Gina Mauldin, PA-C is an NCAPA Member and upcoming NCAPA Summer Conference speaker who specializes in sleep medicine. She received her Master of Health Sciences degree from the Duke University Physician Assistant (PA) program in 2011. She has a passion for raising awareness for the field of sleep medicine and increased discussions around sleep health for all patients, specifically in women. NCAPA sat down with PA Mauldin to hear about her perspectives as a sleep medicine expert, upcoming Conference speaker, and clinical provider, while also exploring her advice for newly graduated PA students.
Journey to PA
Originally from Colorado, Gina was set on working as a healthcare provider, earning her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license during high school. Gina attended Harding University in Arkansas, originally pursuing the career of a nurse anesthetist, before pivoting to the PA track. She gained valuable patient contact experience as a CNA in neurosurgery while simultaneously applying to PA school. Circumstances brought PA Mauldin to North Carolina, where her husband, whom she met during undergrad, was applying to law school.
After moving to North Carolina, PA Mauldin attended PA school at Duke University’s PA Program. “It was definitely very intense,” Gina reflected on her time in PA school. “I remember getting told that it was going to be drinking from a fire hydrant – which was true.” She recalls the faculty preparing the students to be “critical thinkers and integrate evidence-based medicine and learn how to care for all populations of patients.”
Initially, Gina thought she would practice as a PA in neurosurgery, due to her past clinical experiences. She had even dictated her clinical rotation electives to be neurology and neurosurgery. “On my neurology rotation, it was with a sleep medicine physician, and because of that, I got a lot of experience. I spent the rest of my rotations running around telling everyone to get a sleep study,” she laughed. “Since that time, awareness and discussions around sleep disorders have really grown.”
A Day in the Life
PA Mauldin currently practices at WakeMed and has clinical interests in the treatment of sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and more. “It’s all outpatient clinic visits for me,” she detailed. “I evaluate new patients to see what their sleep concerns are. One of the biggest questions is to determine if a patient needs a sleep study, and we progress from there.”
Describing sleep medicine as “holistic” and focused on the art of digging deeper, she said, “We look at all of the different things in someone’s life that may impact their sleep. Everything in life impacts sleep – so we touch on all aspects of social and emotional wellbeing.”
Gina treats patients diagnosed with insomnia, hypersomnia, narcolepsy, circadian rhythm disorders, and more. A primary chief complaint that she encounters is obstructive sleep apnea. “A lot of people are aware of it, but a lot don’t realize that their symptoms align with it, especially different patient populations like women,” Gina explained. “Many patients get misdiagnosed with insomnia when they say they’re not sleeping well and waking up in the middle of the night. Come to find out, it may actually be because they’re not breathing at night. Finding that correct diagnosis really allows us to make a difference.”
Raising Awareness
Gina is one of the many speakers at NCAPA’s 49th Annual Summer Conference, hosted at Kingston Resorts in Myrtle Beach this August 17th through 22nd. It has been a professional goal of hers to share more awareness and help educate others on sleep disorders, in order to reach more patients on a wider spectrum. “[NCAPA’s] Summer Conference is always great because it’s a chance for PAs to be around other PAs and learn from each other.”
One of her clinical interests is sleep disorders in women. “Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to attend lectures on sleep medicine focusing on women. Almost all sleep disorders can present differently in women, and especially in different stages of life like menopause, perimenopause, etc.,” she told the NCAPA. “Hormonal changes can actually lead to symptoms and an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, women are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with restless leg syndrome, due to iron levels and iron deficiency, which can be compounded by pregnancy and other factors.”
Because of her outreach and networking work, PA Mauldin had cultivated a great relationship with a local OBGYN practice who had referred a woman with severe sleep apnea during her pregnancy. “She got seen and treated, and it was dramatically life-changing for her. It allowed her to sleep and feel better, and from the data we know, it benefitted her child during her pregnancy as well,” Gina said.
She knows there is more work to be done in identifying, diagnosing, and treating sleep disorders. “It’s definitely an area where we still have more questions to be answered, to make sure we’re not overlooking a large patient demographic.”
Reflections for New Grads PAs
A PA now for almost fifteen years, PA Mauldin was asked if she had any advice to share for newly graduated PA students who are entering the workforce.
“It’s a personal skill all throughout your career, but anytime you come across something you’re not sure about, go read about it, learn about it, and build your confidence bit by bit. I am still doing that, and it really never ends. It will be a continual seeking of information for the rest of your career,” she said. “Don’t be ashamed to ask questions. Be humble enough to ask for help.”
Gina’s lecture, “Legs in the Night: Latest Guidelines for Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome,” will be presented during the NCAPA 49th Annual Summer Conference this August at Myrtle Beach. Click here to register and hear from PA Mauldin this Summer!
Written by Pauline Bulala
NC Academy of PAs Communications Coordinator
