2021 Aquifer Physician Assistant Task Force Announced

Aquifer is pleased to announce the selection of participants for our 2021 Physician Assistant Task Force. This group will bring the voice, interests, and experiences of physician assistant educators to Aquifer, and work to develop educator tools and training materials to support physician assistant programs using Aquifer.

After a competitive selection process, we are pleased to welcome the following educators from institutions around the country:

• Petar Breitinger, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA; University of Florida Physician Assistant Program
• Kathleen Ehrhardt, MMS, PA-C; DeSales University
• Tanya Fernandez, MS, PA-C, IBCLC; University of Colorado School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
• Kindred Harland- Shulgin, MS, PA-C; Pace University – Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program – NYC
• Darcie Larimore-Arenas, MSPAS, MPH, PA-C; Touro University California
• Jensen Lewis, MSPAS, PA-C; Case Western Reserve University Physician Assistant Program
• Shannon North, MSPAS, PA-C; Pace University – Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program – NYC
• Denise Ogden, MA, PA-C; University of Colorado School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
• Elisabeth Shell, PhD, MPAS, PA-C; Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
• Jana Villanueva, MSPAS, PA-C; University of Alabama at Birmingham Physician Assistant Studies Program
• Elias Villarreal, Jr., MPAS, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA; Northern Arizona University
• Anne Walsh, PA-C; Chapman University
• Michele Zawora, MD, FAAFP; Thomas Jefferson University Center City Campus Physician Assistant Studies Program

The Aquifer Physician Assistant Task Force is led by: 

• Cynthia Booth Lord, MHS, PA-C
  Aquifer Teaching & Learning Lead for Physician Assistant Education
  Program Director, Physician Assistant Program, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Sherilyn Smith, MD
  Aquifer Chief Academic Officer
  Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine

The Aquifer Physician Assistant Task Force was created in January 2020. The group convened to create, review, and disseminate educational materials designed to support the integration and effective use of Aquifer cases to train physician assistants. The 2020 Task Force completed a needs assessment and launched the design process for a new Physician Assistant Educator Guide for Aquifer cases. 

The 2021 Physician Assistant Task Force will advance work on the Educator Guide with the goal of completing this resource and beginning the design process for developing additional resources. This year’s task force includes a great mix of returning members and educators new to the group, all of who are actively teaching with Aquifer courses. We look forward to working with this talented group of educators.