I chose to become a PA because I was attracted to the flexibility of the position. I enjoy learning about all areas of medicine and knew that being a PA would afford me the opportunity to be able to provide patient care across a multitude of specialties and settings over my career.
I received a Bachelor's of Science degree from Louisiana State University in Dietetics in 2004 and a Master's of Health Sciences in PA Studies from the University of South Alabama in 2007. I have worked at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in Cardiothoracic Surgery 2007-2008 as well as the Emergency Department 2008-2012. I have also worked in conjunction with Harrah's Casino in their employee health and Family Practice clinic. I currently work full time as an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education for the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in the Master's of Physician Assistant program. I am one of two founding faculty members of the program and have had this appointment since 2012. I began working for MHM Urgent Care (later acquired by Ochsner) in 2015.
My time as an assistant professor has further engrained my belief that patient education and active patient participation is vital to patient care. I enjoy asking patients what he/she understands about his/her diagnosis and filling in what he/she might be missing. There are so many patient resources today, such as pamphlets, websites and patient handouts that sometimes confuse patients. Taking the extra time to educate each and every patient by clarifying the information they may already have improves outcomes, increases patient satisfaction and saves money for both the healthcare system and the patient.
