Distinguished fellow program salutes her for going "above and beyond" in service to community and the profession.

For Immediate Release	Contact: Joyce Faria Brennan
May 5, 2008	508-961-5270
	brennanj@southcoast.org
Get this release in Word format

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Kolleen DeAndrade, PA-C Chief Physician Assistant (PA) for Southcoast Hospitals' Cardiac Surgery program, has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). She practices cardiac surgery at Charlton Memorial Hospital, the Fall River site of Southcoast Hospitals Group, and has been a PA for 18 years. She has served as Chief PA for Southcoast's Open Heart Surgery program since its inception in 2002 working with cardiothoracic surgeons Thomas Carr, MD, and Christian T. Campos, MD, of Southcoast Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery in Fall River.

According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, DeAndrade earned this prestigious national recognition due to her outstanding contributions to patient care and the profession during her years as a PA. She also demonstrated significant dedication and involvement in the South Coast community.

A PA is a licensed health professional that practices medicine under the supervision of a physician. The PA has similar training to a physician providing approximately 80 percent of the same services. The open heart surgery PA receives additional training in the operating room and performs pre- and post-operative services.

AAPA is the only national organization representing physician assistant in all medical and surgical specialties and is one of the largest medical societies in the U.S. Founded in 1968, the Academy works to promote quality, cost effective health care and the professional and personal growth of PAs. For more information about the Academy and the PA profession, visit the AAPA's Web site, www.aapa.org.

About Southcoast

Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up Southcoast Hospitals Group — Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty and heart rhythm services, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery, orthopedic surgery and advanced imaging services. Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the community to provide services.

More information is available onlinwww.southcoast.org.

Media Contact

Joyce Faria Brennan
Public Information Officer
Phone: 508-961-5270
Pager: 508-387-9605
Fax: 508-961-5876
brennanj@southcoast.org