Tracey Piparo, a physician assistant at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, recently earned two national honors for her role in promoting and elevating the physician assistant profession.
Piparo was named to the Palliative Care Advisory Council of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization for a two-year term to support the important work of advancing the field of end-of-life care. She was also named a distinguished fellow of the American Association of Physician Associates.
Piparo will be recognized at a reception in May at the annual AAPA conference in Houston, where she will present two lectures covering hospice and palliative care, as well as the collaboration between palliative care and cardiology for the care of patients with heart failure.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from these prestigious professional organizations,” Piparo said. “Elevating the role and visibility of PAs across all disciplines in the health care profession is a passion of mine, as is advocating and providing support for patients who require end-of-life care and their family members while they face this difficult time in their lives.”
Piparo has been a physician assistant for over 20 years, graduating from Catholic Medical Centers of NY-Bayley Seton PA Program in 2001. She began her career in emergency medicine in central New Jersey, spending nearly 17 years in a Level One trauma center where she gathered invaluable knowledge and skills from all of her colleagues. She transitioned to hospital medicine for a large private group, further expanding and honing her skills and finding a love of palliative care.
Anthony Patten Jr., administrative director and chief of advanced practice providers at RWJUH, said the recognition is well deserved.
“Tracey is an excellent clinician and advocate for the PA profession,” he said. “She is a passionate advocate for improving the quality of care and quality of life of patients and works tirelessly to advance the PA profession both in New Jersey and nationally.”
