The AA class of 2024, left to right, Katherine Centeno, Thomas Anderson, Amy Aschenbrener, Lindsey Fichtner, Heidi Hollins, Brandon Phillips, Garrett Lund, Chayan Ahuja.
For the first time, the physician assistant students are joined by the anesthesiologist assistant students in partnering with St. Johns County School District to assist with Hearing and Vision Screenings for elementary school students.
Since 2010, Hugh Rappa, M.D., associate program director and professor, and the Jacksonville Regional Campus Physician Assistant (PA) program, has been a partnership with the St. Johns County School District to assistant the school district with hearing and vision screening exams for elementary school students.
Rappa first met Mrs. Leslie Shugart, the districts representative in 2009, and who currently works in student services for St. John County School District and discussed the possibility of bringing his PA students to assist with screenings. In 2010, Rappa was accompanied by 8 PA students and assisted in screenings at Ponte Vedra Palm Valley-Rawlings Elementary School. Since 2011, Rappa with the commitment of Charlene Bolton, Ed.D., PA program director, has been involving all first year PA students in this community service.
In Fall 2022, Rappa asked, anesthesiologist assistant (AA) program director, Gregg Mastropolo, M.M.Sc., if he would like his students to participate in these screenings. They both agreed, and for the first time, the Jacksonville Regional Campus AA students and the PA students joined together in screening close to 5,000 elementary students at 9 different county schools.
In addition to hearing and vision screenings, height and weight and scoliosis screenings were also performed. Actual screenings depend on the academic grade of the students. Dates have already been scheduled for both programs to participate in Fall 2023.
