News and Events

Society of Air Force PAs/Veterans Caucus Memorial Scholarship Recipient

CHA/PA Students Win CAPA Awards

Students, faculty, and staff attended the Annual CAPA conference where several students won awards:

Katie Ganser Class of 2021, and Lauren Norheim Class of 2022 both received scholarships.

The CHA/PA Challenge Bowl team "CHAPALETES" won the CAPA competition which tests students medical knowledge in a team-based competitive format.

Faculty Approved for SAMHSA Grant

Faculty members Amy Akerman, MPAS, PA-C and Rachel Byrne, MS, PA-C, were members of an approved $450,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to the university. The grant will be used to train PA, NP, and MD students to prescribe drugs that fight opioid addiction prior to graduation.

Student Awarded NHSC Scholarship

Oliver Arguello, CHA/PA Class of 2022, received the National Health Service Corps Scholarship. This scholarship is funded by a federal program that provides support to students and professionals who are pursuing a primary care profession in underserved communities.

Alumna Receives Barbara A. Quarantillo Instructor Award

Heather Heizer, MPAS, PA-C, CHA/PA class of 2008, was named the Barbara A. Quarantillo awardee as a Senior Instructor in the CU Department of Pediatrics. This award honors an outstanding Senior Instructor with five or more years of service for contributions and recognition in their field.

Faculty and Staff at PAEA 2019

Several faculty and staff participated in presentations, discussion panels, and taught courses at the annual PAEA national conference:

Jacqueline Sivahop, MS, PA-C and Tai Lockspeiser, MD, MHPE gave a presentation titled: Competency- Based Education and Assessment: Top Ten Lessons Learned.

Karen Vogel, MS, PA-C; Tanya Fernandez, MS, PA-C; and Janice Baker, MHR gave a presentation titled: Clinical Boot Camp: It’s More than Needledrivers and IV Fluids.

Janice Baker, MHR moderated the panel titled: Educators Who Write: Overcoming Barriers to Wielding the Mighty Pen , which included faculty members Amy Akerman, MPAS, PA-C and Tanya Fernandez, MS, PA-C.

Joyce Nieman, MHS, PA-C assisted in teaching the Clinical Coordinators 201 Workshop.

CHA/PA 50th Anniversary Celebration

On October 4th, 2019, the CHA/PA program celebrated 50 years of educating PAs in Colorado at our 50th Anniversary Celebration. The event had 400 attendees and raised funds for student scholarships.

New Faculty Publication

Faculty members Tanya Fernandez, MS, PA-C and Amy Akerman, MPAS, PA-C recently completed their publication of "The Physician Assistant Student's Guide to the Clinical Year: Pediatrics" which is one book in a series of guides for students published by Springer Publishing Company.

Student Elected as CAPA Board of Directors Student Director

Karli Nash, CHA/PA Class of 2020, was elected into the new Student Director position for the Board of Directors of the Colorado Academy of PAs (CAPA). This new position on the voting board is meant to improve communication around student interests and issues.

Student Elected to AAPA House of Delegates

Katie Ganser, CHA/PA Class of 2021, Vice President of the Silver Society, was elected to the AAPA House of Delegates as a Student Delegate. The AAPA House of Delegates is the policymaking body that votes on and enacts policies that guide the values, philosophies, and principles of the PA profession.