AASPA Member of the Month

AASPA members are essential to achieving our mission of providing high-quality patient care. Each month, we recognize a Member of the Month to help display the accomplishments of our members, and to encourage PAs to network with one another. These member features are profiled in our monthly membership newsletters, social media channels, and on the AASPA website.

Please be sure to read about our September Member of the Month, AMATUL NOOR ALI, DMSC, MPAS, PA-C! 

If you would like to nominate yourself or a colleague to be the next Member of the Month, please complete this submission form.

AMATUL NOOR ALI, DMSC, MPAS, PA-C

Amatul Noor Ali is a graduate of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Physician Assistant Program. She is a loyal, dedicated surgical PA with 12 years of healthcare experience and beyond including a background in the field of pediatric ophthalmic oncology. She is AASPA's Director of Education! She currently practices as a surgical PA at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, in the sub-specialty area of ocular oncology. Recently, Noor graduated from the University of Lynchburg with her doctorate in Medical Science degree earlier in 2022. She currently serves as an Advanced Practice Practitioner supervisor in the section of Ophthalmology, Department of Head and Neck Surgery.  In addition to being a PA, she is a travel buff who enjoys hiking and other outdoor adventures with her family as well as enjoys learning about various culinary arts.

Adam DeMey, MS, PA-C

Congratulations to our member of the month, Adam DeMey, MS, PA-C. Adam has been a PA for 12 years, receiving his Master's degree from Seton Hall University in 2011. After graduating, he first started in the emergency department where he learned and gained the knowledge and experience in many procedures. While he enjoyed his time in the ED, he followed his passion for being a surgical PA in which he has been practicing for more than half of his career. Adam is currently practicing at the Center for Trauma and Critical Care at George Washington University. Here he has the opportunity to work with APP and medical students, APP fellows, and surgical residents where he has the opportunity to teach numerous trauma skills and bedside procedures. He has a passion to inspire providers to learn through a combination of didactic and hands-on experiences, and to help guide pre-PA students through the process of pursuing their future goals in medicine and surgery.

Brennan Bowker, MHS, PA-C, CPAAPA 

Brennan received her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2010 from the Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant program. After graduation, she began working at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, CT as a trauma and general surgery physician assistant. Since being acquired by the Yale New Haven Health System in 2012, Brennan has remained at the St. Raphael campus working in emergency and general surgery.  Clinically, she has many interests including general surgery, trauma, colon and rectal surgery, bariatrics, and urology. In addition to her clinical role at the hospital, she serves on several committees and is especially involved with the coordination of PA and medical students on their surgical clerkships. She also is a preceptor for clinical and pre-clinical students. 

In addition to working full time at the hospital, Brennan is also a clinical adjunct assistant professor at Quinnipiac University. She co-chairs the physician assistant admission committee and lectures for several courses, both at the graduate and undergraduate level. Notably, she is very involved in the medical writing course that all second-year PA students must take as a part of the clinical year curriculum. She especially enjoys inspiring students to write and publish; in fact, Brennan has traveled to numerous conferences with students to present posters and give lectures. Although she has many interests, working with students and PA education (especially medical writing) are among her favorites!

Additionally, Brennan maintains memberships with the American Academy of Physician Assistants. The Physician Assistant Education Association, as well as the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants and the Connecticut State Medical Society. She is also an active board member of the CT PA Foundation and an editor for the Connecticut State Medical Society peer reviewed journal, Connecticut Medicine. 

Maj Emily De Leon, DSc, MPAS, PA-C Congratulations to our Member of the Month, Major Emily De Leon! Major Emily De Leon, DSc, MPAS, PA-C, is a General Surgery PA currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. She graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Sciences (psychology). During her Air Force career, she has been stationed at 8 bases from coast to coast and has deployed twice. One of her most memorable assignments was when she was stationed at the Pentagon working with Wounded Warriors, which ultimately inspired her to pursue medicine. She attended the military’s PA school (IPAP) and graduated with a second Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies. She recently completed her Doctorate of Science Degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Baylor University as well as her Surgical PA Fellowship at San Antonio Military Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to becoming a Surgical PA, she was a Primary Care Manager in family medicine for 3 years.

This month we are honoring our Assistant Student Representatives!

BRENNON TAYLOR

Congratulations to our assistant student representative, Brennon Taylor, who graduated in May 2023 from the Yale PA Program Online! He will be starting a surgical PA residency at Norwalk Hospital/Yale School of Medicine this year. 

  Brittany Douglas

 Paige andrews

 Aaron pribil

Margaret Holland, AASPA President, MPAS, PA-C

Margaret Holland is a graduate of the George Washington University Physician Assistant (PA) Program and has been involved with AASPA since 2015. She is a dedicated Surgical PA with more than 11 years of healthcare experience including a nursing background in the field of pediatric cardiology. She currently practices as a surgical PA at Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts, in the specialty area of pediatric congenital cardiac surgery. Prior to this, she spent several years in the Northern Virginia area working in adult cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. She is passionate about working with AASPA's students and PAs, and desires to see them fulfill their dreams in healthcare. As former Director of Education, she has taught workshops and the Pre-PA/PA Student track for several years as well as being involved with CME development and the publication of AASPA's periodical Sutureline. As current President-Elect, she remains involved in these activities and also is a PA representative for the Council on Surgical and Perioperative Safety (CSPS) which influences practices of operating rooms across the US.  In addition to being a PA, she is a strong advocate for merging medicine and art, using classical ballet training for current active performing, teaching, and choreography. 

Nadya Dimitrov, Dpm, PA-C, DFAAPA

This month we recognize AASPA member Nadya Dimitrov, DPM, PA-C. She is Clinical Associate Professor in the PA program oof the School of Health Professions at Stony Brook University (SBU) and Assistant Director of the PA Post-Professional Masters program (PPMP). She has over forty years of combined clinical experience as a PA and podiatric physician. As a member of the NYSSPA, Dr. Dimitrov serves as the PA representative on the NYS MOLST Team, and is a co-chair of their Education and Training committee. She is also a member of the SBU Medical Center Institutional Ethics Committee. In addition, she is Affiliate Faculty in the Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care at CSU San Marcos, CA, and course architect of the Physician Assistant (and APP) Certificate in Palliative and Serious Illness Care.

Her research and publications have been in both clinical orthopedic and educational arenas, and she has presented at multiple educational and clinical conferences. Her current scholarship is focused on palliative and serious illness patient management training, telehealth/telemedicine and interprofessional education. She is co-editor of the 2021 textbook by Oxford University Press entitled “Palliative and Serious Illness Patient Management for Physician Assistants”. 

syuzanna leigh, PA-s

Veronica Victoria, DMSC, PA-C

Christian Bridges, PA-C This month we recognize AASPA member Christian Bridges PA-C, she has been heavily involved in education since her graduation from UTMB. She has participated in the UTMB Surgical Skills bootcamp and has served as mentor for new graduates, helping new PAs build successful careers and operate at the top scope of practice. After becoming a specialty PA in breast surgical oncology, she co-founded a novel breast surgery rotation for nation-wide PA students. It is hosted in one of our Houston-area Locations (League City TX) as well as our main campus in the Texas Medical Center. Most breast surgery electives are based on experiential learning in breast surgery clinic and in the OR. Christian designed a multidisciplinary curriculum that exposes students to breast imaging, body imaging, medical oncology, radiation oncology and plastic surgery. Students have rated this rotation highly and have cited the impact of her teaching and mentorship. She is also involved in the development of a novel app that will be used in our breast surgical oncology department for onboarding new Advanced Practice Providers. Before the pandemic, Christian and her husband and three children became interested in homesteading and sustainable, regenerative farming. They grow their own food, maintain chickens, and have built a barn by hand.

Gerald Simons, PA-C This month we recognize AASPA member Gerald “Jerry” Simons, PA-C. Jerry has a long history of serving on the AASPA BOD in multiple positions, including holding the presidency twice! He is a recipient of the prestigious John W. Kirklin award (1998), and is a frequent and beloved speaker at both the AASPA and AAPA annual CME conferences. Jerry has helped develop many of our hands-on-skills workshops over the years, but he is best known for developing and teaching suturing skills to thousands of PA students and graduates across the country, even pioneering the Pre-PA seminar at AASPA that has provided so many undergraduate students with guidance for their PA journey.  Jerry’s clinical experience is in general and vascular surgery and he is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at Stony Brook University in New York. His clinical and presenting interests focus on the gut microbiome, but Jerry has also presented on the role of hyperbaric medicine in chronic disease and wound healing.

Kristen Lindvall, PA-C This month we recognize AASPA member Kristen Lindvall, PA-C. Kristen has been a member of the AASPA for several years and she has proven herself to be an engaging speaker and active AASPA member. You may have seen some of her webinars and presentations at our conferences in the past. Kristen is a graduate of the Augsburg University Program of Physician Studies. She is a surgical Physician Assistant with extensive experience in abdominal wall management. She is a founding member of St. Paul Minnesota Region Hospital's Complex Abdominal Reconstructive Service, emphasizing the team approach to difficult patient management. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Augsburg University PA Program and course director of Pathophysiology and Clinical Medicine. Her other interests include oncologic and robotic surgery, focusing on PA’s functioning at their highest level. She is also passionate about medicine in the developing world and travels to Haiti assisting in surgical procedures. In her free time, Kristen enjoys spending time in nature with her husband and Vizsla dog.

Tiffany Worthington, DMSc, PA-C

Tiffany Worthington is a Cardiovascular Surgery Physician Assistant at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. She received a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Western University of Health Sciences. She was selected for Leadership Fellow with the Association of PAs in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery and recently earned a Doctorate of Medical Science degree (DMSc) at University of Lynchburg. 

To learn more about Tiffany, please read here.