George Washington University, Physician Assistant Masters Program: Faculty and Staff

Venetia L. Orcutt PhD, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-6670

Program Director of PA and PA/MPH

Dr. Orcutt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Care Sciences and was appoint as the permanent Program Director in June 2008. This 1981 graduate of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center PA Program has also completed a Master of Business Administration degree and a Doctorate in Educational Research. This diverse background provides the foundation for her responsibilities that include program administration, fiscal management, ongoing review and analysis, planning, and program development. Her near twenty years in PA education includes multiple teaching awards, leadership positions, and commitment to student success. Her current research interests include various aspects of PA workforce issues to include PA faculty characteristics.

James Cawley MPH, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-3573

Director of the MSHS/MPH Program

James F. Cawley, MPH, PA-C is a tenured Professor in the Department of Health Care Sciences and was appointed as Interim Program Director of the PA Program effective July 1, 2007. He is also Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health in the School of Public Health and Health Services and continues as the Director of the MSHS/MPH Program.

He has been with the GWU PA Program since 1981, and is licensed in the state of Maryland. He is the Course Director for the Role of the PA in the US Health Care System course, supervises PA students in the clinical setting, and conducts research on aspects of the PA profession with interests in health workforce policy, PA education, and preventive medicine

Brad Moore , MD, MPH

Phone: (202) 741-2199

The Medical Director, who has served in this role since 1997, is a board certified primary care internist holding appointments as Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and in the Department of Health Care Sciences.
He practices as a primary care generalist within the GW Medical Faculty Associates and has part-time administrative and teaching responsibilities in the PA Program. He is also a faculty member in the School of Public Health and Health Services with an appointment as Associate Professor of Health Services Management and Policy.

Susan LeLacheur , DrPH, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-6831

Director of the Academic Curriculum

The Director of the Academic Curriculum is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Care Sciences with eighteen years of clinical practice, research, and educational experience.

She has been a member of the GW PA Program since 1995. Her responsibilities include overseeing the didactic year, as well as being course director for the Clinical Medicine, Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Primary Care and Ethics courses. She lectures widely on infectious disease and HIV infection and her research interests include cultural competency and the reduction of stereotyping and bias in the clinical encounter.

Debra Herrmann MSHS, MPH, PA-C

Associate Director of the Academic Curriculum

The Associate Director of the Academic Curriculum joined the Program faculty as an Instructor in Health Care Sciences in January 2007. She is a 2001 graduate of the GWU PA/MPH Program. She is the Course Director for Medical Terminology, Clinical Assessment I & II, and Clinical Applications and also serves as the Director of the Advanced Surgical Preparedness pilot program.

Jacqueline Barnett , MSHS, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-6678

Director of the Clinical Curriculum

Ms. Barnett is an Assistant Professor of Health Care Sciences and a 1994 graduate of the GWU Physician Assistant Program. She joined the faculty in 2001. She has interests in infectious disease and adolescent medicine. She is responsible for the supervision of students in the clinical year.

Nicole Burwell , MSHS, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-6733

Associate Director of Clinical Curriculum

Ms. Burwell is an Assistant Professor of Health Care Science who joined the faculty in 2005. She is a 1998 graduate of the GWU PA Program. Her responsibilities include coordinating and management of the clinical year.

Howard Straker , MPH, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-7727

Director of Community Medicine

The Director of Community Medicine is an Assistant Professor of Health Care Sciences with 15 years of clinical and educational experience.
During the 2006 academic year, he completed the Master Teacher Program at GW. He has research interests in the areas of cultural competence, evidence-based medicine, and community health promotion. His Program responsibilities include supervising students in the clinical year, directing the End of Rotation activities, supervising the OSCE component of the clinical year, and participating in the PA/MPH curriculum.

Kirsten Thomsen , PA

Kirsten Thomsen, PA is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Care Sciences. She has an extensive background in rural medicine, clinical service to medically underserved populations, and health policy. Her responsibilities include student advising, supervision and evaluation of students in the clinical year, and participation in the admissions process. She is also the coordinator for the annual CME Board Review sponsored by the Program.

Karen Wright , PhD, PA-C

Phone: (202) 994-9279

Director of Research of the Physician Assistant Program

The Director of Research is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Care Sciences. She joined the faculty in 2008. She is a 1987 graduate of the Howard University Physician Assistant Program. Her responsibilities include assistance in the facilitation of faculty research efforts in order to advance scholarship and developing databases for the purposes of programmatic evaluation. Her research interests include the influence of social factors on health and disease, health disparities, PA education and workforce issues, metabolic syndrome and geriatric medicine.

Tamara Ritsema , MPH, MMSc, PA-C

Ms. Ritsema is an Assistant Professor of Health Care Sciences who joined the GW PA Program in 2009. She is a 2001 graduate of the Emory University PA Program. She works to assist both the academic and clinical coordination teams, and particularly enjoys classroom teaching. Ms. Ritsema has 8 years experience as a practicing physician assistant in neurology and emergency medicine. She has an academic interest in international physician assistant education.

Phone: (202) 994-6661

Executive Coordinator, Admissions & Special Events

Phone: (202) 994-7716

Executive Assistant, Clinical Curriculum

Executive Coordinator, Finance & Verifications

Executive Coordinator, Academic Curriculum