AAPA Names New JAAPA Editor in Chief and Distinguished Fellows
PAEA would like to congratulate Richard “Rick” W. Dehn, MPA, PA-C, on his appointment as editor in chief of the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA). Dehn has served in multiple PA faculty roles including founding program director of the Northern Arizona University PA program. Through it all, Dehn has enjoyed teaching and publishing scholarly work and has found a calling through mentorship of PA researchers. He sees this appointment as the next step in his career, increasing the depth, breadth, and voice of the PA research community. “My research priority is to increase both the amount and quality of research published in JAAPA. There are an increasing number of PA faculty and clinical PAs who are interested in publishing their scholarly work,” he said.
PAEA CEO Mary Jo Bondy, DHEd, MHS, PA-C, expressed appreciation for Dehn’s contributions to the Association and said she is excited to see what he does in his new role with JAAPA. “We are so grateful to Rick Dehn for his years of service to PAEA, to the Research Mission Advancement Commission, and for his mentorship of dozens of faculty to expand their education and workforce research. We congratulate him on this appointment and look forward to his continued support of original PA research.”
Dehn has many priorities including workforce, policy, and international PA research. He is interested in encouraging more sophisticated analyses of large data sets to clearly define the role and contributions of PAs in the health care system, and is particularly focused on the health needs of the large underserved population in the U.S., an area in which he practiced extensively during his clinical career. His counterpart, Dave Asprey, PhD, PA-C, editor in chief of the Journal of Physician Assistant Education, sees an opportunity for partnership with JAAPA. “The linkages between our organizations and our journals, with Rick and me as editors, should create a positive environment for research and publishing within the profession,” said Asprey.
Dehn has spent his career building the PA research community. “Rick Dehn is the right person to lead JAAPA at this critical time. His prodigious research career and generous track record of mentoring new PA researchers position him well to lead JAAPA to have an even greater impact on medical practice and health workforce policy,” said Dave Keahey, MSPH, PA-C, PAEA’s chief policy officer.
In addition, AAPA has named 38 new Distinguished Fellows — many of whom are PA educators, including the current treasurer of the PAEA Board of Directors, Carl Garrubba, MPA, PA-C, CPA, program director and professor at Dominican University of California.
Other PAEA members named as fellows include:
- Kirk Barron, PhD, MHS, PA-C, University of North Texas Health Science Center
- Sarah Bolander, DMSc, PA-C, Midwestern University – Glendale
- Elizabeth Bunting, MS, PA-C, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- David Dominguez, MPAS, PA-C, Charles R. Drew University
- Breann Garbas, PA-C, University of Florida
- Eve Hoover, PA-C, Midwestern University – Glendale
- Christopher Howell, PA-C, Kettering College
- Gerald Kayingo, PhD, PA-C, University of California – Davis
- Kristopher Maday, MS, PA-C, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
- Barbara Morici, PA-C, DeSales University
- Emily Murphy, PA-C, University of Pittsburgh
- Meredith Quinene, PA-C, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Alyssa Quinlan, PA-C, St. John’s University
- Nicole Schwensow, PA-C, Alverno College
- Carla Shamblen, PA-C, Midwestern University – Glendale
- Anntara Smith, PA-C, Idaho State University
- Betty Stewart, PA-C, University of Washington
- Holly West, DHEd, PA-C, Hardin-Simmons University
- Deborah Wright, PA-C, Albany Medical College
PAEA wishes Rick Dehn all the best in his new role as JAAPA editor in chief and offers congratulations to all of the new AAPA fellows.
