As NCAPA celebrates its 50th anniversary, Focus on Fifty continues to look back at the people, programs, and experiences that have shaped the Academy over the past five decades. In this edition, Joshua Smith reflects on more than 20 years of involvement with NCAPA and the evolution of the Academy’s educational programming. From developing high-quality […]
NCAPA News
Focus on Fifty: Robert Wooten, PA-C
Focus on Fifty: Robert Wooten, PA-C
As we continue celebrating 50 years of the North Carolina Academy of Physician Associates, we turn our focus to the members whose vision and dedication have helped strengthen the profession for future generations. The Focus on Fifty series is about the people behind the progress—those who have invested their time, leadership, and resources to ensure […]
Focus on Fifty: Samantha Rogers Knight, PA-C, NCAPA Advocate
Focus on Fifty: Samantha Rogers Knight, PA-C, NCAPA Advocate
As we continue celebrating 50 years of the North Carolina Academy of Physician Associates, we turn our focus to the members who have helped shape the profession through leadership, service, and advocacy. The Focus on Fifty series is about the people behind the progress—those who stepped forward, invested in the profession, and helped strengthen the […]
Focus on Fifty: Advancing Women’s Health, Strengthening the Profession
Focus on Fifty: Advancing Women’s Health, Strengthening the Profession
As we continue celebrating 50 years of the North Carolina Academy of Physician Associates, we turn our focus to the members who helped shape the profession through their work, leadership, and commitment to care. The Focus on Fifty series is about the people behind the progress—those who stepped into new spaces, expanded what was possible, […]
Focus on Fifty: NCAPA’s Newest Series Celebrating 50 Years
Focus on Fifty: NCAPA’s Newest Series Celebrating 50 Years
As we celebrate 50 years of the North Carolina Academy of PAs, we’re starting at the beginning. The Focus on Fifty series is about more than milestones, it’s about understanding the people, purpose, and moments that shaped the PA profession into what it is today. Before we look ahead, we’re taking a step back to […]

Rooted in Service, Built for the Future: Veronica Marciano, DMSc, PA-C
Rooted in Service, Built for the Future: Veronica Marciano, DMSc, PA-C
Veronica Marciano, DMSc, PA-C, has built her career around a simple but powerful idea, preparing PAs not just to practice medicine, but to serve communities well. Now, as Program Director of the developing PA program at Elon University in Charlotte, she is helping shape the next generation of PAs in one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing […]

Meet Peter Kalogerinis, DMSc, PA-C, Closing Gaps in southeastern NC Care
Meet Peter Kalogerinis, DMSc, PA-C, Closing Gaps in southeastern NC Care
Peter Kalogerinis, DMSc, PA-C, has spent over a decade building a career defined by adaptability, leadership, and a commitment to meeting unmet patient needs. After earning his undergraduate degree in biology from East Carolina University and completing PA school at Methodist University, Peter began his career in private practice, where he spent more than ten […]

Meet Jessica Newman, PA-C, DipACLM, Bringing Humanity Back to Medicine Through Lifestyle Care
Meet Jessica Newman, PA-C, DipACLM, Bringing Humanity Back to Medicine Through Lifestyle Care
For much of her early career, Jessica Newman, PA-C, DipACLM believed good medicine meant clear boundaries between work and home, clinician and community. She focused on providing high-quality care within the clinic walls, until experience taught her that health doesn’t start or end there. “I realized that what happens outside the exam room often matters […]

A Mentorship Built on Service, Community, and Passing the Torch
A Mentorship Built on Service, Community, and Passing the Torch
When Nicole Miller first stepped into Family Care Center as a high school student, she didn’t expect to meet Jeff Katz, PA-C, DFAAPA, the mentor who would eventually shape her path into the PA profession. Her mother worked as Jeff Katz’s medical assistant, and because the clinic sat close to her school, Nicole often swung […]
Aligning Our Name With Our Profession
Aligning Our Name With Our Profession
As part of our ongoing commitment to clarity and alignment with the evolving healthcare landscape, we’re announcing a name change for our organization. This update reflects broader developments within our profession and underscores how we describe and represent the important work we do every day. Over recent years, leaders across our field have engaged in […]

Meet CPT Justin Francis, PA-C
Meet CPT Justin Francis, PA-C
CPT Justin Francis, PA-C is an NCAPA Member who has spearheaded the recently formed NCAPA Regional Chapter, Liberty-Sandhills Association of PAs (L-SAPA). An Army physician assistant (PA) stationed at Fort Bragg, he has extensive experience with emergency medicine, family medicine, and orthopedics. Originally in the Navy for eight years, he attended the University of Nebraska […]

Meet the New NCAPA President-elect Chileatha Wynn, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C
Meet the New NCAPA President-elect Chileatha Wynn, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C
Educator, leader, and breast-cancer survivor shaping the next generation of PAs As the Founding Program Director at South University, Chileatha Wynn has dedicated her career to advancing PA education and mentoring future clinicians. But beyond her professional success lies a powerful story of strength, gratitude, and faith, one that has taken on even deeper meaning […]

Meet Lindsey Lawrence, PA-C
Meet Lindsey Lawrence, PA-C
Dedicated clinician, military leader, and advocate for mental health care As the owner of Making Waves Mental Health, PLLC in Wilmington, North Carolina, board-certified physician assistant and Captain in the Army Reserves, Lindsey Lawrence, PA-C treats patients living with mental health and substance use disorders. Lindsey’s path to psychiatry wasn’t linear—but it has become a […]

The 2025 PA of the Year…
The 2025 PA of the Year…
This year, the NCAPA Membership and Marketing Committee received a number of submissions and the committee conducted a thorough review of the nominations for this year’s group of very deserving PAs. We are so excited to announce that the 2025 PA of the Year is… Sarah J. O’Neal, MS, MPAS, PA-C PA O’Neal has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, scholarship, […]

Meet Golfran Rivera, PA-C, Provider, Veteran, and Advocate
Meet Golfran Rivera, PA-C, Provider, Veteran, and Advocate
Golfran Rivera brings a unique blend of military service and primary care expertise to his work as a family medicine provider and clinic owner. A former U.S. Army Psychological Operations specialist and graduate of the Inter-Service Physician Assistant Program (IPAP), Golfran integrates his rich experiences, from deployment to private practice, into a career defined by […]

Full Circle Moments with PA Faculty Brittany Macon-Davis
Full Circle Moments with PA Faculty Brittany Macon-Davis
Meet Brittany Macon-Davis, DMSc, MHS, PA-C – mother, clinician, lover of science, and a leader in the PA education space. A member of the NCAPA Nominating Committee, Brittany is also the Clinical Coordinator and an Assistant Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health at the Duke University PA Program. NCAPA is spotlighting her work as […]

Speaking of Sleep: Conference Speaker, Gina Mauldin PA-C
Speaking of Sleep: Conference Speaker, Gina Mauldin PA-C
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 […]

2025 PA Program Highlight | Elon University
2025 PA Program Highlight | Elon University
Elon University’s PA Program began in January 2013 and has grown tremendously in the past 12 years. Each cohort consists of 38 students with diverse backgrounds and experiences and is anticipated to double in size starting in January 2026, with 76 future PA’s. In the past year, the Francis Center renovation was completed to include […]

From Advocacy to Academics, and From NCAPA to PA School
From Advocacy to Academics, and From NCAPA to PA School
Pauline Bulala is the NCAPA Marketing and Communications Coordinator and is leaving NCAPA to begin PA school at Campbell University next month. As a pre-PA in this role, she shares a written reflection below on her unique path from reapplicant to NCAPA to PA school. Like many other pre-PAs, my journey to PA school and the […]

Interview with Member Robin Hunter-Buskey, First Female PA on NC Medical Board
Interview with Member Robin Hunter-Buskey, First Female PA on NC Medical Board
NCAPA Member Robin Hunter-Buskey, DHSc, CPHP, CCHP, CDCES, PA-C, Captain USPHS has been driven by the pursuit of service to others her whole life. A New York native, she is a graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook’s physical therapy and physician assistant (PA) programs, and a graduate of the […]

2025 PA Program Highlight | Methodist University
2025 PA Program Highlight | Methodist University
Introduction The Methodist University Master of Medical Science PA program in Fayetteville began in 1996 as the third PA program in North Carolina. Methodist gained full accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 1998 and maintains the Accreditation-Continued status by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the […]

Pre-PA Member Lesley Chao: Her Journey to PA School
Pre-PA Member Lesley Chao: Her Journey to PA School
“As a Pre-PA, we work really hard. It’s okay to mess up, not everyone is perfect. Just know that there is basis to your achievements.” -Lesley Chao An NCAPA Pre-PA Member, Lesley Chao spoke with NCAPA on growing up as a Taiwanese American with a strong interest in science, health policy, and advocacy – and […]

Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with Marisa Isbell, PA-C
Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with Marisa Isbell, PA-C
In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the NCAPA is spotlighting Marisa Isbell, PA-C, CAQ-PSYCH, NCAPA Member and psychiatric physician assistant (PA) who owns her own mental health clinic in Asheville, North Carolina. PA Isbell shared her journey into discovering the profession to owning her own practice, and recounts her experience during Hurricane […]

Member Laura Blanchard, PA-C Wins APPOS MVP of the Year
Member Laura Blanchard, PA-C Wins APPOS MVP of the Year
There are several patients that I’ve been fortunate enough to foster deep connections with. That’s what keeps me coming back to my job everyday – helping people get through some of the hardest and the worst times of their lives and celebrating with them at their biggest wins.” –Laura Blanchard, MPAP, PA-C The NCAPA […]

The 2025 HBCU Pre-PA Fair
The 2025 HBCU Pre-PA Fair
The North Carolina Academy of PAs (NCAPA) hosted the third annual HBCU Pre-PA Fair on Saturday, April 12th, at the Stead Center. Pre-PA students from North Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) traveled to Durham, where the day was full of intentional learning about the profession, eye-opening discussions with practicing PAs and PA students, and meaningful connections with […]

2025 PA Program Highlight | South College Asheville
2025 PA Program Highlight | South College Asheville
The South College of Asheville launched their PA program in 2023, established with a goal of creating quality healthcare professionals to serve in urban and rural underserved communities. It is a 27-month program matriculating up to 85 students in January, with graduating a class in March. The campus is located about 10 minutes from downtown […]

Gallery: Annual Advocacy Day at the Legislature
Gallery: Annual Advocacy Day at the Legislature
On Wednesday, March 19th, 2025, over 200 practicing PAs and PA students traveled across North Carolina to advocate for enhanced PA practice laws in Raleigh. The largest PA Day at the Legislature to date, it was a record-breaking advocacy day, with 200+ white coats at the North Carolina Legislative Building.

PA Allen Stephens’ Journey: Flight Paramedic to Leading the Way
PA Allen Stephens’ Journey: Flight Paramedic to Leading the Way
“The more our voices are heard, the more people are aware of PAs and what we can bring to the table.” -Allen Stephens, PA-C The NC Academy of PAs recently sat down with Member Allen Stephens, PA-C, who currently practices in Outpatient Cardiology at Duke Health. A practicing PA for over nine years, PA Stephens […]

2025 PA Program Highlight | East Carolina University
2025 PA Program Highlight | East Carolina University
The East Carolina University Department of Physician Assistant Studies was founded early on in the history of the PA profession, opening its doors to students in 1966. Insightful and intentional faculty, who have all previously or currently worked clinically, and skilled administrative staff operate the program out of ECU’s Allied Health campus in Greenville, North […]

PA Joshua Newton Reflects on the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
PA Joshua Newton Reflects on the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene
FOUR MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE HELENE made landfall in Western North Carolina, Joshua Newton, PA-C still remembers the feeling of being, “shellshocked.” As a PA and family medicine practice owner, his town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina was battered and left devastated in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Floodwaters had ravaged not only his home and […]

Military PA M. Tiye Young Leads Western NC Relief & Recovery
Military PA M. Tiye Young Leads Western NC Relief & Recovery
Being both in the military for fourteen years and practicing medicine is “an honor to be trusted to do both,” described Wake Forest PA graduate, Major Makeda Tiye Young, PA-C. Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, the PA journey was anything but linear for Major Young. “I was actually going to the Army’s PA […]

How a REACH PPP Training Inspired PA Marty Nelson to Train Others
How a REACH PPP Training Inspired PA Marty Nelson to Train Others
NCAPA recently sat down with Martha “Marty” Nelson, MHS, PA-C, who serves a unique role as a physician assistant (PA). In addition to practicing at Duke University’s Healthy Lifestyles clinic since 2008, PA Nelson is also a REACH PPP trainer for the NC Psychiatry Access Line (NC-PAL). Originally from Mississippi, Marty was a Registered Nurse (RN) […]

AAPA House of Delegates Nominations Open
AAPA House of Delegates Nominations Open
On behalf of the NCAPA Nominating Committee Nominations are now open for candidates seeking to be the NCAPA representatives to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) 2026 and 2027 House of Delegates (HOD). MATERIALS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 1, 2025. What is the AAPA House of Delegates? The AAPA HOD is the representative […]

This Year’s Highlights
This Year’s Highlights
Thank you to our members, leaders, volunteers, and supporters for an impactful year. As we look forward to the new year, we take a look back at some highlights of 2024, including breakthroughs in leadership, education, outreach, and more.

PA Brett Curtis on Being a Reservist in the NDMS
PA Brett Curtis on Being a Reservist in the NDMS
“I was blown away by the camaraderie of just random people in the community helping each other. These people’s lives were changed irreparably.” –Brett Curtis, PA-C In the wake of Hurricane Helene, emerging from the images of its destruction and devastation in Western North Carolina, were stories of heroes and community members coming together as […]

How to Support PAs, Patients, and Communities this Giving Tuesday
How to Support PAs, Patients, and Communities this Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is celebrated today, December 3, 2024. Give back this #GivingTuesday and support PA student scholarships, community-based projects driven by PAs, PA students, and changemakers, and so much more. The Joyce Nichols Memorial Community Grant is one of many philanthropic resources offered through the North Carolina Academy of Physician Associates Endowment. The grant is designed to foster knowledge […]



























