PAs Go Beyond

PA Robert Smith realized he could maximize his impact on the PA profession by leading organizations on the national level. He has since chaired AAPA’s Minority Affairs Committee, which existed for more than 25 years; co-founded PAs for Latino Health, an AAPA caucus; and championed initiatives that will improve healthcare for Latino communities.

Three Army PAs who attended this year’s conference highlight the panels, events, and presentations where Army PAs found opportunities to learn and reconnect at AAPA 2022.

As a first-generation Vietnamese American woman, PA Madeleine Henriquez is grateful for the sacrifices her elders endured on her behalf. She, too, wanted to help others – and has done so as a PA in oncology, a PA Foundation Mental Health First Aid Fellow, and a compassionate clinician.

Joel J. Hunt, PA-C, is the 2022 recipient of the PA of the Year Award. A pioneer in street medicine, Hunt works as the Acclaim Director of Street Medicine at the JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas, where he provides primary care to unsheltered and homeless individuals.