Kathy J. Pedersen Grant

Grant: Jungle Birth Kits

Melody Crisp, MPAS, PA-C and her team at THR5VE are striving to save lives among Burmese mothers and children by providing jungle birth kits with essential supplies and educational materials for new mothers.

PAs provide the medical expertise that guides the inclusion of items in the birth kits, and PA-led THR5VE works through a network of volunteers, clinics, and partners, including the local PA training program, to distribute the kits.

Crisp shared, “This project advances my goal of bringing more equitable health care to those on the fringes.  The people in Burma are some of the most underserved people in the world, and I believe that by providing culturally sensitive, low-cost strategies to boost health, it can go a long way in promoting health for not just the mothers, but the entire community.”

The program will reach women in rural, underserved, and conflict areas of Burma where health care facilitates are often far away, families are displaced, and seeking care is difficult.

Crisp added, “Mothers lifts others up, so any support we provide to them will be passed along to others as well.”

The project seeks not only to address the immediate needs during and after childbirth but also to increase awareness of and access to prenatal care as well as physical and mental health care for these young families.

The Health Foundation is glad to support this initiative that seeks to address social determinants of health for new mothers and communities in Burma.

Grant: Northwell Asian Liver Health Program – Hepatitis B Screening Among Underserved Asian American Communities

Christina Zheng, MS, PA-C, and her team from North Shore University Hospital plan to provide comprehensive liver health education and resources for underserved Asian American communities in New York.

Zheng put her work in context, “I have witnessed firsthand the reluctance of family members affected by Chronic Hepatitis B to seek assistance, often due to their lack of symptoms, unawareness of the condition’s complications, language barriers, and uncertainty about where to find help.”

To overcome these barriers, Zheng will support quarterly screening events.  The events will also include a presentation in either Chinese or Korean that educates community members about Hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.  Personal follow-up will facilitate linkages to care, including treatment, if needed, or vaccination.

Zheng will partner with local Asian organizations to host and advertise these events.  Her project’s aim is to prevent the transmission of Hepatitis B, thereby halting its progression as the leading cause of liver cancer among Asian Americans.

Zheng added, “My dual identity as an Asian American and a dedicated Physician Associate fuels my passion for advocating for health equality within my community … and I am determined to play a proactive role in bridging the gap between health care access and awareness among Asian Americans.”

The Health Foundation is glad to support this initiative that seeks to provide screenings and liver health education for undeserved Asian Americans.

Grant: Healthy Families: A Community Partnership

Board Certified PA Windy Christy, CFHCP-L1, and her team at CrossFit QFE, including PA Student Leyia Oxendine and interprofessional partners Hollie Bass, CF-L2, CF Kids and Jonna Davis, LCSW, CF-L1, CF Kids, are striving to put whole families on a path to better health through exercise and nutrition.

Christy put her work in a larger context, “We need a community of professionals working side by side to provide equitable healthcare outside of the clinic. We are able to reach more people when we work together. By collaborating with our local healthcare providers and CrossFit gym, we can provide an avenue for increased health to our community.”

The project will offer interactive classes that breakdown biases, teach goal setting, educate about exercise and nutrition, and provide a supportive community.

Set in Robeson County, North Carolina, the project speaks to larger opportunities to bridge the gap between sickness and wellness.  The project’s ultimate goals are to reduce childhood obesity, increase mental health, and lower cancer risk.

Christy added, “My professional passion is health promotion, education, and community outreach to the lay and medical community. I am excited to collaborate and see lives change for the better.  With my patients and with the CrossFit classes I coach, my mantra is ‘Food and exercise can be medicine. We simply need to know the right dose.’”

The Health Foundation is glad to support this initiative that seeks to encourages families to pursue exercise and better nutrition in a supportive environment.

Grant: Improving Access for Ostomy Supplies in Surgical Oncology and General Surgery Outpatient Clinics

At Bellevue Hospital, Jyoti Narang, MBA, MS, PA-C, Ashley Irving, MS, PA-C; Moyosore Alade, MPH, PA-C; and interprofessional partner Ann Lee, MD, FACS, DABS, FSSO are addressing gaps in ostomy care.

What started as a quality improvement project focused on readmission rates after colorectal resections became an opportunity to raise awareness about screenings and to provide ostomy supplies and education to those who might not otherwise have access to these resources.

“Public health awareness of ostomy care is important but often an overlooked aspect of medicine,” said Narang.  “As a PA leader, this program presented with opportunities to assist, protect the health of the communities via education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and awareness and research.”

The grant and resulting partnerships have already provided resources for more than 100 patients, who acknowledge that they feel more empowered in caring for their own health.

Increased collaboration among attendings, surgical residents, nurses, PAs, and PA and medical students to offer ostomy supplies to patients was another key outcome.  The project also strengthened the connection to the hospital’s social work team, a model both teams hope to use in fostering continued engagement and better care coordination for patients.

Narang shared, “Our providers have also felt empowered to have a sense of giving back to the community [as] the road to recovery seemed manageable through the generous Kathy J. Pedersen Grant to Promote Equitable Care.”

Grantees presented outcomes from the quality improvement project at the American College of Surgeons Quality and Safety Conference in July 2024.  Additional efforts shared the impact of the grant across the Bellevue system.  Together, the quality improvement project and grant demonstrated the need for a dedicated ostomy care provider; and a new ostomy nurse started in February 2025.

In reflecting on the experience, Narang added, “We can change the health ecosystem to reduce systemic barriers of healthcare, strive to augment services to those impacted by barriers, and take a deeper dive to view the social determinants affecting minority populations.”

The Health Foundation is glad to have supported this initiative that addresses an important need for a vulnerable population.

Grant: Lung Cancer: Leveling the Screening Field

The team at Rochester Regional Health (originally led by Susan Jackson, PA-C, and now by Danielle Orsini, PA-C) are working to make lung cancer screening more accessible for patients in the Fingers Lakes region of New York, particularly for those who are historically underrepresented in the early detection patient population.

The Lung Cancer Screening Program aims to educate PAs, other clinicians, and students on the United States Preventive Task Force’s lung cancer screening recommendations as well as barriers to screenings.

Jackson shared, “Early detection is a major contributing factor to decreasing morbidity rates of patients with lung cancer. This program will increase the number of community members who are aware of, and utilize, this service.”

Through increased awareness and education, the goal is to facilitate an increase in lung cancer screenings across the health system during the program’s first year.

This PA-led initiative will leverage partnerships with the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association as well as with local primary care and other providers in a shared effort to foster life-saving early detection.

The Health Foundation is glad to support this initiative that seeks to make lunch cancer screening more accessible.

Grant: Establishing a Hospital Based Food Pantry for Oncology Patients in Need: Better Outcomes Through Better Nutrition

Certified PA Marlo Dombroff and her team at Stony Brook Medical Center established an on-site Cancer Center food pantry to address food insecurity by improving access to nutritious foods and nutrition education for oncology patients in Stony Brook, New York.

Dombroff set her work in a larger context: “The Cancer Center food pantry is representative of my personal philosophy as a PA. I have always believed in looking at each patient in his/her entirety, not just their illness.  As busy health care practitioners, it is too easy to overlook the importance of social determinants of health when trying to make a patient ‘better’”.

Having coordinated with hospital administration and community partners, the food pantry fully opened in June 2023; and in its first six months, the pantry distributed nearly 4,000 pounds of food to more than 150 patients in over 230 visits.

Volunteers staff the food pantry Monday through Friday; and many volunteers are students pursuing careers in medicine, nursing, social work, and related fields.  Volunteers also participate in data collection efforts to track the pantry’s impact, engage in research projects, and support efforts to scale-up the pantry to reach additional patients.

Dombroff noted strong community support, including food drive donations from local schools, sports teams, clubs, parent groups, libraries, neighborhoods, and businesses.

To supplement that support, Dombroff secured recognition of the food pantry as a member agency of the Island Harvest Food Bank, which ensures the pantry will remain fully stocked.  The pantry’s sustainability has been further assured by the receipt of additional funding from a local endowment.

Through Dombroff and her team’s efforts, they have already raised awareness of food insecurity for thousands of community members and are directly impacted hundreds of patients.  Hear Dombroff share more about her experience here.

She added, “As PAs, it is our responsibility to find creative solutions to remove barriers so that all patients can receive equitable health care. Progress can only happen when we choose to be leaders; I’m proud to fulfill this role as a PA.”

The Health Foundation is glad to support this initiative that seeks to address food insecurity for oncology patients.

Grant: Metabolic Change, Reducing Healthcare Disparities for Rural Childhood Obesity and Diabetes

Certified PA Sean Kramer and PA Students Meredith Reinhard and Mallory Shellenberger from Lake Erie College PA Program are committed to addressing gaps in nutrition education and access to fresh food, which play a significant role in health disparities.

Set in rural Ashtabula County, this grant-funded project will develop a nutrition curriculum for elementary age students that will include active learning and life skills to support healthy choices.

“Many of the children [targeted by the project] have no education on nutrition as well as financial and access barriers to healthy food. The project will give the children additional tools to overcome the barriers to reduce a lifetime risk of obesity and diabetes,” said Kramer.

Partnerships with the local school system and community organizations will help grantees expand their reach and reinforce their efforts.

Kramer added, “Meredith and Mallory are both from Ashtabula County, faced similar barriers as children, and hope to make a positive impact for their community.”

The Health Foundation is glad to support this initiative that seeks to address food insecurity and sets young people up with healthy habits.

Grant:  Overcoming Therapeutic Inertia Using an Intensive Interprofessional Approach to Improve Glycemic Control Among Rural Patients with Diabetes​

Removing barriers for diabetes is essential to achieve glycemic control goals.  Grantee Patricia Stevenson, PA-C, and Hudson Headwaters Health Network (HHHN) are striving to improve diabetes care with a team-based care delivery model.

Stevenson will lead an interprofessional team that includes a clinical pharmacist, care manager, diabetes educator, dietician, and a member from HHHN’s population health team.  The PA-led project will leverage education on overcoming therapeutic inertia as a springboard for developing intensive, personalized, and educational programs for high-risk patients with uncontrolled diabetes at rural health centers in New York.

“As a Certified PA working in primary care, I am passionate about promoting my profession.  In a time of provider burnout and increasing rates of job dissatisfaction, it is essential that PAs have opportunities to serve as health care team leaders and nourish their passion for this profession and helping people,” said Stevenson.  “I’m excited to be leading an interprofessional team that is changing the paradigm of diabetes care through interventional and educational programs for our patients with uncontrolled diabetes.”

The project aims to remove transportation barriers through telehealth, pharmacy and medication barriers through enrollment in assistance programs, and food insecurity barriers through education and group classes on how to make the best choices.

Data will be collected regarding glycemic control, patient’s diabetes distress, and provider confidence related to diabetes care.  Ultimately, the goal is for this pilot program to establish a model for diabetes control that can be replicated at other health centers.

The Health Foundation is glad to support this PA-led, interprofessional project as well as its efforts to positively impact health for those with diabetes.

Grant: Hands of Esperanza Clinic Fund

Providing for underserved communities in developing countries is vital to reducing health disparities and improving population health.  Grantee Daniel Hendricks, PA-C, and Hands of Esperanza used funding to support continued construction on a permanent, multidisciplinary clinic.

“Hands of Esperanza officially formed in 2019 after a group of dedicated PAs wanted to better serve the communities in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala,” said Hendricks.  “What began in 2014 as a desire to participate in an annual mission trip with fellow PAs, PA students, and other clinicians has transformed into establishing a multispecialty clinic to provide sustainable access to health care for this community.”

Despite setbacks and hardships that have challenged the project in a pandemic and post-pandemic world, the Hands of Esperanza team has been resolved in their efforts.

The team completed its annual medical mission in August 2022 and was joined by approximately 30 PA students from NSU Orlando’s PA program.

PAs and PA students provided physical exams, administered diagnostic tests, and provided needed medications. The most common ailments were bacterial and parasitic infections, pain relief, and gynecologic ailments.

When complete, the new clinic will partner with local organizations, including AVIS/Living to Serve, to provide part of the clinic’s staff.  The clinic will focus on primary and gynecological care as well as provide a surgical suite that will offer general surgery services.  Hands of Esperanza’s goal is to serve 5,000 patients annually in the clinic.

The clinic’s infrastructure will also foster continuity of care, provide space for patient education, support implementation of public health strategies, and provide a base for additional volunteer groups to make an impact in the region.

While construction continues, Hands of Esperanza is committed to returning annually with an expanded medical mission trip to care for this community.

The Health Foundation is glad to support this PA-led nonprofit and its inspiring efforts to improve health for an underserved population.

Grant:  The Albany Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine EMmersion Boot Camp Experience: Encouraging URiM Students to Pursue a Career in Medicine

Fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the PA and health professions is crucial for equitable care.  Grant recipients Pamela Y. Young, PA-C, Sara DeSanctis, MHS, PA-C, and Jennifer Pelesz, PA-C are striving to bridge the gap between the population served at Albany Medical Center and the demographic makeup of its providers.

Through AMC’s Department of Emergency Medicine, Young led a team to encourage urban high school students who are historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM) to explore health profession careers.

“One of my goals as a PA and the goal of this project’s multidisciplinary task force is to encourage children who have been underrepresented to see themselves in our shoes and recognize that they too can one day provide care and increase the long-term health of their community,” said Young.

The pilot project included intensive bootcamps, allowing nearly students to interact with providers, participate in workshops, learn basic first aid skills, and participate in career fairs.  Three sessions in 2021-2022 allowed nearly 50 high school students to participate.

One bootcamp participant returned to AMC as an intern before enrolling at Case Western University in the Fall of 2022.  Two summer interns are anticipated in January 2023 following the most recent bootcamp.

The bootcamps were also impactful for participating providers who described the experience as “refreshing and engaging” and that “it reminded many of why we went into medicine.”

Plans are underway for outreach to local middle schools, additional bootcamps for high school students, and the development of longitudinal experience to facilitate students returning for additional patient contract hours.

“The goal is to plant the idea of medicine as a career as early as possible,” said Young.

The Health Foundation is glad to support this PA-led, multidisciplinary project and its efforts to promote the PA profession and health careers to historically underrepresented youth.