Secretary

Christina DiBenedetto, PA-C

Christina DiBenedetto, PA-C, is a graduate of Quinnipiac University (2008) where she received her B.S. in Biomedical Science with a minor in Psychology.  She then went on to receive her M.S. in Physician Assistant studies at Mercy College in 2010. Christina has worked in oncology since graduating from PA school.  

Christina’s PA career started at Montefiore Medical Center where she focused on caring for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. During her 8 years at Montefiore, Christina expanded her knowledge base extensively working with patients with various GI malignancies managing them on standard chemotherapy regimens, immunotherapy, and oral agents as well as treating and enrolling patients in clinical trials. In addition to caring for patients, Christina had taken on other roles at Montefiore including managing the hepatobiliary tumor boards, serving as a member of the quality improvement task force and serving as a member of Montefiore’s Institutional Review Board.  

Christina recently accepted and started an advanced practice provider position at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a member of the gastrointestinal oncology team.

 When not at work, Christina loves to spending time with her husband and their cat Bilbo or spending time in the gym.

Treasurer

Matthew Waggoner, PA-C 

Matt been a PA for about 14 years, 13 of which have been in the Oncology and Emergency settings. Prior to PA school he was a paramedic for 8 years and worked in emergency departments while attending PA school. He served as the representative from his school to the student academy(SAAPA) and also as the regional representative for the North Central region to SAAPA while completing his PA education. Starting out in Cardiothoracic Surgery, then transitioning to Emergency medicine, it was clear that his days being a paramedic may have prepared him well for the role as a PA but his love for medicine resided elsewhere. He was hired in at the University of Michigan as an inpatient hematology PA and fell in love with the world of Malignant Hematology. He worked in various aspects of Heme, transitioning from inpatient to outpatient and even spending time in the phase 1 clinical trials unit. During his time he interacted with the study teams and learned how Phase 1/2/3 clinical trials function and broadened his horizons by leaving the clinical space now working in medical affairs in the pharmaceutical industry. He is the example that the career of the PA is limited only by the imagination. We are versatile in every aspect, and provide valuable insights and commitment at every level we operate.  

Director-at-Large

Bruce Christensen, PA-C

Bruce Christensen graduated from the United States Air Force/University of Nebraska PA Program with a BS in PA Studies in 1992. He went on to graduate with his Masters in PA studies, with a specialization in Oncology in 1997 from the University of Nebraska.  He also received his Doctorate in Health Sciences, with an emphasis in Leadership and Organizational Behavior in 2012 from A.T. Still University. He has served in the military has practiced in many different areas including internal medicine, hematology/oncology, bone marrow transplant and aerospace physiology. Upon retiring from the military  in 2007, he taught in PA education for 6 years.  He returned to clinical practice and joined the Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio in April 2013, where he is the senior PA and  specializes in malignant hematology. Christensen has also served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants for 5 years and just finished his year as Immediate Past President.  He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants as well. He currently  is a student preceptor and part time Clinical Assistant Professor with the UT Health Science Center San Antonio PA Program.

Director-at-Large

Keara Barnaby, PA-C (Information Coming Soon)

AAPA House of Delegates and AAPA/APAO Liaison to ASCO

Heather Hylton, PA-C

Heather Hylton is a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine’s Physician Assistant Program and completed the MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Postgraduate Physician Assistant Program in Oncology. Her clinical background is in hematologic malignancies and stem cell transplantation. She has served in key administrative and clinical roles at leading healthcare facilities, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is a past president of the APAO and is actively involved with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and AAPA. In her free time, Heather is an avid and adventurous traveler.

AAPA House of Delegates Alternate

Jennifer Reinhart, PA-C

Jennifer Reinhart has been a practicing PA for the past 7 years. She graduated from Marist College with her B.S in Biology in 2007. She then went on to obtain her MS in advanced physician assistant studies from Wagner College in 2012. Upon graduation she started practicing in general hematology/oncology at Advantage Care Physicians in Staten Island, NY. In 2016 she moved to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she continues to practice today, specializing in Multiple Myeloma and bone marrow biopsies. She sits on the Mount Sinai PA council where she is also a member of the PA mentorship committee and PA volunteer committee. She has been a member of APAO since 2013. She loves to advocate for our profession bringing PAs to the forefront of medicine. In her spare time she enjoys teaching dance and spending time with family and friends.   

Student Representatives

Rachel Feig

Rachel Feig is currently a 2nd year PA student at UT Southwestern's PA Program in Dallas, TX. She graduated from Boston University with a BA in Biology in 2016, where she also played field hockey for four years. After graduating, she worked at the Massachusetts General Hospital Gynecologic Oncology clinic as a Clinical Research Coordinator prior to attending PA school. She is especially interested in sarcoma, colorectal, and gynecologic malignancies. 

Katie Mahar

 Katie Mahar is a current second-year PA student at Stony Brook University on Long Island, NY. She graduated from Boston College in 2016 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Economics. During her time at BC she worked as a Patient Care Aide, Microbiology TA, and mentored pre-PA underclassmen. After graduating, she worked as a medical assistant in a Gynecologic Oncology practice, which is where she developed an interest in the field. She looks forward to pursuing a career in gynecologic oncology after graduating.