ATSU-ASHS’ Dr. DiBaise receives inaugural ASAPA Lifetime Achievement Award

ATSU-ASHS' Dr. DiBaise receives inaugural ASAPA Lifetime Achievement Award

Michelle DiBaise, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, '14, A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS)Master of Science in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program chair and professor, was recently awarded the Arizona State Association of Physician Assistants' (ASAPA) inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

This award honors a PA who has been in practice for at least 15 years and has demonstrated a steadfast and enduring commitment to the profession and Arizona community through leadership, service, and advocacy.

Dr. DiBaise has spent her career as an advocate for the PA profession, PA education, and underserved communities, and has worked to remove barriers for PA students, including securing grants for student scholarships, pre-PA recruitment, and endorsement from undergraduate institutions near community health centers. She has also worked to expand clinical training in rural Arizona communities and nationwide at community health centers to better serve the underserved.

She graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center's PA program in 1990 and earned a master's degree in PA studies in 1998. In 2014, she earned her Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) degree from ATSU.

Dr. DiBaise's long-standing record of advocacy, service, teaching, and scholarly work has benefited the PA profession at the local, state, and national levels.