Perspectives Winter/Spring 2018

44 Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Fort Lauderdale Department Welcomes Trio to Faculty By Pamela Jaffey, M.D., FCAP, PA, Associate Professor THE LATIN PHRASE omne trium perfectum means everything that comes in threes is perfect. In sports such as ice hockey, the scoring of three goals by the same player in one game is called a hat-trick. The Physician Assistant (PA) Department scored a hat-trick of its own, as within only six months, three new professors— Natalee Covitz, M.M.S., PA-C, Sylvia Fernandez, M.M.S., PA-C, and Lucia Lopez, M.M.S., PA-C—joined the faculty. The variety of interests and areas of expertise among the three have enriched the curriculum. Covitz joined the NSU PA faculty as an assistant professor in January 2017. A true South Florida native, she grew up in Hol- lywood and attended Florida Atlantic University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in biology and premedical studies before obtaining her Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from NSU in 2007. During the ensuing years, Covitz worked in a busy family medicine practice for 10 years, with an emphasis on geriatrics and end-of-life care. Her compassionate personality proved to be a great asset in this role. While practicing, she served as a preceptor to numerous PA students, including many from the Fort Lauderdale PA Department. This teaching experience sparked Covitz’s interest to pursue didactic teaching in the Fort Lauderdale PA Department. Her passion for working with ailing elderly patients has added a rich dimension to the PA Department. Not only is she able to lecture in these fields, but her broad experience working in family medicine has allowed her to contribute to other areas of the curriculum. She serves as chair of the Clinical Testing Committee. Lopez, who is also a native South Floridian, joined the NSU PA faculty as an assistant professor in February 2017. She graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She then received training in the PA program at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. During her time at Wake Forest, she was class president for the Katherine Anderson Society in 2011–2012. She also co- authored an article that was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants titled “Danger in the Transformation Zone: An Approach to Managing HPV- Associated Anal Dysplasia.” In 2013, she graduated with a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Lopez, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, has had a long-standing interest in working with underserved and immigrant populations. Upon graduation from PA school, she had the opportunity to pursue this interest by spending three years in clinical practice at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) affiliated with Wake Forest, practicing women’s health. During her time there, she served in the National Health Ser- vice Corps. She also served as preceptor for PA and medical students and was granted the Best Teacher Award in May 2016. She is currently practicing at an FQHC site in Liberty City, Florida. She has found long-acting, reversible contraceptive methods to be very beneficial in her work. Because of her unique expertise, she has effectively spearheaded women’s health education in the college’s PA Department.