Kris Pyles-Sweet, DMSc, PA-C National Leader | Advancing the PA Profession Through Advocacy, Governance & Policy | Keynote Speaker • Educator • Author & Editor I have owned and operated medical practices in two states: Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, and North Carolina. Each taught me the same lesson differently: owning a practice is not one question but two. For PAs opening a practice today, ownership and clinical authority are separate questions: state entity rules govern owner

Gabrielle Poole, DMSc, PA-C Chair, Department of Clinical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina. Three months ago, I stepped into a new leadership role with a lot of excitement, a long list of things I wanted to accomplish, and, if I’m being honest, a little bit of pressure to prove myself. I think that is natural when you step into a new position. You want people to know that you are capable. You want to make a difference. You want to identify problems and fix them.

About the Authors Marilyn Suri, DMSc, MPA, MPLC, PA-C, FACHE, is a Physician Associate practicing in pulmonary and critical care medicine and a healthcare executive, educator, and advocate. Her professional work spans clinical medicine, healthcare operations and administration, professional advocacy, education, patient safety, healthcare policy, and legal medicine. She serves on multiple boards, including the Academy of Physician Associates in Legal Medicine (APALM), the Flor

Peter Yen, DMSc, MSHA, PA-C, LSSGB Picture a stool supported by only two legs. Both legs may be strong, but the stool cannot stand steadily on them alone. Healthcare leadership can have a similar blind spot. Physicians and nurses bring essential expertise to decisions about patient care. Yet when those are the only clinical professions consistently represented in executive discussions, the team has a narrower view of how care is delivered than the organization itself requires

Alan Heckman, DMSc, PA-C, NRP, PHPE, NCEE President-Elect, ADPA Graduate Program Director, DeSales University For those of us who have completed—or are pursuing—doctoral education, the capstone often feels like the culminating achievement. It represents months of inquiry, writing, revision, and persistence. It demonstrates that we can identify a meaningful problem, critically evaluate the literature, select an appropriate methodology, and develop or assess a potential solut

Erin E. Chalmers, DMSc, MSPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA Board of director, ADPA Associate Program Director and Professor Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences The PA profession just won an important round in the fight over federal student-loan access. Following a federal court ruling, the Department of Education issued interim guidance recognizing qualifying PA programs as professional-degree programs under the new federal borrowing limits. For now, eligible PA stud

James R. Kilgore, DEL, DMSc, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA Past President, Academy of Doctoral PAs Frequently, when one hears of scholarly work, they immediately think educational setting, professor, or publishing scholarly manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Many of my professional colleagues do not frequently publish and focus their careers on clinical practice. That is highly commendable, but at the same time, it is critical to be able to interpret evidence-based information that i

Dr Joni Collins DMS PAC CAC Twelve Twenty Eight Precision Aesthetic and Regenerative Medicine For approximately 25 years, medicine has been the classroom in which I have learned, served, questioned, and grown. More than 20 of those years have been spent in clinical practice, caring for patients across very different specialties and settings. I did not begin that journey with a master plan to become an entrepreneur. I certainly did not begin with a plan to build a business, de

Kathleen A. Ferrell, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology The PA profession should embrace doctoral education—but it must do so with purpose. A doctoral degree should not become another expensive credential that clinicians feel pressured to earn simply to remain competitive. Nor should it create a false divide between PAs who hold a doctorate and those who do

By Matt Bell, DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-HM If you believe your hospital doesn't really use artificial intelligence yet, let me describe what a clinical PA's typical day has become or soon will be. An algorithm scored their patients overnight for sepsis risk and decided which ones generated alerts. Another one read the chest imaging queue and flagged studies for the radiologist's early attention. A prediction model helped decide how many nurses were scheduled to your unit. Ambient softw

Megan Hudson, DMSc, PA-C Megan Hudson, DMSc, PA-C Founder, Global Health ImPAct After graduating from PA school in 2010, I was convinced my days of higher education were behind me. Like many PAs, I had poured everything I had into earning my degree and was proud to finally be practicing medicine. I loved caring for patients, but over time, I began to realize something was stirring beneath the surface. I found myself running into the same challenges and asking bigger questions

PA Moms Women’s Medical Summit 2026 Jenna Rolfs, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA Standing in front of a room full of clinicians and mothers at the recent PA Moms Women’s Medical Summit to deliver my session, "Review of Post-Professional Doctoral Education for the Physician Assistant/Associate", the conversation pivoted toward something far more fundamental to our identities as working mothers, healthcare providers, and leaders: purpose, return on investment(ROI), and sustainable care

Emotional Intelligence Peter Yen, DMSc, MSHA, PA-C, LSSGB Not every physician associate (PA) enters leadership because they are naturally charismatic, highly empathetic, or emotionally intuitive. In fact, many exceptional PA leaders earn leadership roles because of their clinical expertise, work ethic, problem solving ability, and sound decision making. These qualities are invaluable, but they do not automatically prepare someone to lead people.If you've ever found yourself s

From the desk of Dr. Kilgore, Past-President ADPA I am often asked if advanced training in business or executive management is appropriate for the Physician Associate to participate in leadership roles within healthcare systems. That is often followed by “within my system or with my current role” or “I cannot see the pathway forward for me” to obtain advanced degrees. Clearly, it is system dependent, whether it be in a healthcare system clinical role, or in academia where PA

Aisha Hussein, DMS, PA-C Secretary of ADPA DMS assistant professor, Lincoln Memorial University Advocacy might be your signature on your annual national or state PA association dues, it might be your presence at local, regional, or national meetings and conferences, or it could even be the suit-clad lobbying in Washington and state capitals. Whatever form you practice, advocacy is truly much more: it extends into every single patient encounter. It is a tangible, daily practic

Dr. Alan Heckman, DMSc, PA-C, PHPE, NCEE ADPA President-elect Graduate Program Director, Department of Medical Science Chair, Prehospital Medicine DeSales University One of the most common questions surrounding doctoral education for physician associates/assistants (PAs) is also one of the most practical: “Is it worth it?” For many, that question immediately becomes a financial one. Will the degree lead to a raise? Will it result in a promotion? Will the return on investment

Peter Yen, DMSc, MSHA, PA-C, LSSGB Leadership Begins Within Leadership is not simply a position; it is the ability to influence others toward a shared purpose. Research consistently demonstrates that emotional intelligence (EI) is one of the strongest predictors of effective leadership because it enhances communication, trust, resilience, conflict management, and organizational performance. Doctoral prepared physician associates and physician assistants (PAs) possess advanced

Marilyn Suri, DMSc, MPA, PA-C, FACHE About the Author: Marilyn Suri, DMSc, MPA, PA-C, FACHE is a pulmonary and critical care Physician Associate, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, healthcare executive, educator, and national advocate for the PA profession. She serves as a Board of Director and Legislative Government Affairs Chair for the Florida Academy of PAs (FAPA) and as the Legislative Director for the Academy of Physician Associates in Legal Medici

A year in review…It does not seem possible that a year has passed since I assumed the Presidency of the Academy of Doctoral PAs. We have accomplished a lot over the past year within the organization and are growing significantly in our membership. We undertook a rewrite of our bylaws of the organization. Not an easy task, but necessary to align with a growing and dynamic organization was necessary. While maintaining a strong board of directors, we were able to elect new membe

Matt Bell, DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-HM Chief PA| Chief AI Officer| Process Improvement Specialist| Western North Carolina VA Health Care System A decision is being made about Physician Associates. The people in the room are thoughtful and well-intentioned. They are working through how PAs will be deployed, supported, and evaluated, and what role they should have in the larger system of care. The conversation is careful because everyone wants to get it right. One thing is missing from