ELEVATE HEALTH Joyce Koerber, PA-C

Joyce worked for ten years in oncology, assisting with the management of acute and chronic oncology and hematology patients. She was also the lead clinician for the clinic’s survivorship program and their Tobacco Treatment Specialist (so any of you contemplating quitting tobacco may want to meet with her about that!) Prior to her oncology work, she practiced primary care in a family medicine clinic for over two years.

Before receiving her certification as a Physician Assistant, she worked as an emergency room tech.

As part of her interest in lifestyle medicine, Joyce has been certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) Health Coach Training Program.

Joyce is married and has two young sons. She volunteers as an assistant coach for their little league games. We have found Joyce to be a great listener, easy to talk to and work with.

What exactly is a physician assistant? 

A certified physician assistant (PA-C) is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional. PAs practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. They can serve as primary care providers, take medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret diagnostic tests, develop treatment plans, counsel on preventive care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions. Nearly all private insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare cover PA services.

A Rigorous Education and Training

Physician Assistant programs are approximately 26 months in duration and require the same prerequisite courses as medical schools. Most programs require students to have three years of healthcare training and experience. Students take courses in basic sciences, behavioral sciences and clinical medicine across subjects such as anatomy, pharmacology, microbiology, physiology and more. They complete more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Psychiatry.