First-year physician assistant student Kara M. Emrich, of Harrisburg, was a recipient of the Thomas J. Lemley Award for Health Disparities. Emrich accepted the award at the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Associates annual conference on Nov. 1.
The 2025 award competition topic was refugee and migrant health. Applicants were encouraged to consider three of six subtopics affecting the refugee and migrant population when submitting their presentations, including mental health; barriers to basic health care services; challenges created by language and cultural differences; the pandemic’s disproportionate effects on testing, treatment and vaccination; housing instability, food insecurity and lack of legal status; and specific health conditions.
First-year Pennsylvania College of Technology physician assistant student Kara M. Emrich (left), of Harrisburg, accepts the Thomas J. Lemley Award for Health Disparities from Jane Arenas, chair of the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Associates' Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access committee.
According to the PSPA, the inception of the physician assistant profession was a response to the shortage of health care providers in the United States. The group encourages health care providers to acknowledge the importance of culture and the dynamics that impact access to health care.
“Physician assistants play a vital role in closing care gaps by providing comprehensive medical services in underserved areas, ultimately reducing preventable health disparities,” said Melissa E. Sedor, Penn College physician assistant program director.
To learn more about the physician assistant program, call 570-327-4519 or visit www.pct.edu/pa.
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
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