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News and Events
CHA/PA Alumni, Molly McCullough, PA-C, awarded Rising Star Award
We are proud to celebrate Molly McCullough, CHA/PA Class of 2022, for receiving the Rising Star Award at the Office of Advanced Practice Annual Conference earlier this fall. Since graduating in 2022, Molly completed the APP Fellowship in
Hospital Medicine at University of Colorado Hospital and now serves as a full-time faculty instructor.
Molly was drawn to the PA profession for its focus on direct patient care and collaborative practice. Her passion grew while volunteering at the DAWN Clinic, where she saw firsthand the impact providers have on patients’ lives. Currently, Molly is leading a Quality Improvement project aimed at improving communication between hospitalists and primary care providers during patient discharge—an effort designed to enhance care and reduce readmissions. She also works extensively with the Medicine Transplant team, a role she finds deeply rewarding. A proud Colorado native, Molly enjoys hiking, camping, and skiing in the Rocky Mountains whenever she can Congratulations, Molly, we are so
proud of you.
CHA/PA Alumna, Candace Bassett received the United Hero Award
Earlier this year, Candace Bassett, Class of 2018, received the United Hero Award. This award acknowledges healthcare providers who consistently go above and beyond to deliver exceptional care. It's based on feedback from their patients, highlighting the significant impact these providers have on those they serve.
Candace was in the top 10% for positive patient experience responses in 2024 and was even the #1 rated APC for all of Optum Colorado clinics for the 2nd quarter of 2024. Candace has worked in family medicine since graduating
from CHA/PA in 2018 and continues to enjoy building long-lasting relationships with her patients of all ages.
Congratulations, Candace! Your CHA/PA family is proud of you.
Ben Haerther, PA-C, is given UCH Medical Staff Award
We had an opportunity to catch up with Ben Haerther, Class of 2022 and we asked him a few questions about what he has been up to after his CHA/PA days. Tell us about your career pathway after CHA/PA Following CHA/PA graduation in 2022, I started the APP Fellowship in Hospital Medicine at University of Colorado Hospital. The fellowship is a 13 month-long post-graduate experience that utilizes a multiphase approach to develop us learners into well-rounded, competent inpatient providers through both clinical and didactic experiences. Subsequently, I was fortunate to be hired as a fulltime faculty instructor and have been working in this role for ~1.5 years now. One of the best parts of this job is regularly precepting 3rd-year CHA/PA students while they are on their clinical rotations!
What drew you to the PA profession?
Was there a defining motivation or life event that redirected you toward this path? While exploring healthcare career options in late high school and early on in undergrad, I focused on identifying a field that aligned with a few of my core values: collaboration, flexibility in career movement, excellent work/life balance, and sufficient time to truly come to know my patients. While not every day in the hospital is all "rainbows and butterflies", I feel confident that I have chosen a career that allows me to thrive in my work environment. I am a proud PA and love to help those who might be considering pursuing the career path.
What career accomplishments are you particularly proud of?
UCH Medical Staff Awards - Bedside Manner Award (Jan. 2025) UCH APP Hospital Medicine Fellowship Awards (Sept. 2024): nominated for both the "APP Excellence in Education Faculty Award" and the "APP Role Model of Humanism Faculty Award" (Nominations were made by current APP Fellows)
Is there anything else about you personally that is unique or that you would like to share?
I am continually thankful for the strong foundational skills and knowledge that the CHA/PA Program provided me. My transition to practice was just about as smooth as it could've been. I give all of my thanks to the wonderful faculty instructors, staff, mentors, and preceptors!
Aimee Bernard, PhD awarded the Chancellor’s Teaching Award
CHA/PA has a number of adjunct faculty that help make the program what it is. Aimee Bernard, PhD is one of our adjunct faculty and we are proud to share that she received the Chancellor's Teaching Recognition Award this past spring. Here's a Q&A to help everyone get to know Aimee a bit better.
1. Where are you originally from? Saint Paul, Minnesota
2. Where did you attend professional school? I got my PhD at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY
3. When did you start as Adjunct Faculty in the CHA/PA program? I've been teaching immunology in the CHA/PA program for 6 years starting in the fall of 2018.
4. What lecture topics do you provide? I teach the foundational concepts of immunology and clinical relevancy of the immune system to a wide variety of students across the CU Anschutz medical campus, including PA students, medical students, dental students and graduate students.
5. What is your favorite thing about lecturing to PA students? PA students as a whole tend to be very curious and truly interested in learning. They all seem to embrace the "growth mindset" for learning and are invested in working together to build knowledge. They are - as a whole - a fabulous group of students to teach. It's rewarding as an educator to teach students who are curious and interested in learning.
6. Can you share a little bit about the Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award you received in the spring? I was honored to receive the Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award for the CU School of Medicine in May 2024. The nominees are named by the school-wide student governance groups and a committee in each school, comprised of a student representative, a faculty representative, and an administrator, selects the winner. Teaching is my passion; I am thankful for the opportunity to teach so many amazing students on the CU Anschutz medical campus!
Congratulations, Aimee! We are grateful to have you as part of the CHA/PA team.
CHA/PA ranked in Top Ten in U.S. News and World Report
We are proud to be among the University of Colorado programs recognized in a recent edition of U.S. News and World Report. The University of Colorado's Department of Pediatrics is tied for eighth in the nation for "Best Pediatrics Programs" in rankings released by the magazine. The Department of Pediatrics consistently ranks among the best in the nation. The Department has been ranked in the top eight in each of the past 13 years.
In addition to the No. 8 ranking by the Department of Pediatrics, the CU School of Medicine specialty program of Family Medicine was ranked seventh. Additionally, the University of Colorado's School of Medicine was ranked eighth in the magazine’s list of best medical schools for primary care, and CHA/PA was ranked No. 8.
The magazine provides rankings of specific specialties based on ratings provided by medical school deans and senior faculty from surveyed schools.
Medical Director, Tai Lockspeiser, MD Receives Inaugural Professorship
Tai Lockspeiser, MD, MHPE, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Assistant Dean of Medical Education and Director of Assessment, Evaluations, and Outcomes, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Jones Family Professorship in Medical Education by Dean Reilly. Dean Reilly is quoted as follows, "This is a well-deserved endowed position for Tai, who oversees a critically important process in our school’s Office of Medical Education. Adding even more meaning to this honor is that it is a gift from former Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and former Chair of Pediatrics Doug Jones, MD. We are grateful for his generous and continuing support and leadership at our school and his commitment to competency-based assessment as an active member of our curriculum team. We also congratulate Tai and thank her for her outstanding commitment to continuous improvement of the MD program. "
Congratulations, Dr. Lockspeiser!
Faculty Present at PAEA Forum
In Fall 2022 faculty and staff were in San Diego for the PA Education Association (PAEA) Forum, our national conference. CHA/PA was well-represented at the meeting:
Kay Denler and Jackie Sivahop presented a day-long workshop: Creating a Guiding Light: Building a Curriculum Map. This workshop filled up months previously and was very well-received by those who were able to attend.
Jonathan Bowser presented a talk as a member of the PAEA President’s Commission: Meeting the Accreditation Standard for Diversity: Practical Examples for Institutional Leadership.
Kay Denler received the national PA Program Administrative Support Staff Award. The award recognizes “a program administrative staff member who has made extraordinary contributions to PA education.” Congrats, Kay!
CHA/PA faculty presented the following poster sessions:
- Jackie Sivahop and Kay Denler presented: Breaking Down Barriers: The Impact of Removing the GRE for Admissions
- Kristen Oase, Tanya Fernandez and Boyd Hammond presented: Medication Safety Training: Far Beyond Prescription Writing
- Kate LaPorta and Rebecca Maldonado presented: Can Clinical Reasoning Skills Be Enhanced by Curricular Design Change?
- Boyd Hammond and Tanya Fernandez presented: Implementation of a First-Generation Mentoring Program for PA students
Spirit of Anschutz Award
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