Member Awards

Pictured (left): The first annual Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Joe Monroe, MPAS, PA, by Board President (2021-22) Renata Block, MMS, PA-C, during the fall conference in Los Angeles, 2021; Engaged attendees at the fall conference 

The Best of the Best

The  SDPA Annual Awards program recognizes members for outstanding achievements in clinical practice and patient outcomes, volunteer work, education and more. Nominations are open to SDPA members, with final selections made by the SDPA Membership Committee. Winners are announced and introduced annually at the SDPA Fall Dermatology Conference! 

SDPA Board President Amber Blair, MMS, PA-C presented the annual award winners in attendance during the SDPA 22nd Annual Fall Dermatology Conference in Las Vegas on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Hannah Rodriguez was unfortunately unable to attend due to a family emergency and will be presented with her award in person at the 2025 SDPA Summer Conference in Washington, D.C. The 2024 winners are:

DermPA™ of the Year: Hannah Rodriguez, MPAS, PA-C

Hannah has demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to the advancement of DermPAs in Pennsylvania through her role as the President of the Pennsylvania Dermatology Physician Assistants (PDPA). Hannah's leadership in Pennsylvania has fostered a sense of community and support among DermPAs in the state during her tenure. Under her guidance, the state society has become a pivotal resource for its members, offering education, networking opportunities, and advocacy tools that are essential for navigating the complexities of the healthcare landscape.

Her commitment to the profession is evident in her spearheading of a state salary survey, a critical initiative that has provided invaluable insights into compensation trends and standards within the field. It has empowered PAs across the state with vital information to advocate for fair compensation while serving as an example for other SDPA State Affiliate organizations to follow.

New DermPA™ of the Year: Zachary DelConte, MSPAS, PA-C

Since graduating from the Medical University of South Carolina PA program in August 2021, Zachary’s journey as a DermPA has been marked by transformative contributions that elevated patient care and expanded access to dermatologic services. This past year alone, he has dedicated countless hours to refining the precision and impact of cosmetic injectables and expanded his surgical repertoire to include deroofings and advanced nail procedures, solidifying his practice role as a versatile DermPA.

Zachary’s commitment to community service has been strong as he has embraced the opportunity to reach patients in Georgia's rural and medically underserved areas by regularly rendering care at his practice’s satellite offices. Recognition of his efforts culminated in being voted Best of Cobb County – Dermatology Specialist First Place by Cobb Life Magazine this year, reflecting the trust and appreciation of his patients and peers. This past year, he was also selected for the inaugural class of the SDPA's Emerging Scholars Program and became a valued SDPA volunteer through his membership and participation on the Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee.

Service Award: Maj. Erin Ranaweera, PA-C

As a DermPA and Active Duty Commander of the Air Force’s largest outpatient care clinic, Erin has had the rare opportunity to serve her patients and colleagues while also pursing her passion for service to this country. As the Primary Dermatology Consultant, she leads a diverse team at a clinic that sees over 1,300 patients weekly. Under her leadership, the clinic implemented nine process improvements that enhanced patient care and operational efficiency which earned six back-to-back team awards. Her role also extends to integrating dermatological care into National Disaster Response Team training, improving her staff’s emergency response capabilities for burns, exposures, and chemical injuries.

Training and mentorship are vital to Erin, as she has provided hands-on training in dermatology for six cohorts of PA students who went on to serve our military community. Beyond military duties, Erin volunteers at local shelters, using her dermatology expertise to provide rapid treatment for dermatologic concerns which prevent delays in care, scarring and subsequent psychological trauma.

Educator of the Year: Bethany Grubb, PhD, MPH, PA-C

Bethany Grubb exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding PA educator through her unwavering dedication and extensive contributions to the field. As the assistant program director at UT Southwestern PA school and a recent PhD graduate in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University, Bethany is at the forefront of educational innovation and global health. Her commitment to advancing the PA profession is evident in her efforts to secure grants for culinary medicine, neurodivergent student resources, and global health initiatives, ensuring her students are well-prepared for impactful careers. Her role in shaping educational practices and addressing diverse learning needs highlights her profound influence on the next generation of PAs.

Bethany’s contributions extend beyond her current role. As a past president of the SDPA and an active volunteer on the JDPA editorial board, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to the DermPA community. Her engagement as a DermPA leader reflects her ongoing commitment to the profession and her drive to enhance educational standards and practices. Bethany’s blend of academic excellence, leadership experience, and volunteerism underscores her significant impact on the field and her enduring commitment to advancing the PA profession.

SDPA Board President Laura Bush, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, enthusiastically recognized SDPA's annual award winners during the SDPA 21st Annual Fall Dermatology Conference in Nashville Saturday, Oct. 28. A round of applause filled the venue as each honoree graced the stage to receive a plaque, honoring their exceptional accomplishments in clinical practice, contributions to patient outcomes, volunteer efforts, educational contributions, and more. These notable individuals were nominated by SDPA members, with the final selections thoughtfully deliberated upon by the SDPA Membership Committee. The 2023 winners are:

DermPA™ of the Year: Kim Sanders, MPAS, PA-C

Kim serves as a dermatology PA and a PA educator at the Oregon Health & Science University, where she has forged new paths and broken-down barriers for PAs. After advocating successfully for the inclusion of PAs in the university's dermatology program, she achieved the prestigious role of Medical Director for the Department of Dermatology and is now in her second year. She is the founder and President of the SDPA State Affiliate organization, the Oregon Society of Dermatology Associates, which serves both PA and NP members and holds an annual CME conference. Her dedication to both leading and educating PAs extends to her precepting of over 80 PA students and as a member of the JDPA's Editorial Board. She has demonstrated a dedication to patients through efforts to expand access to care at her clinic for the underserved population.

New DermPA™ of the Year: Giavanna DiLoreto, MPAS, PA-C

Since joining Apex Dermatology and Skin Center in Cleveland, Ohio, DiLoreto has already made a huge impact on her practice and her patients through her efforts to expand access to care in the area. She has been invited to speak about the importance of wellness on iHeartRadio, Audacy radio, Live Cleveland, and at a local Women in Business Summit.

Her contributions to patients and the community are not just outlined by what she has done in her short time as a DermPA™ but by the trajectory of what she will accomplish in her career. 

Service Award: to Pamela Korzeniowski, DMSc, PA-C

Pamela has been a practicing PA for 20 years, including 10 years with the Veterans Affairs of North Texas, where she has specialized in dermatology since 2015. At the VA's Dallas community living center, she went above and beyond by proposing and executing a women's health grant project to honor women veterans. She proposed a wall at the center for honoring women vets and the development of a women's health pamphlet. She created the whole project, from visualization of the wall and pamphlet to installation. She collected memorabilia from women veterans who worked at the VA or who had been patients, and she arranged wall displays for each of the five military branches. She cares for her patients and goes above and beyond to have them recognized for their contributions to our freedom.  

Educator of the Year: Danielle Johnston, MPAS, PA-C

Danielle has served as a DermPA™ for nearly 10 years, including serving as a preceptor for multiple dermatology clerkships before formally entering PA education. She has been a PA educator for six years at Daemen University as a Clinical Education Specialist and Assistant Professor. She is a highly respected educator, impacting hundreds of graduates. She encourages dermatology as an elective and has increased the derm preceptors for the program to accommodate 50% more students. Multiple students have pursued dermatology careers due to her influence. Her passion for PA learning and clinical practice in dermatology have resulted in increasingly successful PANCE rates, increased interest in dermatology, and increased PA job placements for recent PA graduates. 

Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement Award: Travis Hayden, MPAS, PA-C

Travis Hayden completed his undergraduate studies in 1996 at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, where today he serves as a PA educator. After receiving his formal PA education through the U.S. Navy, he served as an active-duty Medical Service Corps Officer until 2003.

Since then, he has worked as a PA specializing in dermatology in a variety of clinical settings.He has continuously served the DermPA profession in various SDPA volunteer roles since 2005, including serving on the boards of SDPA and DPAF. His most remarkable achievement came in 2007 when he created the Journal of Dermatology for Physician Assistants (JDPA). By establishing the journal, he created new avenues for DermPAs to be published and for the profession to be recognized in dermatology research. 

He has demonstrated outstanding dedication throughout his lifetime, including service to the Navy, his students, his patients, and especially to the DermPA™ profession, which continues to this day

Awarding Excellence in 2023

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 SDPA Annual Membership Awards. Pictured from the left: Travis Hayden, MPAS, PA-C, the Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement; Giavanna DiLoreto, MPAS, PA-C, New DermPA of the Year; Danielle Johnston, MPAS, PA-C, Educator/Preceptor of the Year; SDPA Board President Laura Bush, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA; Kim Sanders, MPAS, PA-C, DermPA of the Year; and Pamela Korzeniowski, DMSc, PA-C, Service Award.

SDPA Board President Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C, recognized SDPA's annual award winners in a ceremony at the 20th Annual Fall Dermatology Conference in Miami Saturday, Nov. 19. Attendees stood as each winner walked onstage to accept a plaque in recognition of their extraordinary achievements in clinical practice and patient outcomes, volunteer work, education and more. Nominations were open to SDPA members with final selections made by the SDPA Membership Committee. The 2022 winners are:

DermPA™ of the Year: Peter Young, MPAS, PA-C

In less than four years as a dermatology PA, Peter Young’s passion for learning and medical writing has advanced the profession and broken-down barriers within the dermatologic research community. In 2022, Peter became the first PA published without a physician co-author in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the first PA published as a lead author in JAMA Dermatology (and several other dermatology journals), and the first PA featured on the covers of The Dermatologist and The Journal of the German Society of Dermatology. As of November 2022, he has authored 30 publications in academic dermatology journals. Peter has also been awarded research grants normally reserved for MDs or PhDs, from Kaiser Permanente and the American Contact Dermatitis Society.

While leading the way to new opportunities for PAs in publishing, Peter has taken action to inspire, equip, and mentor others. He recently launched a free service that pairs aspiring authors with experienced scholars, to learn the art of medical writing (The Collaboratory for Interprofessional Authorship in Dermatology). Peter volunteers with SDPA by serving on the Diplomate Fellowship Advisory Panel, Communications Committee, and the Editorial Board of the JDPA.

Peter accomplished all of this during his first four years of practice while working clinically full-time as a dermatology PA at Kaiser Permanente and pursuing additional mentorship at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

New DermPA™ of the Year: Colleen Fairhurst, PA-C

After graduating from PA school in 2016 in Ohio, Colleen began working in emergency medicine with an eye toward following her passion in dermatology. During her time at the Cleveland Clinic’s Emergency Department, she spent her free time training at Summit Dermatology until she was offered a full-time position as the practice’s first PA in 2019.

Since then, Colleen has taken off! She has run a full clinic, helping to expand dermatology access in the area, and has emerged as a leader of the profession in her state, serving as the president of the Ohio Society of Dermatology PAs. She is already an SDPA Diplomate Fellow and a member of multiple dermatology and PA societies. Colleen’s peers cannot speak highly enough of her professionalism, work ethic, knowledge base and for inspiring them to transition into dermatology. Colleen is an excellent example of a new dermatology PA.

Service Award: Cynthia Trickett, MPAS, PA-C

Cynthia began her military career more than 30 years ago as an air-evac med tech in the United States Air Force Reserves. She earned the rank of staff sergeant before joining the Texas Air National Guard as a first lieutenant physician assistant in 1997. Her service has included responding to Hurricane Katrina and most recently the COVID-19 mission, working for seven months during the testing mission to process more than 2,000 military members!

Cynthia is now back with her Medical Unit in San Antonio, Texas, where her primary duties are as the functional training manager for all PAs and the ambulatory team chief for a mission to serve Texas communities during times of disasters.

We recognize Cynthia’s career of amazing service and are thankful she serves as faculty at some of our conferences.

Educator/Preceptor of the Year: Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, PA-C

Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, PA-C, has worked as a dermatology PA for over two decades banking nearly 190,000 dermatology patient encounters! He has shared his considerable knowledge and expertise with countless professional peers during that time, having delivered more than 400 medical lectures. Douglas is a nationally recognized medical educator who has received numerous awards for published research, his work as a preceptor, and for his volunteer work.

As a true leader in education, Douglas has not only mentored students and colleagues, but has also encouraged other PA speakers to step up and share their knowledge as conference speakers.

Douglas’ character and hard work in learning new things, and his willingness to share his knowledge with others exemplify him as a role model for all PA educators.

Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement: Esther Cohen, PA-C

Esther has dedicated her life to the advancement dermatology PAs. She graduated from PA school in 1974 and by 1980 was the one of the first dermatology PAs in the country at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. She has practiced clinical dermatology for 42 years.

During her long c 3, she lobbied for Maryland’s first PA prescribing bill and actuallywrote the first prescription in Maryland as a dermatology PA.

In 2013, Esther founded the Maryland Association of Dermatology PAs and continues to serve as its president. She remains a huge force for all Maryland PAs as they work to introduce new bills to the state legislature for the advancement of Maryland Physician Assistants and Optimal Team Practice.

Esther’s lifetime of dedication to the profession, her patients, her colleagues and community throughout her career has been outstanding.

High Achieving Award Winners

2022 SDPA  Annual Award Winners (from the left): Peter Young, MPAS, PA-C, DermPA™ of the Year; Cynthia Trickett, MPAS, PA-C, Service Award; SDPA Board President Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C; Esther Cohen, PA-C, Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement Award; Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, MHS, PA-C, Education/Preceptor of the Year. Not pictured: Colleen Fairhurst, PA-C, New DermPA™ of the Year.

The Call for 2023 Awards Nominations will be Publicized Next Summer.

SDPA Board President Renata Block, MMS, PA-C, recognized the Inaugural Award Winners in November 2021 at the 19th Annual Fall Dermatology Conference in Los Angeles.
 

DermPA™ of the Year – Jamie Dunn, PA-C

Jaime Dunn, a DermPA in Birmingham, Alabama, was a founding member and President of the Alabama Society of Dermatology Professionals in 2017. Jaime was set on creating a place of collaboration for dermatology practice colleagues in the state, where DermPAs and NPs could go for assistance, advice, education, networking, and growth. The society started as just a few members meeting in Jaime’s living room, and quickly gained momentum under her leadership to exceed 70 members statewide by the second year.

The Alabama society established a popular fall meeting and during the difficulties of the pandemic last year, Jaime ensured that the society continued to be an educational resource for its members.

Jaime has led the Alabama society’s advocacy work, including by testifying to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, successfully removing outdated restrictions on PAs including injection of Botox for hyperhidrosis in one of the most restrictive PA states in the nation. She is committed to continuing this momentum in moving the PA profession forward with her personal goals of joining the board of the Alabama Society of Physician Assistants next year and through work on the state’s Board of Medical examiners PA Liaison committee.

Jaime’s remarkable and ongoing leadership has been a huge boon to the Dermatology PAs of her state, and her peers and colleagues expressed their immense gratitude for everything she’s done when they nominated her for this award.

Service Award – Erik Sorenson, MPAS, PA

Over the last two decades, Erik Sorenson has taken time out of his busy schedule as a DermPA in Lakewood, California to volunteer for the SDPA behind the scenes in important ways that most might not be aware of. During the 2000s, he was the moderator of SDPA’s first online forum, and in 2007, he produced an educational module for the Society on the cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease.

Erik’s most impressive contribution to the SDPA and its members began in 2005 and only just ended with the launch of the new SDPA Career Center this fall. Over the course of those 16 years, Erik served as the administrator of the SDPA Job Board, reviewing and approving new postings submitted by employers. This involved Erik taking the time to log in several times per week over the course of those many years to review the new submissions and ensure that relevant and high-quality job postings from all over the country were being presented to SDPA members.

In this role, Erik has been one of SDPA’s most longstanding volunteers in the history of the Society, and we thank him for his commitment and dedication to serving the SDPA membership.

Educator of the Year – Mallory Aycock, MPA, PA-C

After spending four years as a practicing PA, including three years in dermatology, Professor Mallory Aycock joined the Mercer Physician Assistant Program Faculty in Atlanta, Georgia in November 2015 and began teaching in the Spring of 2016. For the past six years, she has proven to be an outstanding educator, researcher, and advisor.

As an instructor for over 20 courses, including for the school’s Dermatology Module, Professor Aycock has received rave reviews from her students and remains the highest rated professor in her department. She has mentored more than 25 PA students and has served as a Senior Seminar advisor for 20 student projects.

Outside of the classroom, she has taken on numerous leadership roles at Mercer as a course director and developer, enhancing each course along the way with her exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. Professor Aycock has also served as a grant reviewer, challenge bowl coach, student group advisor, and as a member of several faculty committees.

Professor Aycock’s commitment to education even goes beyond her students and her university. Her CV features an impressive list of peer-reviewed published works, presentations at CME conferences, and CME course development, including as a contributor to SDPA’s Diplomate Fellowship program.

In all areas of her work, Professor Aycock has demonstrated a dedication to delivering excellent education and enhancing the future of the PA profession.

The Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement – Joe Monroe, MPAS, PA

When developing a lifetime achievement award for SDPA’s new annual awards program, the Membership Committee saw a clear choice not only for the inaugural awardee, but also for the namesake of the award itself: SDPA founder and first president Joe Monroe.

Joe graduated from the University of Oklahoma PA program in 1978 and by 1985 he was practicing dermatology exclusively, as he does to this day.

In 1992, Joe became interested in connecting with other Derm PAs nationwide and learning how many there were. He formed what was then called Physician Assistants in Dermatology (PAD) and worked with a few other founders to place recruitment ads in medical journals, eventually finding about a dozen members. In February 1995, in New Orleans, the group held its first meeting, where the name was officially changed to the SDPA and Joe was elected president of the board of directors.

After leading the growing Society through its early years, Joe continued to stay involved, eventually becoming President a second time in 2005. Since then, Joe has continued to focus on PA education, through his numerous published articles on dermatology topics to serving as a speaker at conferences, including earlier this year at SDPA’s Summer Conference in Chicago.

Today, SDPA is forty-three-hundred members strong, and we cannot thank Joe enough for all that he us done to bring us to together to where we are today as a profession.

And the Winners are...

Joe Monroe, MPAS, PA; Jaime Dunn, PA-C; Renata Block, MMS, PA-C (SDPA Board President); Mallory Aycock, MPA, PA-C; Erik Sorenson, MPAS, PA is not pictured.