APAC President

Kevin received his B.S. in Physician Assistant studies at New York Institute of Technology and completed his MS in Physician Assistant studies Touro School of Health Science. Kevin worked as the Chief Physician Assistant for the Cardio Thoracic Surgery department at Mount Sinai Hospital under the leadership of David Adams for 10 years. Since than Kevin serves as the Chief Physician Assistant at Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island, providing a mix of clinical and administrative functions. In addition to these duties Kevin is an Active adjunct faculty for Touro School of Health where he teaches cardiology and Critical care.

Prior to his involvement with APAC, Kevin served on the CME committee for APACVS (Association of PA in Cardiovascular Surgery), and was Co-Chair of the APACVS national CME conference for 2015 and 2016. Kevin brings that experience with him to APAC where he’s has been instrumental in coordinating the 2019 and 2016 APAC CME annual meeting.

Kevin believes strongly in the mission to improve patient access to health care through advocacy and education for the PA profession. Kevin has served as treasurer of APAC for 2015/2016 and president Elect for 2017 and 2018. He looks forward to his term as APAC president.

Viet obtained a BS in Exercise Science/Athletic Training in 2001 from the University of Utah and obtained a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) in 2004 from the University of Utah School of Medicine. He has practiced 7 years in Occupational Medicine, 8 years in Cardiology, and since 2012 has held the position as Cardiovascular Scientist with the Intermountain Heart Institute Cardiology Research. His primary focus is CV research, collaborating across multiple cardiac sub-specialties on a vast array of trials/studies and continues to see patients in a general cardiology practice. He is part time faculty at the Rocky Mountain University of  Health   Professions PA program and currently working on a doctorate (DMSc).

Amy Simone is the Immediate Past President of APAC having held office July 2017-2019. She is an Atlanta, GA native who received her Physician Assistant training in Boston, MA at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She is entering her fourteenth year of practice as a PA, the last eight of which have been in the Structural Heart arena. She was the Structural Heart and Valve Coordinator at Emory University Midtown Hospital for 6 years before transitioning to the Piedmont Heart Institute as the Clinical Director of the Marcus Heart Valve Center in 2017. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Physician Assistant Committee and in February 2019 designed and co-chaired an ACC Webinar entitled “Keys to Optimizing a TAVR Program: The Patient and Provider Perspective.” In March of 2019 she co-published a textbook entitled Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Program Development – A Guide For the Heart Team and is proud of the international collaboration with non-physician leaders in the Structural Heart field. She is a delighted mom to baby girl Ivy and lives in downtown Atlanta with her husband Michael and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Gretchen Starr.

Laura Ross is the treasurer for APAC. Her experience doing social work for patients through the Lutheran Volunteer Corp led her to desire to provide effective and efficient health care. She has been a cardiology physician assistant since 2004, when she graduated from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago IL. She works at the Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center near Minneapolis MN. The variety offered by rounding in a suburban hospital and clinic, as well as outreach to a more rural site has provided           opportunities to do a little bit of everything in cardiology from managing CHF, arrhythmias, prevention, structural heart disease and CAD. It has been an honor to represent PAs on the ACC interventional Council, committees, and Think Tank/Round table discussions. Opportunities to present at conferences regarding the importance of cardiovascular risk factor management and contribute to journals have been career highlights. She enjoys her other full time job as a mom to 3 little girls and rescue dogs.