Meet the Physician Assistants of
SNCA
Q. What is a Physician
Assistant (PA)?
A.
Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed, or in the case
of those employed by the federal government they are credentialed, to
practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive
responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses,
order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in
surgery, and write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship,
physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and
provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PA's
practice may also include education, research, and administrative services.
PAs are trained in
intensive education
programs accredited by the
Accreditation
Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
.
Because of the close
working relationship the PAs have with physicians, PAs are educated in the
medical model designed to complement physician training. Upon graduation,
physician assistants take a national certification examination developed by
the National Commission on Certification of PAs in conjunction with the
National Board of Medical Examiners. To maintain their national
certification, PAs must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every
two years and sit for a recertification every six years. Graduation from an
accredited physician assistant program and passage of the national
certifying exam are required for state licensure.
http://www.aapa.org/geninfo1.html
Tracy Dunklee, PA-C
Tracy
earned her bachelors degree in biology from the
University
of
Nevada,
Reno
in 1992. She graduated summa
cum laude with a degree in Physician Assistant studies at
Alderson-Broaddus
College
in
West Virginia
in 2000 and completed her clinical residency at
Marion
General
Hospital
and the Smith Clinic, Inc. in
Marion,
Ohio
in 2001.
Originally from the
Lake Tahoe
area,
Tracy
has been back in the area as a practicing Physician Assistant since 2001 and
joined Sierra Nevada Cardiology Associates in May 2005.
She is an associate member of the
American
College
of Cardiology, a member of the
American
Academy
of Physician Assistants and a member of the Nevada Association of Physician
Assistants.
Tracy assists our physicians at Renown Regional Medical Center and will see
patients in the Reno office.
Gretchen Goicoechea, PA-C
Gretchen studied chemistry and health science
at the University of Nevada Reno, receiving her degree as a Physician
Assistant at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle,
Washington in 1999. Gretchen then completed a Bachelor of Science -
Clinical Health Sciences also from the University of Washington School of
Medicine in Seattle, Washington.
Gretchen is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the
American College of Emergency Physicians, the Nevada Academy of Physician
Assistants and the Washington Academy of Physician Assistants.
Gretchen
enjoys outdoor sports like skiing, rock climbing, sailing and knee boarding.
As well as, spending days away from work at my family’s ranch located
in the
Sierra Nevada
foothills, working cattle and raising sheep.
Jennifer McCord, PA-C
Jennifer received a degree in Cell/Molecular Biology with a minor in
chemistry from
University
of
Nevada,
Reno.
This was followed by attending the Physician Assistant Program at
Union
College
in
Nebraska.
I have been with SNCA for nearly four years. My professional interests
include congestive heart failure, women's health, preventative medicine
(particularly smoking cessation), and working closely with patients in their
hospital follow up care, helping them understand their disease.
Jennifer will assist our physicians at Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center
and see patients at our Carson City office.
Melissa Shelley, PA-C
Melissa completed an undergraduate degree at
Brigham
Young
University
in
Provo,
Utah.
She completed a Masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies at
Arizona School of Sciences in
Mesa,
Arizona.
Following graduation she practiced as a PA in pediatric cardiology
for three years. Born and raised in
Reno,
she returned to join SNCA in October 2007.
She is a member of the American Association of Physician Assistants,
Nevada Academy of Physician Assistants, and Heart Rhythm Society.
Melissa will see patients in our Reno office.
