AAPA honors Connecticut physician assistant with Outstanding PA of the Year Award

Since the early days of her career as a physician assistant in family practice, Cynthia Lord, MHS, PA-C, of Cheshire, Conn. has been driven by her passion for serving patients with the greatest need for care. Now, in her position as clinical associate professor at Quinnipiac University's PA program, Lord transfers her empathy for patients and her love of serving others in need to the next generation of PAs.

The American Academy of Physician Assistants will honor Lord with the 2012 Outstanding PA of the Year Award for her passionate support of PAs and their patients. She will receive the award at AAPA's Annual PA Conference in Toronto, Ontario on May 28.

"As a PA, I am committed to giving my best to my patients. I take pride in my ability to help people heal and avoid illness," said Lord. "As a PA educator, I have an obligation to guide the future of our profession on a path of compassion and advocacy for their patients.  I hope this recognition will motivate the next generation of PAs to give their best to their patients."

Lord is a champion for volunteerism and engages her students in community service activities that illustrate the value of the work PAs do for underserved communities. Examples of her service activities range from fundraising for nonprofit organizations to caring for the homeless, promoting literacy in children and providing medical care for migrant farm workers. Lord has also worked to improve healthcare delivery on the national level through her leadership on the AAPA Board of Directors, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants Foundation, the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health and the National Institutes of Health National Program to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Coordinating Committee. She has leveraged these efforts to meet with healthcare experts and policy makers to educate them about the struggles her patients face and effective strategies for improving healthcare access in underserved communities.

"Cindy truly defines what it means to be an educator; she puts her heart and soul into preparing PA students to become the best healthcare providers possible," said Carly Arena, a recent graduate of the Quinnipiac PA program. "Cindy always puts others first before herself. I have never met someone so passionate about giving back to her community and helping those who are in need."

Outstanding PA of the Year is one of five PAragon Awards presented annually by AAPA to recognize members who have demonstrated distinguished service to patients, the community and the profession. Other awards include the Federal Service PA of the Year Award, Humanitarian PA of the Year, PA Service to the Underserved Award, Physician-PA Partnership Award and three Publishing Awards.