PA Program Faculty & Staff

Virginia Snyder, PhD, PA-C
Program Director
Email: vsnyder@wisc.edu

Ginny joined the Program as a Faculty Associate to coordinate OB/GYN and Emergency Medicine in 2003 as well as to assist in other instructional areas. In 2006, she became the Interim Program Director, until accepting the official Program Director position in July, 2008. In December 2008, Ginny was promoted to Associate Professor (Clinical Health Science) in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health to serve as the PA Program Director in leading and collaborating with PA faculty/staff and students in the organization and administration, curriculum, clinical practice, evaluation and accreditation of the Program, while representing the Program at the departmental, SMPH and University levels and to the community at large. Ginny continues to be quite active in student instruction, in outreach activities and in scholarly projects, including serving as the Principal Investigator for the 2008-2011 Title VII HRSA Grant to develop and implement PA training program initiatives at UW-Madison. From 2001-2008, Ginny practiced in the Neurosurgery Program at Mercy Health System, Janesville, WI. While at Mercy, she helped develop and served as Program Director of the Mercy Institute of Neuroscience, an integrated, interdisciplinary program for patients with spine and neurological disorders. Ginny’s more remote background includes significant experience as Professor of Biology at UW-Platteville in teaching and advising pre-professional students, and she also served as Department Chair of the Biology Department. Additionally, she has had healthcare experience in clinical lab science as a former medical technologist.

John Beasley , MD
PA Program Medical Director
Email: John.Beasley@fammed.wisc.edu

Dr. Beasley joined the PA Program as Medical Director in 2007 on a 20% time basis. He provides support to the PA Program by teaching, providing clinical guidance to the curriculum and serving as an advocate for the program within the medical community. He brings 35 years of experience as a Family Physician in academic, rural and international health care settings. He graduated from Harvard College Cum Laude and went to medical school at the University of Minnesota. Following internship, he served as a physician in the Peace Corps in Micronesia (Pacific Islands) and did full time family planning in Louisiana before coming to Wisconsin so he could take a Family Medicine Residency graduating in 1975. After residency, he remained on the DFM faculty. While on the faculty, he started a nurse-practitioner run clinic in Tigerton, Wisconsin, where he practiced one day a week. He also developed the UW's Family Medicine Medical Student program and served as Residency Director in Madison and Eau Claire. Active in maternity care until 2000, he co-authored (along with Jim Damos, MD) the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) course that has now reached over 75,000 clinicians in 40 different countries. In addition to his Peace Corps experience, his international work has included consulting at medical schools in Pakistan. Dr. Beasley has also been active in Primary Care Research. He was the founder of the Wisconsin Research Network, and was the founding chair of the International Federation of Primary Care Research Networks. His research has resulted in more than 25 publications on issues relating to Research Network operations, medical error reduction, quality of professional work life, quality of care, practice complexity and medical education. Dr. Beasley sees patients three sessions a week at the Verona Clinic and is faculty for Family Medicine Residents one to five sessions a week at Verona and the Fox Valley Family Medicine Residency in Appleton. John is an active pilot, aviation medical examiner, and aviation author with over 40 articles in lay press. He is a Professor of Family Medicine and an Honorary Associate of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Honorie became interested in pursuing a PA degree during her four years of experience as an ophthalmic assistant, and she subsequently graduated from the UW-Madison PA Program in 1979. Honorie practiced as a physician assistant for 10 years, working in the Immediate Care Department of Physicians Plus in Madison. During a hiatus from clinical practice, she obtained experience in education through her position as a Regional Training Manager in the pharmaceutical industry. Honorie joined the faculty of the PA Program in 1995 and was appointed Director of Clinical Education in 2001. As the Director of Clinical Education, her primary responsibilities included the organization, development, administration and evaluation of the clinical year of the program. Her other responsibilities included participating in the Physical Assessment, Professional Issues, Prevention and Population Health, and Capstone Project courses. She was active on both the Admissions and Curriculum Committees. Honorie received her Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the UW-Madison in May of 2010. She also volunteers as an ESL tutor with the Literacy Network.

Joel joined the UW-Madison PA Program in May of 2010 with 14 years of clinical experience in military and civilian practices. As Clinical Instructor he will head up clinical pharmacology curriculum and clinical prevention and population health modules. He will also participate in history and physical assessment evaluations. He graduated from the United States Air Force/University of Nebraska PA Program in 1996 and received his MPAS from the University of Nebraska in 1998. He practiced family medicine and urgent care for 10 years while on active duty in various locations, with a tour to Iraq in 2004. He retired from the USAF in 2006 after 21 years on active duty and began working as a surgical PA in Rapid City, South Dakota in general, thoracic and oncologic surgery. As a surgical PA he practiced hospital and clinic medicine as well as first assisting in numerous surgeries in the OR. He has also instructed at the University of Alaska while stationed in Fairbanks and for the South Dakota Academy of Physician Assistants annual conferences.

Amanda DeVoss, MMS, PA-C
Clinical Instructor/Academic Director
Email: adevoss@wisc.edu

Amanda joined the UW-Madison PA Program in August 2010 with over 10 years of clinical experience. As Clinical Instructor and Academic Director she coordinates and instructs the coursework for: Diagnostic Methods, Advanced Patient Evaluation and Women’s Health. Amanda graduated from Midwestern University in 2000 and received her Master of Medical Science in PA Studies. Upon graduation she entered into a one-year fellowship in Hepatology though the AAPA. She continued in Hepatology at both Rush University Medical Center and the University of Chicago. She has assisted with end-of-rotation evaluation and lecturing at Midwestern University. She currently serves on many committees, including the Practice Guidelines Committee for the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease.

Beverly J. Speece, MTS, PA-C
Clinical Instructor/Director of Clinical Education
Email: speece@wisc.edu
Beverly Speece joined the UW PA Program initially in 2005 as the coordinator of various PA courses including Clinical Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, and the Professional Issues for Physician Assistants and will be assuming the responsibility of Director of Clinical Education in May. She is a 1997 graduate of the inaugural class of the UW-LaCrosse PA Program and her background prior to PA school involved teaching various science courses at MATC, working in an intensive care unit, and volunteering as an EMT. Clinically, Beverly has worked in Family Practice up in the Twin Cities for 5 years, Emergency Medicine in Madison and Milwaukee for 10 years, and most recently working in Cardiology in Milwaukee.

Christine M. Everett, PhD, MPH, PA-C
Faculty Instructor/Director of Research
Email: cmeverett@wisc.edu

Dr. Everett received her B.S., Physician Assistant (PA) degree, and doctorate in Population Health Sciences from the University of Wisconsin, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins. She has over a decade of experience in federal service at the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration and has worked on a variety of public health issues including Healthy People 2010, HIPAA, the participation of women in clinical trials, and the regulation of Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Dr. Everett has clinical experience in Urgent Care/Emergency Medicine and recently has begun practicing in Family Medicine. Her research interests include quality and outcomes of health services, with a focus on the role of PAs and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in primary care and their impact on patient outcomes. Dr. Everett was the 2011 recipient of the Breitman-Dorn Endowed Research Fellowship.

Erin McCarthy Orth, BA
Student Services Program Manager II
Email: emmccarthy@wisc.edu

Erin has been with the UW-Madison Physician Assistant Program since August 2000, first as a Program Assistant and then as Outreach Coordinator. She accepted the position as Instructional Program Manager for the PA Program in May 2004 and is responsible for pre-professional advising, overseeing the admissions process and new student orientation, and coordinating distance education. Erin graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Don Huisheere, MS
Information Specialist
Email: dlhuishe@wisc.edu

Don Huisheere joined the PA Program in October 1991, as an Information Specialist. He has a degree in Information Systems, and his background includes several years experience as a computer programmer and analyst. Don provides general computer support to the PA Program as well as continued development of systems used to monitor students' clinical activities and student/preceptor feedback and performance. His duties involve information organization and management, the development of our website, and general technical support. He also works closely with faculty and staff in providing on-line course materials and technical support for the students.

Lisa joined the UW-Madison Physician Assistant Program in August 2008 as a University Services Associate 2 and now as a University Services Program Associate. Her primary focus is supporting the faculty, staff and the students didactic year. Also acting as direct assistant to the Program Director. Lisa is on the Distance Education Team, supporting and assisting in coordinating Distance Education and New Student Orientation. Lisa relocated to Madison in July 2008 from St. Cloud, MN where she spent the past ten years as the Family Medicine Residency Program Coordinator with the University of Minnesota/St. Cloud Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. Lisa has experience working with the St. Cloud Hospital Continuing Medical Education office as well.

Donna has been with the UW-Madison Physician Assistant Program since November 2008, first as a Program Assistant and now as the assistant to the Clinical Education Director. She is responsible for the coordination and administration of the clinical year preceptor program, student clinical rotations and related activities. She also serves as the direct assistant to the Director of Clinical Education. Originally from Illinois, she spent five years with the Health Career Programs Division at Harper College in Palatine, IL serving as Clinical Assistant to Program Coordinators and Administration. While at Harper, she also served as Adjunct Faculty for the Health Career Programs. Donna graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. She has worked as a Research Technologist for Northwestern University Swallow Physiology Laboratory for Head & Neck Cancer Research. She is proficient in American Sign Language (ASL) and is studying to be a medical interpreter for the deaf.

Juli Loker
University Services Associate
Email: loker@wisc.edu

Juli joined the PA Program as a University Services Associate in November 2011. She provides administrative support for the program. Her previous positions with the UW have included research specialist for the Carbone Cancer Center, lab helper at the School of Veterinary Medicine and receptionist in the Computer Science Department. She graduated from the University of Utah in community health education and MATC in respiratory therapy.