Essential Health Clinic Become a Preceptor! New Rural Health Care Track Simulation Lab International Service Learninghttps://commons.pacificu.edu/panews/1001/thumbnail.jp

School of Physician Assistant Studies

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School of Physician Assistant Studies
PAcificPulse
INSIDE
Award Announcements
PA Alumni Updates pacificu.edu /pa


Charles J. Bentz 
M.D., F.A.C.P. 
Medical Director  
One of the most 
exciting changes 
this past year was 
the passage of 
Oregon Senate 
Bill 224, the PA Practice Modernization 
Act, which both streamlines the licensing 
process for PA’s as well as the practice 
agreement. The new law allows the 
Medical Board to approve the supervising 
Message from the Medical Director
physician, after they have passed 
an online test. After going through 
this process myself, I feel that this is a 
good way to make sure the supervising 
physician understands the requirements. 
       From my point of view, the best 
feature of this law is that it places the 
responsibility for the relationship between 
the PA and the supervising physician 
back where it should be, between the PA 
and the physician. The ability to create 
a “Supervising Physician Organization” 
which allows for multiple PA’s to be 
The Essential Health Clinic
Our didactic phase PA students 
continue to shadow faculty PAs at the 
Essential Health Clinic in Hillsboro, 
Oregon. Students and faculty are there 
on most Thursday evenings and have 
helped treat hundreds of patients 
from the surrounding area. Students 
get feedback on their interview skills, 
physical exam techniques, diagnostic 
hypotheses and SOAP notes while 
learning from a diverse group of 
clinicians. On a typical night there 
will be four to six providers and 
approximately 30 to 40 patients seen. 
This partnership, which began in 
2002, continues to grow and develop 
and we have several graduates who 
also come and donate their time. 
The clinic is open on Monday and 
Thursday evenings in Hillsboro and on 
Wednesday evenings in Tigard. 
     The “Decade of Difference” 10th 
Anniversary Business Leaders Breakfast 
will be held on May 18, 2012, from 
7:30 – 9:00 AM at the Multnomah 
Athletic Club in Portland. This is the 
7th annual breakfast celebrating the 
clinic’s work providing free urgent care 
and access to health for low income, 
uninsured residents of Washington 
County. Pacific University faculty will 
attend and if you are interested in 
joining us, we would enjoy seeing you 
there! For more information, please go 
to: events@essentialhealthclinic.org 
supervised by multiple providers, 
included in this new law,  should foster 
an environment that creates more PA jobs 
here in Oregon. 
       Here at Pacific, a priority of mine 
will be to increase awareness of this new 
legislation within Oregon’s physician 
community.  I am always looking for 
“success stories” so if you have something 
you want to share, send me an email:
cbentzmd@pacificu.edu 
       I look forward to hearing from you.
Spring 2012
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The North Lake Health Clinic, Christmas Valley, OR
Become a Preceptor! 
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PRECEPTOR: 
An interview with Dennis Bruneau, PA-C 
The North Lake Health Clinic, Christmas Valley, OR 
“It is very rewarding for me as a preceptor to participate in someone’s education who is eager 
to learn and to help people feel better and get well when 
they become sick or injured. One of the joys of teaching 
in the rural/frontier clinical setting is to see the student 
gain a huge realization of how diverse primary care is and 
how the discipline is extremely challenging, requiring 
a broad set of skills and keeping an open mind to wide 
diversity of economic and medical literacy levels. I think 
PA students learning in rural clinics experience a greater 
connection to the patient by involving themselves more 
in the care of the whole patient at many levels. It is much 
more of a community experience for the student because 
of the patient’s frequent use of a community clinic to 
receive medical attention. I believe the result is that the 
practitioner and patient interaction and relationship is far 
deeper in the rural clinic setting. Lastly, they learn how 
to function in a locality that is far away from medical 
technology and far from the support of their peers. 
Sometimes it is frightening to be on your own. It takes a 
special person. Some love it and end up teachers of others. 
Otherwise, they would not come and never know what it is 
like!” —Dennis
BENEFITS 
We need more preceptors like Dennis. Of the many benefits 
there are for becoming a preceptor, none can compare to 
the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping not just 
the student in front of you, but helping to reach each 
patient that student reaches as well.
University Benefits 
	 •		Library	Privileges	to	Online	Resources	including	
UpToDate, MDConsult, Medical Textbooks 
	 •	Category	II	CME
	 •	Faculty	Appointment	as	Adjunct	Clinical	Faculty
Intrinsic Benefits
	 •	Giving	back	to	your	medical	profession
	 •	Enjoyment	of	mentoring	and	helping	others
For more information, please contact Diane Van Dyke at:
clinicalteam@pacificu.edu 
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& ANNOUNCEMENTS
Awards
School of Physician Assistant Studies
and international. Specifically, he will 
be travelling to a hospital in Nepal to 
work for 6 weeks  after graduation. It is 
amazing to witness his devotion.   
       Congratulations, Brandon.   
JOSIAH HILL SCHOLARSHIP
Brandon Smith has been named the 
recipient of the Josiah Hill Scholarship 
for 2012. This award is granted to an 
applicant for commitment to academic 
scholarship, participation in activities 
related to the PA profession and 
community, and professional goals 
in helping the underserved. Brandon 
utilized every opportunity to learn from 
his fellow classmates and faculty, often 
attending non-required lectures. He was 
an OSPA representative for his class and 
is continuing to work as a member of 
the legislative committee. Last, Brandon 
has the goal to work in medically 
underserved communities both domestic 
PA Alumni Updates
2005 
Melissa Salazar’s husband Arturo has 
completed his Med/Peds residency in 
Detroit.	They	will	be	moving	to	Eugene	
in July and look forward to being back in 
the NW after four years away.
Jane Girskis is enjoying western 
North Carolina with husband Ben, 
dog, cat, chickens, baby boy Sage 
Yona, and another on the way due in 
early November! She is in the midst 
of founding a new PA Society in her 
area.	She	also	volunteers	at	the	Good	
Samaritan Clinic (free clinic) and will 
have completed her first half marathon  
by publication.  
2008
Katie Howell reports that she and Mike 
McElhaney	are	planning	an	April	2013	
wedding. She is also anxious to begin 
precepting Pacific PA students.
2010
Holly Walkington is engaged! She will 
be marrying Dr. Matthew Brock this 
summer (2012). 
2011
Holly Hawkins and Jonathan are getting 
married in McCall, Idaho on September 
22, 2012.
1st Annual  
PA Alumni CME Conference 
July 14th, 2012   8AM – 1PM 
~ Only $20 ~ 
HPC	Campus	Hillsboro,	OR 
Details at www.pacificu.edu/alumni
Brandon Smith ’12
 THE NEW RURAL HEALTH CARE TRACK
We are excited to announce a new 
opportunity for PA students to 
extend and personalize their learning. 
Students are invited to apply to be 
a member of the Rural Health Care 
(RHC) track. The RHC track is designed 
to better prepare students who plan 
to work in rural locations, particularly 
in Oregon and Hawaii. Five physician 
assistant students will be selected 
through a separate admission process 
to participate in the inaugural 2014 
cohort. The admission process will 
include a separate application and 
an in-person interview to evaluate an 
applicant’s commitment to practicing in 
an underserved community. 
      As a RHC track student, their 
interest in rural medicine will be 
nurtured through several structured 
opportunities during their physician 
assistant education. During the didactic 
phase of the curriculum, the RHC track 
cohort will participate in additional 
small group sessions to better prepare 
them to work in a rural setting. In 
the clinical phase, the RHC track 
students will complete their 12-week 
family medicine rotation and up to 
two additional 6-week rotations in a 
rural community. The students will live 
in the rural community and will be 
encouraged to be actively involved in 
the community during their stay. RHC 
track students will also complete a 
graduate project which focuses on a 
rural health or rural community topic. 
If you are interested in precepting one 
of the RHC track students, please  
contact the Clinical Team at  
clinicalteam@pacificu.edu 
3
Students Focus on International Service Learning
This year both didactic and clinical 
phase students had an opportunity 
to focus some of their attention 
on International Service Learning 
opportunities in Nicaragua, Kenya  
and Honduras.  
     Four didactic phase students, 
and for the first time a PA faculty 
member, joined a group of faculty and 
students from Pharmacy, Occupational 
Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Dental 
Hygiene on a two week trip to provide 
interprofessional health care outreach 
to elders in Nicaragua. Two teams were 
assembled with students and faculty 
from each program, and services were 
provided to elders living in ‘hogars’, 
(assisted living facilities) in Esteli and 
Granada. While in Granada, students 
and faculty were honored by the 
mayor Eulogio Mejia Marenco for their 
years of service to the local community. 
     This year clinical phase students 
have traveled to Kenya, Africa and to 
Roatan, Honduras for Service Learning 
opportunities.  
     While in Kenya students worked 
with clinicians from Ray of Hope 
International. Groups of up to eight 
students at a time go twice a year to 
provide health care services to both 
urban underserved African and rural 
peoples. In Kenya the services focus 
on maternal child health issues and 
students often come home with a 
highlight of their trip being the births 
they were able to be a part of! HIV/
AIDS continues to be a major health 
issue in Africa and as such can be 
a large part of services provided in 
this service learning opportunity. 
While in Kenya students live with a 
host family and participate in various 
community projects which allows them 
the opportunity to become better 
connected to the people they are 
serving and learning with. 
     In Roatan, Honduras students 
If you have happened to be walking by	room	311	on	the	third	floor	of	
Creighton Hall lately you might have 
noticed the old OT wood shop is now a 
realistic looking hospital room and there 
seems to be one “patient” continually 
occupying the bed. This “patient” is the 
new	Laerdal	Sim	Man	Essential	and	he/
she (the manikin can be either male 
or female) has been receiving expert 
medical attention from the PA class of 
2013.	The	students	have	been	performing	
a sequence of simple to more complex 
shortness of breath scenarios throughout 
the spring semester. The Sim Man talks, 
blinks and has tears, has heart and breath 
sounds and pulses, can have IVs placed 
and blood drawn, can have chest tubes 
and bladder catheters placed. He is as real 
a patient experience as one can have short 
of having a standardized patient in  
the room! 
       Through the leadership of retired PA 
Director	Randy	Randolph,	current	PA	
Director Judy Ortiz, retired and current 
Simulation Lab
CHP Deans Sarah Hopkins-Powell 
and Ann Barr, the College of Health 
Professions has established a Simulation 
Lab	aka	“SIM	Lab”	on	the	third	floor	of	
Creighton Hall. The vision of developing 
the SIM Lab has evolved over the past 
four	years.	Judy	Ortiz,	Randy	Randolph	
and other PA faculty have attended SIM 
conferences and visited several SIM 
Labs in the region to get a sense of how 
simulation is being used in medical 
education. There is also a growing amount 
of research on the use of SIM in medical 
education. Pacific University School of 
PA Studies faculty have been pouring over 
much of the foundational research to get a 
better feel for how SIM technology can be 
effectively used in PA education. 
       Initial consultations were held with 
Laerdal representatives as well as with 
other stakeholders including medical 
simulation experts from OHSU and the 
Oregon Simulation Alliance, audiovisual 
experts, Pacific University IT and facilities 
representatives and local contractors. 
One especially exciting partnership 
that has evolved from early discussions 
about developing the SIM Lab was with 
Pacific University College of Health 
Professions (CHP) health partner — 
Tuality Healthcare — located directly 
across from the CHP campus in Hillsboro. 
Tuality Healthcare has donated key 
medical equipment and supplies to outfit 
the SIM Lab making the lab as lifelike 
as any hospital room found at Tuality 
PA students diagnosing tension pneumothorax
4
Faculty
•	Judy	Ortiz,	PA-C
Program Director & Professor
•	Charles	Bentz,	MD
Medical Director & Professor
•	Hector	M.	Rodriguez,	DO
Associate Medical Director & Professor
•	Saje	Davis-Risen,	PA-C
Academic Faculty & Assistant Professor
•	James	Ferguson,	PA-C
Academic Faculty & Assistant Professor
•	Eric	Foote,	PA-C
Academic Faculty & Assistant Professor
•	David	Keene,	PA-C
Clinical Coordinator & Assistant Professor
•	Mark	Pedemonte,	MD
Academic Faculty & Associate Professor
•	Robert	Rosenow,	PharmD,	OD
Academic Faculty & Professor
•	Sheryl	Sanders,	PhD
Professor of Anatomy
•	Annjanette	Sommers,	PA-C
Academic Faculty & Assistant Professor
•	Mary	Von,	PA-C
Academic Coordinator & Associate Professor
Staff
•	Debby	Friscia
Office Associate
•	Carol	LePage
Manager of Administrative Services 
•	Diane	Van	Dyke
Clinical Team Manager
222 SE 8th Ave
Hillsboro, OR 97123
503-352-7272
Faculty & Staff
work at La Clinica Esperanza, a clinic 
serving the underserved people of 
the bay islands of Honduras. 60% 
of the patients served at the clinic 
are children and the clinic recently 
opened a birthing center and pediatric 
hospital. Students see patients in the 
clinic and provide health education 
programs to the community. Students 
go to Honduras in pairs, with a total of 
16 students per year serving the clinic 
in Roatan.
Healthcare’s hospital. These 
donations have proven invaluable in making the SIM Lab functional 
and the SIM experience as realistic for the students as possible. 
       While the PA students have been engaging in use of this new 
technology, other schools (pharmacy, psychology, dental science, 
PT, OT, audiology, MHA) at CHP as well as health professionals at 
Tuality Healthcare are learning of the SIM Lab’s existence and are 
being brought into a discussion on how the SIM lab might be used 
for the education of those students and health professionals and also 
for interdisciplinary education opportunities. Open Houses have been 
held and continue to be held to officially introduce the SIM Lab to 
Pacific University faculty as well as our partners at Tuality Healthcare 
and other interested stakeholders. For more information on the SIM 
Lab	please	contact	Pacific	University	PA	Program	at	503-352-7272.
PA students performing PE in ED setting
5
Students Focus cont. from page 4
Simulation Lab cont. from page 4 


PAcific Pulse (Spring 2012)

https://commons.pacificu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&amp;context=panews

PAcific Pulse (Spring 2012)

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