. Army in 2000 and graduating from the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) in 2012, PA Kaufman has made significant contributions serving abroad during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and European Assure Deter and Reinforce. Previously a White House Physician Assistant, he provided direct medical care to the highest levels of government officials, serving as the Senior Physician Assistant and Chief Medical Operations Officer for three Presidential administrations. In this role, he oversaw contingency medical planning for global Presidential and Vice-Presidential travel, successfully leading a team through 482 missions within the continental United States and 42 missions abroad. In July 2020, PA Kaufman earned a Doctor of Medical Science Degree (DMSc) in Emergency Medicine from the University of Lynchburg. His service has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Presidential Service Badge and the Colorado Academy of Physician Associates Leader of the Year. Additionally, he completed the White House Tactical Medical Officer fellowship in 2017. Travis is married to his wife Jamie, and they have two children, Gabriella, and Gage.

Steven Cohen is a Physician Assistant in Neurosurgery and Trauma at Suburban Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine in Bethesda, MD. He has over 40 years of experience in multiple surgical subspecialties, focusing on Neurosurgery throughout most of his career. Steven is a regular speaker a local and national conferences. Today he will be presenting " Trauma and Critical Care Neurosurgery." A Comprehensive Approach to the Patient, Including Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment.

Jeremy M. Welsh is the current VP and Chief Strategy Officer at the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg Virginia. He has been practicing medicine as a PA for over 20 years. He holds two doctorate degrees with a focus on leadership and organizational behavior. He has also received post-doc training in executive leadership at Cornell University, Harvard, MIT, and is a Certified Executive Leader (CEL). Jeremy was a 2022 Innovative Leadership Fellow at the Academy of Innovative Leadership which is sponsored by Georgetown and ASU.

Jennifer Waller Miller is a 2005 graduate of Shenandoah University's PA program and a 2024 of the Doctor of Medical Science program. She has practiced clinically in Family Medicine and Pediatrics for 18 years, and currently serves as the Director of Clinical Education for Shenandoah University. She continues to practice in Pediatrics at Grace Point Pediatrics in Winchester, VA. She and her partner, Jeremy, reside in Winchester with their three children, two dogs, and three cats. Her passions include student success, fitness, and advocating for gun violence prevention. She is currently active in research studying The Evolution of Empathy in PA Students.

Laura R. Tudor is a PA and medical educator. Laura completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. She went on to receive her Master of Medical Science degree from Northwestern University PA Program in 2016. Since then, Laura has worked in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS), where she continues to work today. In 2022, Laura joined the faculty at Randolph-Macon College PA Program. While fulfilling ARC-PA requirements for educating current PA students about burnout, Laura and Courtney discovered that well-being as a PA goes well beyond personal self-care. What began as a single component of the curriculum became their personal passion project. After presenting this topic to PAs in the local Richmond area, they were inspired to share the current state of burnout in the Advanced Practice Clinician and opportunities for organizational growth to support PA well-being.

Courtney A. Corboy is a PA and medical educator. Courtney completed her undergraduate studies at Longwood University in 2014 in Farmville, VA, and went on to receive her Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Radford University Carilion in Roanoke, VA in 2017. Upon graduation, Courtney began working with Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) in the Department of Otolaryngology (ENT), where she continues to practice today. She joined Randolph-Macon College's PA Program in 2022 as a Principal Faculty member in preparation for the inaugural cohort of students. In Richmond Magazine's 2022 “Top Docs” issue, Courtney was recognized by her peers for the quality of care she provides to her patients.
While fulfilling ARC-PA requirements for educating current PA students about burnout, Laura and Courtney discovered that well-being as a PA goes well beyond personal self-care. What began as a single component of the curriculum became their personal passion project. After presenting this topic to PAs in the local Richmond area, they were inspired to share the current state of burnout in the Advanced Practice Clinician and opportunities for organizational growth to support PA well-being.

Barbara practices internal medicine and has an undergraduate degree in psychology . After 3 decades of working in inner city settings, emergency medicine, and primary care, the cost of caring for patients found her questioning the sustainability of such demanding work. The demands of practice will take a toll on us all, but yoga taught her a way to juggle family, work and multiple moves away from home like nothing else did. Training as a yoga teacher has been a valuable tool for self care, has taught her to ways to process trauma while holding space for others. Using yoga to stay limber and grounded, Barbara is better able to navigate the pressures of people needing more and more from us everyday: I appreciate the chance to share these practices with others in the hope that we can learn to move through life's challenges with more grace and kindness .

Kim Ford is currently the Orthopedic Technician Team Lead for Carilion Clinic Orthopedics. He has been with the Carilion Health System for 30 years and has been working with the Orthopedic Department for the past 20 years doing casting, splinting, and bracing.

He is currently over all of Carilion's Orthopedic Clinics and works with Jefferson College of Health Sciences and their Physician Assistant program providing a casting/splinting beginner course, and as as clinical instructor during the students' Orthopedic rotation. He is also very active in teaching casting and splinting classes for any interested Orthopedic practices.

Blake Rogers is an early career hospitalist and critical care PA practicing in southside Virginia. He is a 2018 graduate of the James Madison University PA Program. Blake earned his DMSc in 2023 from the University of Lynchburg. Additionally, Blake is on the PA Medicine Advisory Board for the University of Lynchburg PA Program and teaches as an Adjunct Faculty for their DMSc program.

Alicia Quella is the Director of Communications and PA Relations at the NCCPA. She has served as a PA educator and has practiced in emergency medicine and primary care. She has served as an epidemiologist during the pandemic and has published research on the PA workforce, global health and issues affecting diversity in PA program admissions. Alicia earned her Masters of PA Studies degree and her doctoral degree in epidemiology from the University of Iowa.

Lawrence Herman, DMSc, MPA, PA-C, DFAAPA

Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Herman is an Adjunct Faculty in the Doctor of Medical Science Program, at the University of Lynchburg, Virginia, and President of Palantir Healthcare, LLC, in the Upstate of South Carolina. He is both a former Dean and a tenured professor. He is a graduate of the Stony Brook PA program and holds a Doctorate in Medical Science from Lynchburg as well as a Master of Public Administration in hospital administration from Long Island University.

He has practiced primarily family medicine, emergency medicine, and urgent care. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and given more than 200 national presentations. He is a Past President of the American Academy of Physician Associates.