Robert J. Lapham Outstanding Service Award

This award for outstanding service is presented each year to a Maine physician assistant in recognition of outstanding service to the PA profession and to the Downeast Association of Physician Assistants.

Outstanding Health Care Professional Award

This award is presented to a health care professional who has demonstrated exceptional clinical knowledge and teaching skills, promoting the PA profession and contributing to the health of Maine.

Physician of the Year Award

This award is presented to a Maine physician who has demonstrated outstanding support of physician assistants and the PA profession by precepting, educating, and legislating; or by exemplifying the PA/physician team approach to medicine.

Cheryl DeGrandpre, PA-C, Freeport, Maine and Ann Norsworthy, PA-C, Waterville, Maine 2011 Robert J Lapham Outstanding Service Award

Cheryl DeGrandpre, PA-C has been a practicing PA in Maine since her graduation from the UNE Physician Assistant Program in 2002. She currently works for the Trauma Service of OA Centers for Orthopaedics in Portland. Cheryl has been very active in DEAPA since her student years, serving on the Board of Directors, serving as Vice President of the organization, and serving as Chair of the CME Committee, all for long periods of time. She has also been active nationally in the AAPA House of Delegates and is currently serving on the Exam Writing Committee for the NCCPA. She continues to precept PA students and lecture to first year PA students. She was nominated for this award because of her great dedication to Maine PAs and to DEAPA, especially her outstanding work in planning, organizing, and facilitating DEAPA’s Annual Winter CME Conference.

Ann Norsworthy, PA-C, is a 1979 graduate of the Health Associate Program at Johns Hopkins University and has practiced as a PA in Maine since 1982, working at the Colby College Health Center for 6 years before moving to Waterville Family Practice where she has worked ever since. Ann has been a member of DEAPA since moving to Maine and has been a member of the DEAPA CME Committee for the past 9- 10 years. She was nominated for this award because of her outstanding and dedicated work on this committee, and especially for her work in the planning, organization and facilitating of DEAPA’s Annual Winter CME Conference, which has been one of the key elements for our continued operational success.

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Laura Corbett, PA-C, Belgrade, Maine 2011 Rural Physician Assistant of the Year

Laura graduated from Hahnemann University PA Program in 1985 and received her MPAS from the University of Utah in Evidence Based Medicine in July 2006. She has spent the majority of her clinical time in the VA health care system and has contributed to the VAPAA (Veterans Administration Physician Assistant Association) for many years. She served as Faculty/Clinical Coordinator with the University of New England PA Program from 2004-2007, and was UNE PA Program Liaison to the DEAPA Board of Directors. She presently works at Togus VA Hospital in Emergency Medicine. Her volunteer work with homeless shelters serving rural Maine residents, as well as service on mobile vans to migrant workers in rural Maine exempifies what PAs in this state can do to help vulnerable, underserved populations. In addition to caring for patients in Maine, she has taken her service mission to the people of Haiti. Laura lives in Belgrade with her three children and Tim, her husband of 25+ years. She is passionate about her family, her faith, running, biking, gardening and service to people in need.

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Lori Eckerstorfer, PA-C, Fort Fairfield, Maine 2011 Outstanding Health Care Professional

Lori Eckerstorfer, PA-C, has had a long career of professional dedication to improving the health of her patients and the community. Lori joined Pines Health Services in 1992. Since then she has been providing general pediatric services at the Pines Women’s and Children’s Health Center in Caribou. In addition to maintaining a busy practice in pediatrics, Lori is the Program Director of Fit Kids, a program developed by Pines to combat childhood obesity. She also works with the Mainely Girls program to address eating disorders in young females. Lori earned her Bachelor of Science in Medical Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. For her PA training she attended the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines University, IA, where she was a graduate of distinction in 1989. She went on to earn the Maine Hospital Association PA-C of the Year award in 1993. Lori is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

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Mark Silver, MD, Waterville, Maine, Maine 2011 Physician of the Year

Mark Silver, MD is a graduate of SUNY in Upstate NY and board certified in Emergency Medicine. After starting his post graduate training in Pediatrics, he moved into Emergency Medicine. He came to Maine and was hired to staff the Emergency Department at Redington-Fairview General Hospital in 1979. He assumed the role of Director of Emergency Services in 1991 through 2007. He has been a member of the Credentials Committee, the Executive Committee and President of Medical Staff in his career at RFGH.

For 32 years, he has been working with PA's in the Emergency Department. PAs have always been vital members of his ED staff as he always utilized PAs to their fullest potentials. As an excellent teacher, he encourages discussion with his stimulating questions inspiring PAs to develop their best critical thinking skills and assessments. As an experienced physician and administrator, he has a healthy perspective on PA professional development. This year, he has been mentoring several PAs who are early in their career. Through his tutelage, a strong team of PAs have evolved at Redington-Fairview Hospital.