Alumni

Welcome to the CHA/PA Program Alumni Page!

Annual CHA/PA Alumni Awards

In partnership with the Office of Alumni Affairs, CHA/PA recognizes three Alumni with the following awards each fall: the Rising Star Award, the Alumni Achievement Award, and the Henry Silver Legacy Award.

Rising Star Award

An alumna or alumnus of the University of Colorado Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program who has graduated within the last 7 years (2018) and who has demonstrated emerging and unique innovation, creativity, and/or excellence in service, clinical care, education, professional organizations and/or published research.

Nominate a colleague when submissions open in the summer.

Alumni Achievement Award

An alumna or alumnus of the University of Colorado Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program who has embodied the mission of the CU CHA/PA Program by demonstrating excellence and leadership in service, clinical care, education, professional organizations and/or published research.

Nominate a colleague when submissions open in the summer.

Henry Silver Legacy Award

An alumna or alumnus of the University of Colorado Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program who has been practicing for over 25 years and has made a significant contribution to the profession, either as an educator, clinician, leader, or administrator, and have demonstrated ongoing support of the University of Colorado Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant Program.

Nominate a colleague when submissions open in the summer.

2026 CHA/PA Alumni Awardees

Rising Star Awardee – Lauren Griffin, PA-C

The Rising Star Award honors grads from the past seven years who’ve shown innovation, creativity, and excellence in service, clinical care, education, leadership, or research.

This year's recipient embodies all those qualities and reflects the very best of the CHA/PA mission: advancing patient care through clinical excellence, leadership, education, and service to others. CHA/PA has a longstanding tradition of developing leaders in the profession, and Lauren Griffin is already carrying that tradition forward in remarkable ways. 
Since graduating from the CHA/PA Program in 2019 and completing the Pediatric Inpatient APP Fellowship, Lauren has built her career in what she describes as her "dream job" in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital Colorado. There, she cares for critically ill children while simultaneously shaping the future of the profession through education, mentorship, and innovation. 

Lauren has emerged as a leader in point-of-care ultrasound education, helping develop a credentialing pathway that empowers Advanced Practice Providers and expands their impact on patient care. She serves as Director of APP Education and Orientation in Pediatric Critical Care, co-leads the Pediatric Inpatient APP Fellowship, and has been recognized with numerous honors, including PICU APP of the Year, the Department of Pediatrics' Instructor Recognition for Expert in Education, and a University of Colorado Alumni Hero Award. 

In reflecting on her own journey, she credits the mentors, sponsors, colleagues, and classmates who believed in her along the way. She often shares with students that the relationships built during school and clinical rotations can become lifelong advocates and friends. 

Lauren also reminds us that success is about more than professional achievement. She speaks candidly about building a sustainable career, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what matters most. 

Please join us in congratulating the recipient of the 2026 Rising Star Award, Lauren Griffin.

Alumni Achievement Awardee – Danielle Mashburn, PA-C

The Alumni Achievement Award, recognizes those who truly embody the mission of CHA/PA through leadership and excellence in their work and service.

Since graduating from the CHA/PA Program in 2011, Danielle Mashburn has dedicated her career to pediatric critical care medicine at Children's Hospital Colorado, where she has become a respected clinician, educator, mentor, and leader. Throughout her career, she has combined clinical excellence with a deep commitment to advancing both the physician assistant profession and the people within it. 

Among Danielle's most enduring contributions is the creation and leadership of the Pediatric Critical and Acute Care Longitudinal Experience, better known as PCACLE. What began as an innovative partnership between Children's Hospital Colorado and the CHA/PA Program has become a nationally recognized, first-of-its-kind educational pathway that prepares future physician assistants for careers in pediatric acute and critical care medicine. To date, the program has helped launch the careers of more than 40 graduates and created opportunities for students pursuing specialized careers that previously may not have existed. 

As PICU APP Lead for six years, she guided her team through a period of significant growth, championed professional advancement opportunities for advanced practice providers, and helped shape innovative initiatives including point-of-care ultrasound education and credentialing. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Stacey Wall Award for APP Leadership and Innovation, designation as a Senior Instructor with Distinction, and recognition as a national APP Thought Leader. 

Those who nominated her spoke of her humility, generosity, and unwavering commitment to others. One colleague described her as someone who "does not seek recognition" and whose impact is best measured by the clinicians she has trained, the careers she has shaped, and the opportunities she has created for future generations. 

Danielle credits the mentors, colleagues, patients, and families who helped shape her career. She encourages today's students to stay curious, embrace lifelong learning, seek out mentors, and never underestimate the impact they can have on their patients, colleagues, and profession. 

Please join us in congratulating the first recipient of the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award, Danielle Mashburn.

Alumni Achievement Awardee – Chelsey Stillman, PA-C 

This year's second Alumni Achievement recipient has also spent more than fifteen years exemplifying this award through her remarkable career dedicated to improving the lives of children and families living with complex neurological conditions.

After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and graduating from the CHA/PA Program in 2010, Chelsey Stillman joined Children's Hospital Colorado as a pediatric neurology physician assistant. Sixteen years later, she remains in that same specialty, building a career defined by expertise, innovation, advocacy, and service. 

Chelsey serves as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Lead Advanced Practice Provider for Pediatric Neurology, founder and director of the Integrative Tic Clinic, and co-director of the Pediatric-to-Adult Epilepsy Transition Clinic. Her work has helped transform care for children with epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, and other neurological conditions, while establishing her as a national leader in the field. Her excellence has been recognized through numerous honors, including the Outstanding Clinical Service Award, designation as a Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society, and the 2026 University of Colorado School of Medicine Distinguished Clinician Award. 

Beyond her clinical work, Chelsey has devoted herself to service and advocacy. For sixteen years she has volunteered at epilepsy camp, where she now serves as lead medical staff, helping children and families navigate challenges that extend far beyond the clinic walls. She also played an important role in legislative advocacy efforts supporting Colorado Senate Bill 23-083, advancing physician assistant practice and helping strengthen the profession for future generations. 

Chelsey's influence extends nationally and internationally through leadership roles with the American Epilepsy Society and the International Neurologic Ketogenic Society, as well as through her extensive teaching, mentorship, publications, and research contributions. Her work remains rooted in a simple passion: helping patients live fuller lives. 

Chelsey shared that some of her most meaningful experiences have come through volunteering and supporting patients outside of traditional clinical medicine. She encourages current students to find a field they truly love because, in her words, "you'll never work a day in your life." 

Please join us in congratulating the recipient of the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award, Chelsey Stillman.

Henry Silver Awardee – Sandy Hoops, PA-C

The Henry Silver award was established to recognize an alumnus at the culmination of their career. These alumni have been practicing for over 25 years and have made a significant contribution to the profession, either as an educator, clinician, leader, or administrator, and have demonstrated ongoing support of the CU CHA/PA Program.

For more than four decades, Sandra "Sandy" Hoops has dedicated her career to caring for patients, educating future healthcare providers, and advancing the physician assistant profession. As a proud member of the CHA/PA Class of 1981, Sandy's story has been intertwined with the program's history almost from the very beginning. 

After completing the program, Sandy began what would become a remarkable career at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, where she cared for children, adolescents, and families while contributing to groundbreaking diabetes research and innovations in patient care. Her work spanned everything from early diabetes detection to emerging technologies such as glucose monitoring, insulin pumps, and sensor therapy. She also served as a medical coordinator for diabetes camp, supporting children and families for an incredible 38 years. 

For more than 30 years, she served the University of Colorado as a faculty member and later as Clinical Coordinator of the CHA/PA Program. In that role, she mentored hundreds of students, helped shape curriculum and clinical education, and played an important role in developing innovative approaches to assessing clinical competency. Generations of CHA/PA graduates have benefited from her wisdom, guidance, and commitment to excellence. 

When reflecting on her time in the program, Sandy fondly remembers lunches spent learning from Dr. Henry Silver himself during his famous "Silver Nuggets" sessions. Those conversations about patient care, communication, and practical clinical problem-solving left a lasting impression and helped shape the clinician and educator she would become. 

Sandy's service to the profession continued nationally through 21 years as an ARC-PA site visitor, helping ensure the quality of physician assistant education programs across the country. Her career has been recognized with numerous honors, but perhaps her greatest legacy is the countless students, colleagues, and patients whose lives she has touched. 
When asked what receiving this award means to her, Sandy shared that being associated with Dr. Henry Silver's name was beyond her wildest dreams and left her feeling honored, humbled, and deeply grateful. 

Please join us in congratulating the recipient of the 2026 Henry Silver Legacy Award, Sandy Hoops. 

2025 CHA/PA Alumni Award Winners

Rising Star Award winner - Haley Briggs, PA-C | Class of 2019, whose impact in hospital medicine has been nothing short of extraordinary. She mentors CHA/PA students through the CHANGE track, guiding them through a structured 3 year curriculum in adult critical care.

Alumni Achievement Award winner - Stacey Gundry, PA-C | Class of 2017, has dedicated her career to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Hospital Colorado where she has made a profound impact as a gifted educator, and a thoughtful leader. She has spent five years optimizing the APP clinical schedule to improve work-life balance for her colleagues and recently, stepped into the role of Lead APP—shaping the future of her team.

Alumni Achievement Award winner - Stephanie Shea, PA-C | Class of 2009, currently serves as the Clinical Medical Director for Child Neurology, one of only two APPs in the hospital to hold such a role. She’s also a key contributor to numerous clinical trials and research initiatives focused on rare pediatric neurological conditions.

Henry Silver Award winner - Cindy Tanner, PA-C | Class of 1972, and a graduate of the very first CHA/PA class in 1972. Cindy has spent her career living the mission of this program: providing compassionate, expert care to vulnerable children and giving back through teaching and service. Even in retirement, Cindy continues to serve—lecturing on sentinel events in child abuse, interviewing prospective students, and contributing as a valued member of our Alumni Council.

Check out our 2024 Alumni Award Winners here:

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