Announcements (Oct. 27, 2021) — The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) is pleased to announce that Mary L. Warner, DBH, PA-C, will serve as the new chair of its Department of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies. GW SMHS is home to one of the first and top-ranked PA programs in the country.
“After a national search for a new chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, we are very pleased that Dr. Warner has agreed to join us at GW and serve as the chair of this important department. Dr. Warner has just the right skill set as an educational leader buoyed by her national leadership roles and experience in PA regulatory and accreditation organizations to be highly successful in this role,” said Barbara Lee Bass, MD, vice president for health affairs, professor of surgery, dean of SMHS, and CEO of the GW Medical Faculty Associates.
Warner joins GW after most recently serving as an associate professor at the University of Bridgeport, where she focused on PA education, assessments, and mentorship for early career faculty. She previously held positions at Quinnipiac College, Yale University School of Medicine, and Boston University School of Medicine. At Boston University, she served as the founding director of the institution’s PA program and as a clinical skills specialist and master teacher within the school’s Office of Medical Education.
A prolific writer and educator, Warner has published and presented regionally and nationally on a wide array of issues in medical education, clinical and academic leadership, and PA workforce development. Warner is presently a feature editor for the Journal of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) with the series “Lessons Learned,” which offers first-person narratives to help guide PA educators as they navigate myriad issues from admissions to curriculum development, accreditation, and more. As a principal investigator, she has led two federal training grants from the US Health Resources and Services Administration focused on the primary care workforce and workforce diversity.
Warner has served in a variety of influential roles within national PA organizations, including the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), and PAEA. At the NCCPA, she served as a test item writer, the chair of the Research and Test Development Committee, director-at-large, and ultimately was elected to serve as chair of the board of directors. With the AAPA, she served on the Student Academy Board of Directors, the House of Delegates, and the academy’s Research Advisory Group. She has held multiple positions within the PAEA, including chair of the Research Mission Advancement Committee. She was a member of the organization’s Research Institute, and helped design surveys instrumental to the PAEA’s efforts to support its members during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also served as a site visitor for the Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of Physician Assistants.
Warner completed her undergraduate studies at Seattle University. She graduated from the PA program and earned a master’s degree from Emory University. She continued her education at Arizona State University and, in 2020, completed its Doctorate of Behavioral Health, Management Track.
"I am truly honored to join the GW SMHS Department of PA Studies. Working together with the outstanding GW faculty, I look forward to creating innovative solutions to address the changing PA education landscape, support faculty scholarship and research, and increase the diversity of our profession," said Warner.
Warner will assume the role of chair of the Department of PA Studies in December 2021.
