Category Archives: Physician Assistant

PA alum to give presentation April 5th

Posted by on March 29th, 2013

Jill Ferry, PA-C, a graduate from UNMC, serves as a physician assistant at the Harlan Doctor’s Clinic, providing services as a patient-centered medical home in Harlan, Iowa. She will be addressing the “Effective Utilization of Physician Assistants in Primary Care,” on Friday, April 5, 2013 from 12:00-12:50 PM in the Wittson Hall Amphitheater (3034).

The Myrtue Medical Center Clinics, with five locations in rural Iowa, are one of 36 practices from around the country selected to participate in the TranforMED National Demonstration Project, transforming their medical practice into a patient-centered medical home. Jill has special interests in diabetes and women’s health care. She provides community lectures at monthly Diabetic Core classes on diabetic complications and management of the disease.

Their medical clinics have undergone significant change in recent years, including the construction of a state-of-the-art wellness center, the conversion to electronic health records, and establishing a network of health coaches, all with an ever-increasing focus on wellness. In the past four years their efforts, have been described in articles in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, the AARP Bulletin, and many other national publications.

PA Faculty Picked for Editorial Team of Professional Journal

Posted by on March 15th, 2013

v23n1desktop.qxpThe Journal of the Physician Assistant Education, the official journal of the Physician Assistant Education Association, recently appointed Tami Ritsema, MPH, MMSc, PA-C, to their editorial board. Michael Huckabee, MPAS, PhD, PA-C, has been selected as editor for the Abstracts and Brief Reports feature of the journal. The journal is dedicated to advancing PA education by publishing scholarly manuscripts germane to PA educators and by providing a forum for the sharing of ideas and innovations that will enhance the education of PA students. The journal is peer-reviewed, indexed in the National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE database, and published on a quarterly basis.

Creating a Culture of Wellness in Healthcare Settings Conference

Posted by on March 8th, 2013

ConferenceLogoNewsletter Article from the NE Dept of Health & Human Services -

The Lied Lodge in Nebraska City is the site for an innovative conference on May 17 and 18 designed to aid physicians and clinical staff in enhancing their own wellness and their clinics’ workplace wellness. The conference will be lively and interactive, with an emphasis on physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. Clinicians will also learn new strategies, resources, and patient counseling techniques to improve wellness outcomes for their patients.

Many well-known national and local speakers are featured. They include Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, President of the American Medical Association; Dr. Edward Phillips, Director of the Harvard Institute of Lifestyle Medicine and co-author of Exercise is Medicine; and Matt Davison, former Husker star athlete and current Husker broadcaster.

The conference is a collaboration of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Nebraska Medical Association, Nebraska Methodist College, and many other partners and sponsors. It begins at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 17, and continues through Saturday, May 18, to facilitate attendance by clinical staff. Ten continuing education credits will be offered for a variety of health professions.

Conference participants are encouraged to bring their families for a spring weekend at the beautiful Lied Lodge. Wellness activities for families are offered, including family Zumba, Tai Chi, yoga, an excursion to the Treehouse Adventure, and an early morning Adventure Challenge.

More information is located at www.dhhs.ne.gov/WellnessConference2013. Significant early bird discounts are offered to encourage early registration. For questions, please contact Kathy Ward at kathy.ward@nebraska.gov.

Landon selected for national committee

Posted by on March 1st, 2013

Diane Landon, MA, Student Affairs Specialist, has been selected to serve as a member of the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) Admissions Committee WebAdMIT Subcommittee. The subcommittee is charged with proposing, prioritizing, and testing additional WebAdMIT enhancements, and Diane will be bring her expertise in those areas to the committee. The appointment is for a two year term.

Congratulations, Diane!

PA faculty member lobbies in the UK

Posted by on February 27th, 2013

On February 13, 2013, Tami Ritsema, MPH, MMSc,PA-C, attended a meeting at the United Kingdom House of Commons as a member of a delegation from the UK Association of Physician Assistants (UKAPA)  along with Jeannie Watkins, past president of UKAPA, and Kate Straughton, who is the current president of UKAPA. (Tami’s the tall one in the middle, below.)

Kate Straughton (current President of UKAPA), Tami Ritsema, and Jeannie Watkins (Past President of UKAPA).

Kate Straughton (current President of UKAPA), Tami Ritsema, and Jeannie Watkins (Past President of UKAPA).

The three went to lobby for regulation of the Physician Assistant profession, which is currently not regulated in the UK. They met with two members of Parliament, senior staff members to health committees, and representatives of the National Health Service to make their case, but the process of lobbying takes time. Although they didn’t see any breakthroughs at this meeting, they continue to press their case with the British government.