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Donna Ferrara, DHSc, PA-C Program Chair |
After graduating from the Stony Brook PA Program in 1990, Professor Donna Ferrara began her career at St. Francis Hospital, specializing in cardiology. Shortly thereafter, she was appointed as the Chief Physician Assistant for the Department of Medicine at the Heart Center. During her tenure at St. Francis, she expanded the role of PAs in the department and worked diligently to secure additional positions for PAs on the service. After leaving St. Francis Hospital, Donna expanded her knowledge by working in intensive care medicine at New York Hospital. Professor Ferrara returned to her previous area of interest, working in noninvasive cardiology at Stony Brook University Hospital.
After guest lecturing at the Stony Brook PA Program, Donna realized that she had both an aptitude and passion for teaching. She joined the faculty of the Stony Brook PA program in 1994 and completed her master’s degree in health care policy at Stony Brook in 2001 and her Doctor of Health Science degree in 2017 at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
As the program’s Chair, Donna is responsible for leading the efforts to support the program’s mission to provide high-quality graduate-level medical education in an inter-professional environment that fosters critical thinking and life-long learning. She strives to work with the program's students to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to be outstanding, compassionate healthcare providers. She promotes professionalism, leadership, service, and an appreciation of ethical values and diversity. As a Stony Brook PA program graduate, she appreciates the education at Stony Brook, which emphasizes comprehensive patient-centered medical care across the lifespan. She continues to teach in the didactic phase of the program and oversees the Family Medicine experiences. Donna maintains her clinical skills by working locally in Internal Medicine.
During her free time, Donna enjoys spending time with her family. Her oldest son has followed in her footsteps and is practicing as a PA in orthopedic surgery, and her youngest is graduating shortly with a degree in civil engineering.
