Two Staffers Present at PAEA Conference
By Ryan Clark
CHS Communication Director
Two staff members in the Physician Assistant Studies Department recently gave a presentation about contributing to staff efficacy while at the national PA Education Association Conference in Washington D.C.
Nadia Henry and Julia Berry, MSEd, presented “Untapped Potential: Professional Staff Contributions to PA Program Efficacy,” earlier this month.
Virginia Valentin, DrPH, PA-C and Chair for the Department of Physician Assistant studies, said it is a major accomplishment for staff to lead a presentation at a national conference — especially a conference where the majority of attendees were faculty.
“It is truly so easy to lead when you have amazing people,” Valentin said. “The initiative among both Nadia and Julia, along with their talent, allows them to be leaders at many things including showing at a national conference the best way to utilize staff in a department. I am proud to work alongside such professionals.”
For Berry, this was her third time being accepted to present at the conference.
“However, this was my first time to have the privilege to partner with administrative professionals from two other institutions: PACE University and St. Ambrose to present. We have found that in the PAEA realm, PA faculty and leadership were having difficulty understanding where Professional Administrators fit into offering higher level support to their programs.
“Fortunately, at the UK College of Health Sciences and in PA Studies, staff are fully supported in our professional development endeavors,” she continued. “PAEA is now recognizing that non-PA staff also need a platform to engage with one another. Therefore, within the past year they have created a non-PA staff online membership community and fall/spring retreats — which I have had the pleasure to moderate the first three.”
Berry, the current Program Manager for the Physician Assistant Program, has been an active participant in various professional organizations, facilitated workshops, and presented research on critical topics such as faculty and staff burnout prevention, mission-based holistic admissions, and diversity in healthcare programs.
Henry said the opportunity was one she could not pass up.
“When I attended my first conference last year, it really struck me how faculty-heavy the content was, as if the contributions of administrative professionals had been overlooked,” she said. “So, when Julia reached out with the opportunity to work on this proposal, I jumped at the chance.
“We wanted attendees to leave with a deeper understanding of the essential, often overlooked, role that administrative professionals play in PA programs,” she continued. “Our goal was to show how we, in our individual programs and positions, bridge gaps in operations, support faculty, students, and each other, and ultimately contribute to the overall success of PA education.”
Still, it was a bit of a jittery experience at first.
“It’s definitely nerve-wracking to stand in front of a room full of experts in their fields — it can be intimidating,” Henry said. “Many of these individuals are seasoned educators, researchers, and leaders who have dedicated years — if not decades — to advancing PA education and healthcare. It’s daunting to present to people who have shaped the field. But once we got going, those nerves melted away because the attendees were so receptive and engaged and you could tell, they really wanted to get answers on how to support their own administrators. It was also so reassuring having all our UKPA faculty and staff who were at the forum present to support us.”
Henry joined the College of Health Sciences in July 2022 as the Staff Support for Clinical Education in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. In her current role, Nadia provides administrative support to the Clinical Curriculum Coordinator and Clinical Year Administrative team.
Additionally, Henry plays a role in international education by coordinating international visits and ensuring compliance with regulations.
Both Henry and Berry said this year’s PAEA Conference was an experience they will build on in the future.
“I’m proud to have been part of a conversation that is helping move this recognition forward, and I’m excited to continue contributing to these discussions with new ideas and future presentations,” Henry said.
“It’s exciting after 13 years with the department to see PAEA and our peers begin to embrace the importance of professional administrators,” Berry said. “We have more exciting ideas for future presentations and research to supplement these efforts.”