Future PA Leaders Advocate for Change: 2025 PAEA Student Health Policy Fellowship Recap

The 2025 PAEA Student Health Policy Fellowship (SHPF) convened September 8–10, bringing together 18 PA students from across the country for three days of intensive virtual training and advocacy. Now in its 12th year, the Fellowship equips future PAs with the skills and confidence to engage in policy discussions that shape both PA education and patient care. 

This immersive program gave participants an insider’s view of the legislative process, access to advocacy leaders, and the opportunity to put their training into action during virtual meetings with congressional offices. 

Day One: Building a Foundation in Advocacy 

The Fellowship opened with a series of sessions that grounded fellows in health policy and practical advocacy skills. 

• Jenna Christiansen, Legislative Assistant in the office of Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28), described her office’s work on health and education policy, emphasizing access to graduate-level education for health professions students. She also gave practical advice on engaging congressional staff effectively, helping fellows prepare for their Hill meetings later in the week. 
• Tate Heuer, Vice President of Federal Advocacy at AAPA, provided insights into grassroots advocacy strategies and explained AAPA’s federal policy priorities. 
• Sara Fletcher, PhD, PAEA Chief Executive Officer, gave an update on the Association’s ongoing work and addressed fellows’ questions about the challenges and opportunities facing PA education. 
• Aileen G. Berquist, MPS, Assistant Director of State Advocacy and Outreach at AAPA, and Lizeth Zardeneta, PAEA’s Manager of State Advocacy and External Affairs, discussed advocacy efforts at the state level and highlighted recent policy wins that are expanding PA practice opportunities. 
• The day concluded with Sabrina Leonard, a 2024 Student Health Policy Fellow, who shared her experience completing a community-based advocacy project and reflected on the leadership opportunities that grew out of the Fellowship. 

Day Two: Learning from Leaders 

On the second day, fellows deepened their understanding of the policy environment and heard directly from leaders who have advanced advocacy at both the state and national levels. 

• PAEA’s Government Relations staff walked fellows through the Association’s current federal policy priorities. 
• PAEA’s external lobbying partners at Polsinelli, LLC outlined the current Washington landscape and shared best practices for engaging with congressional staff as effective grassroots advocates. 
• Edward Williams, DMSc, MEd, PA-C, Program Director at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Chair of PAEA’s Government Relations Steering Committee, shared his personal leadership journey and underscored the importance of faculty engagement in national advocacy. 
• Joshua Merson, DMSc, MS-HPEd, PA-C, NHDP-BC, DFAAPA, Program Director of Extreme Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor at Northeastern University, reflected on his advocacy work with the Massachusetts Association of Physician Associates (MAPA), offering a state-level view of how advocacy efforts shape practice and patient access. 

Day Three: Advocacy in Action 

The Fellowship culminated with fellows putting their skills into practice during virtual advocacy meetings with congressional offices. In these conversations, fellows urged lawmakers to support increased funding for Title VII health workforce programs and to advance reauthorization through the EMPOWER for Health Act. These programs are essential for training a well-prepared health workforce and ensuring providers are placed in rural and underserved areas where they are most needed. 

Looking Ahead 

The 2025 SHPF demonstrated the passion and commitment of PA students nationwide. Over the past 12 years, the Fellowship has built a strong tradition of preparing the next generation of PA leaders to advocate for their profession and their patients. 

Faculty and students interested in learning more about the Fellowship or in applying for future cohorts are encouraged to visit PAEA’s Student Health Policy Fellowship page or contact SHPF@PAEAonline.org.