For “Team Trimbath” from Tria O’Maille, MA, ADTR, CPE

Over the past six months our family has witnessed and received “acts of kindness” from  literally hundreds of PA colleagues from across the nation.  We have been IMPACTED on many levels since the October day your colleague and AAPA’s Board of Director Secretary, John D Trimbath suffered a severe spinal cord injury.

As his family we have always been supportive and proud of John’s dedication to his profession.  He has worked tirelessly to bring to the forefront of the medical profession the value of the Physician Assistant’s role in the field.  We are proud of the awards and recognition he has received from you, his co workers, over the years.  His work in Ohio has been tireless in seeking prescriptive privileges, and, when after nearly 20 years, those privileges were obtained we celebrated his tenacity and “never give up” spirit.  Many PAs have written to us proclaiming “John is a strong voice,” and “He has made a difference.“  Students and mentors, politicians and administrators, neighbors and friends, have all offered to us many facets of his joy for life and love of his career.

The acts of kindness bestowed upon us have opened up what might be called “the secret life of a  son, brother, husband, father” in that so many of you have told us of his IMPACT on you personally and professionally.  We have been deeply touched and are very grateful for the loving care you have offered.   As we, honor all of you, we , honor him as a vital part of your community and know that his “never give up” spirit is supported by your hopes for his recovery in the days  ahead.  As he heals and his physical mobility increases he continues to be a strong voice and presence for you. And with you.

In honoring him as you have, we are moved to honor all of you whom we have come to know more closely through your kind, caring and loving words and actions.  You have truly demonstrated what the healing profession and AAPA has been called to do. You have made an IMPACT in the lives of many, and we  are among those who are most grateful.

Tria O’Maille MA ADTR CPE
AAPA Affiliate Member #1015041
For “Team Trimbath”

For Amy Barco MPAS, PA-C and Gretchen Loyola MPAS, PA-C from Daniel Thibodeau MHP, PA-C

Amy & Gretchen

One normally would think of this letter as a way to look at an individual who has impacted my career from the years of experience that I have witnessed. I wanted to take a different approach to talk about two young ladies who have made an IMPACT on my professional career- and both are new graduates.

I had the pleasure of knowing both Amy Barco and Gretchen Loyola as students at the Eastern Virginia Medical School PA program. As one of the professors at the program, I witnessed both of them mature into skilled, knowledgeable clinicians. As the days drew near their graduation, I was even more proud of them as they both decided to join the group which I work clinically- Cardiovascular Specialists, Inc. Since then, we are colleagues with a group that strives to serve our patients with the best care possible, working hand and hand with our physician partners. They say you can’t teach old dog new tricks, but I learn things from both of them that make me a stronger clinician. It has been a wonderful experience to watch both of them grow into their new careers and it has made our group that much better having them working with the team. Both Amy and Gretchen have earned the respect of all around them, from consulting physicians and other PA’s; to all of the nurses and staff at the hospitals we serve.

I write the letter in this way to emphasize that we are not only impacted by those with years of experience, but also from individuals who are the future of our profession. I look forward to the times ahead working with Amy and Gretchen and am confident that both of them will be shining examples of why this great profession can make a difference in health care.

For Harmony Johnson, PA-C from Olivia Bockoff, PA-C, MPAS

Dear AAPA,

Although many PAs have influenced my career, there is one PA to whom I
owe much more; Harmony Johnson, PA-C is an amazing PA.  When we were
both in school in Los Angeles, Harmony and I became friends.  I was a
few years behind her and struggling to find the right career for me.
I wanted to travel and learn languages, I loved medicine and working
with people, but I wasn’t sure what field was right for me.  I had
applied to nursing school when Harmony invited me to participate in
the PA Helper program coordinated by Lee Slajer at County USC Hospital
in downtown Los Angeles.

I spent one day working with the PAs at County and immediately knew
that PA was the right field for me.  They could do the hands-on work
that I loved, like suturing and casting, and could work independently,
but were not completely on their own and had the Attending Physician
available when needed.  Within weeks I had changed my course and the
rest is history.  I am now a surgical PA in the state of New Jersey
and I’ve never looked back.

Not only was Harmony Johnson an inspiration, she is also a leader.
Harmony is passionate about global health and last May took on the
position of President for the AAPA caucus Physician Assistants for
Global Health.  In the little more than six months Harmony has been
president of the organization membership has more than doubled and
PAGH has grown in leaps and bounds.  We now have regular conference
calls, monthly e-mails including a CME article, increased member
participation, and last October hosted the first annual PAGH Global
Health Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Harmony is enthusiastic about the PA profession and even more so about
making a difference. Her energy is infectious and she is motivating to
those around her.  She is always positive and goal oriented, inspiring
those around her to do just a little more and reach for the next goal.
Harmony Johnson and those like her make me proud to be in my
profession and honored to share the title PA-C.

Thank you,

Olivia Bockoff, PA-C, MPAS

For Donald R. Frosch, MS, PA-C from Dawn LaBarbera, PhD, PA-C

To Donald R. Frosch, MS, PA-C (now of Butler University) for making an IMPACT on me!

When North Chicago VA Medical Center announced that they were seeking upward mobility applicants for Physician Assistants through the new PA program next door at Finch University, I just knew I had to do this! I was working as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and Ultrasonographer but was ready for this challenge and level of responsibility.

When I mentioned to the Nuclear Medicine secretary that I wish I knew a PA so I could get more information, she said, “You do.” Apparently the “doctor” Don Frosh, whom I admired for his diligent patient care and his respect for me and everyone he encountered, was actually a PA. Don had already made an impression on me; surely this gentleman would answer my questions about being a PA! Eagerly I pushed for a meeting with Don, and he immediately agreed and let me ask him questions about the PA program and he offered great encouragement as well as all the nitty- gritty facts I wanted. I’m sure I made him very late for dinner!

I experienced an intuitive feeling after talking with him. I had a strong assurance that not only was I taking the right direction by pursing the PA program, but I felt that working along side Don Frosh would be the certain outcome.

I was so exited to be chosen for the program. I interfaced with Don here and there through out my PA training. Then Don mentored me as a new PA at the VAMC. I was pleased to be working with a PA colleague of his moral, ethical, personal, and medical practice caliber. I could see that this was a great profession and Don was the exemplary PA. It was great working with Don like I had vividly pictured when I applied to PA school.

After a short while, Don went to full time PA teaching. What a loss for the VAMC but a great gain for future PA students. We kept in contact because I now taught part time too and Don still worked part time at the VAMC; but it was not the working closely together as I had so strongly envisioned earlier.

My intuition was not wrong. We did end up working more closely again. I followed Don into full time teaching, and thank him for mentoring me in yet another capacity. His constant support and friendship guided me through academia and through most of my journey to complete my doctoral degree.

After a few years, Don Frosh moved to Indiana to teach at another PA school. I guess the time was up for us to be working together. Crazy enough, as things turn out, I left our mutual PA program to head up another program in the same state to which Don had moved. Although I followed Don again, it wasn’t nearly as closely!  With the 2 ½ hour distance between our PA programs, I guess I have now “grown up” as a PA and need to give Don more space to mentor others. I will always be indebted to Don for his mentoring and treasure his friendship. Thanks Don!

Dawn LaBarbera, PhD, PA-C
Associate Professor and Chair,
Department of Physician Assistant Studies
University of St Francis
Fort Wayne, IN

For Kacie Thompson PA-C from Julie Spear PA-S

Kacie Thompson PA-C is a great mentor in the Physician Assistant world. When I was a sophomore in undergrad I got the chance to shadow her at Yale. I learned about the profession and the grad school at Quinnipiac University. She knew the importance of perseverance needed to become a PA. She knew based on own discussions that being a PA was a great choice for me and that was worth the sacrifices I was making during the education process. She has been a cheerleader and role model as times got tough reminding me that I can’t stop and that it will be worth it in the end. I can email her anytime when I am worried about grades, stress, and life as a PA. I owe a lot to Kacie for all her help and support.

Julie Spear
Quinnipiac University PA-S

Letters Project

PAs Making an IMPACT on PAs

Together with your colleagues, you accomplish great things. The number of instances where PAs help, shape, support and profoundly IMPACT their PA colleagues is infinite! Now is your chance to spotlight the small or great acts of kindness you witness every day among your PA colleagues.

We want to help you recognize and honor those PAs who have made an IMPACT on your professional and personal life. AAPA invites you to join in a national level letter writing campaign in the months leading up to the 37th Annual PA Conference to honor remarkable PAs.

Share your story about a special colleague with PAs both nationwide and abroad! We will feature the PAs you tell us about at Annual Conference, on this web site, and in future issues of AAPA News and other publications/media.

Don’t wait – write a letter today! You have two options to submit your letter (please choose one):

1. Send the letter in an email to us at letters@aapa.org. Please be sure to include your full name in the message. Feel free to also include photos!
2. Submit directly to the AAPA Letters Project site via WordPress

AAPA would like to credit the California Academy of Physician Assistants with developing an innovative letter writing program titled “Community of PAs” in which AAPA’s Letters Project is a model. We appreciate your creativity and thank you for your dedication to the PA profession.