Greetings GAPA Members,

It is hard to believe that it is July and the 2024 conference is here. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in San Destin. I wanted to take a moment to thank each member for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your 2023 – 2024 President. We have had a very busy year. We elected new members to the Board of Directors. I would like to congratulate Megan Timpone, President, Brian Wingrove, President-Elect, Miles Gilbreath, Treasurer, Shannon Jackson, Director at Large, and Beckie Hayes, Director at Large. We have an exciting year ahead. Please join me in appreciation for our GA delegates, Tammi Pavey, Chief Delegate, Jonathan Hill, Katie Foley, and Beckie Hayes for their service this session of the AAPA House of Delegates (HOD) annual meeting and for their commitment all year. Delegates across the US updated and established new parliamentary rules to stay current with new and challenging terms and themes within the medical professions. In efforts to cultivate and encourage diversity in our national organization and within the PA Profession, enhancements to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy were made and a DEI Committee was established. Policies on artificial intelligence (AI) were also introduced and approved. (For a complete list of resolutions adopted, please review the HOD meeting materials on the AAPA website at https://www.aapa.org/governance/house-of-delegates/.) Without your dedication and support, GAPA would certainly not be where it is today. Please contact us if you are interested in serving on a committee or if you have questions about membership. Hope to see you at our annual summer conference.

Sincerely,
LeAnne Martinelli, DHSc, PA-C
2023- 2024 GAPA President

Dr. LeAnne Martinelli serves as the Program Director and Professor of the Developing Physician Assistant Program at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.  She earned her Doctor of Health Science from Nova Southeastern University, Master of Medical Science from Emory University, and BS in Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Prior to joining the faculty at Agnes Scott College, she was the Academic Director and Associate Professor at Mercer University PA Program and an Assistant Professor in the Physician Assistant Program at Emory University School of Medicine.  She has 20 years of clinical experience as a physician assistant working in a variety of clinical settings including community health, family medicine, internal medicine, hematology/oncology, and emergency medicine.  Dr. Martinelli’s research interests include exploring methods to help the “struggling” student through study skills training, utilization of available resources such as student accommodations, and development of remediation curriculum.

She is an active member of American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc (ARC-PA).  She was elected to serve nationally on the AAPA House of Delegates beginning in 2016 and is currently the Chief Delegate for Georgia.  Dr. Martinelli was a National Health Service Corps Scholar, received the Faculty Achievement Award from Georgia Association of Physician Assistants in 2012 and 2016 and the Outstanding Faculty Educators of the Emory School of Medicine Recognition in 2018.

To learn more about what Dr. Martinelli is working on at Agnes Scott College, click here! 

Available Articles to Read 

The cost-effectiveness of physician assistants/associates: A systematic review of international evidence

Addressing Georgia’s Healthcare Disparities: The Benefits of Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants