Faculty and Staff
Laurarose Dunn-O’Farrell, DMSc, MSPAS, MS, PA-C, LCPC
Program Director/Chair
Assistant Professor
Laurarose Dunn-O’Farrell is a licensed and certified physician assistant (PA) as well as a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC). As a Maryland native, she received her higher education in some of the same communities in which she serves. Educationally, she has a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree from the University of Maryland-Baltimore (UMB) (2025) and is progressing in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program for Health Professions Education (HPE), also at UMB. She holds a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the Towson University/CCBC Essex Program (2016) and a Master of Science in Applied Psychology - Counseling (2010) from the University of Baltimore (UBalt), preceded by a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2007).
Dr. Dunn-O’Farrell is a recurrent presenter and workshop facilitator for state and national conferences, including organizations of academic and clinical practice audiences. She is an active member of the Board Advisory Council for the Maryland Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care (BHIPP) grant-funded initiative. Amongst other service roles, she served as President for the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants (MdAPA) and served as three consecutive terms as a Delegate to the House of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA). In 2024, she was awarded the Flavius Lilly Scholarship at UMB for exemplary works of academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement. Shortly thereafter, she received an Alumnus Award (2024) as a Faculty Fellowship Graduate for exemplary contributions from the prestigious UMB PA Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA). PA Dunn-O’Farrell is the 1st PA in the state of Maryland authorized by the Board of Physicians (MBP) to conduct psychiatric evaluations (2018) and telemental health appointments (2019). Beginning at its inception, she co-developed and led an integrative mental health company for 4 years in service to the residents of Maryland just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Additionally, PA Dunn-O’Farrell has provided mentorship to leaders and teams across sectors, including in PA education, for programmatic operations, assessment, and accreditation outcomes.
Throughout her professional and educational journey, she has been the recipient of accolades for distinguished contributions as a mental and behavioral health expert and as a frontline advocate for underserved populations and health professions’ practice improvement, legislative advancement, and innovations to cultivate well-being. Her clinical practice leadership has bridged into scholarly works that continued her passion and mission for population wellness. Leading with humility and integrity, PA Dunn-O’Farrell catalyzes humanistic practices using strategy and design thinking across the pillars of teaching, scholarship, and service. Through adaptive leadership, she both supports and challenges health systems to engage, develop, and unite health professions programs to address systematized issues, partner with community stakeholders, and foster multi-dimensional wellness for longitudinal sustainability, including fields of applied psychology, medicine, higher education, quality improvement, and interprofessional practice. Such work focuses on harm reduction and health promotion strategies for the healthcare workforce, student educational experiences, educator and administrator leadership, and team effectiveness. Fundamentally, efforts are anchored using a person-centered approach, prioritizing empowerment, equity, well-being, fulfillment, and success for all members of the community.
Aaron George, DO, FAAFP, FCPP
Medical Director
Dr. Aaron George is the Associate Dean for Clinical Education at the Proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. He received his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., and completed his residency in family medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Dr. George was an Andlinger fellow in health policy with the Center for Public Health in Vienna, Austria, where he focused on models of care delivery. He has authored several books and numerous book chapters and articles on healthcare leadership and medical education.
Dr. George is board-certified in Family Medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Kerry Birney, MSHS, PA-C
Principal Faculty
Director of Didactic Education
Kerry Birney is an emergency medicine clinician with an educator’s heart. She began her career as a firefighter/paramedic and worked in both volunteer and career roles in Montgomery County, Maryland prior to becoming a physician assistant at George Washington University. She also spent time in the Air Force Reserve as an aeromedical evacuation technician at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
After graduating as a physician assistant, she learned the essentials of practicing as an emergency medicine provider from outstanding PA colleagues and supervising physicians in hospitals all over Maryland. After a few years of practice, she began to “pay it forward” by taking on preceptor and mentor roles for other Advanced Practice Clinicians. She developed continuing medical education for colleagues in the form of presentations and podcasts. She took her first full-time role as a physician assistant educator in 2019.
Kerry continues to practice in emergency medicine part-time while balancing being a mom to three energetic kids and partner to a firefighter. She has a passion for innovation in education, engaging current and future colleagues in meaningful work, and improving the patient experience. She strives to be a patient-centered PA, a student-centered educator, and a life-long learner.
Heather S. Hall, MSPAS, PA-C
Principal Faculty
Assistant Program Director
Heather Hall joined the FSU PA program faculty in 2022. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Shenandoah University, and in 2005 she graduated from Shenandoah University’s PA program. After graduation she moved to Hagerstown to start her career as a Family Practice PA provider. Since then she has worked in several family practice clinics, urgent care, and most recently as a neurology PA. A few years after graduating she began giving back to PA education by precepting students.
Heather enjoys spending time with her husband, two boys, and dog. She is involved in many aspects of the community and her children including holding offices on band boosters, soccer league, swim league, as well as coaching soccer teams.
Westley Hartley, MHA, PA-C
Principal Faculty
Director of Clinical Education
Westley T. Hartley, MHA, PA-C is a nationally certified Physician Assistant, Principal Faculty member in the Department of Physician Assistant Medicine at Frostburg State University, and a U.S. Army Reserve medical officer. With over two decades of combined clinical, academic, and military leadership experience he currently fills the role of Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor.
Mr. Hartley began his career of service in the U.S. Army where he has served in both enlisted and commissioned capacity, including overseas deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Djibouti. His military service includes leadership in combat operations, medical unit command, and expeditionary healthcare delivery in austere environments. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for service during combat operations in Iraq.
Mr. Hartley has practiced as a Physician Assistant in general surgery, urgent care, and hospital-based settings. He holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) degree at George Washington University, with academic focus on leadership in healthcare education.
In addition to his academic role, Mr. Hartley maintains involvement in professional organizations including the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), and the Maryland Academy of PAs, where he previously served as a regional director and House of Delegates member. He has contributed to peer-reviewed medical literature and remains committed to service, leadership development, and expanding access to high-quality healthcare in both civilian and military communities.
Melecia Helwig-Henson, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C
Principal Faculty
Dr. Helwig-Henson is a licensed and board-certified Physician Assistant (PA) with 20 years of clinical experience and 11+ years as a graduate-level educator in PA programs. She is an alumnus of Towson State University (TU), has a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies, and has Doctor of Medical Science with a concentration in Behavioral Health (2026). She has worked as an Assistant Professor for the Towson-CCBC Essex PA program and the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) PA program and has served as an adjunct for the Frostburg State University PA program clinical year. She is involved in professional service and scholarship, including as a speaker for the PA Education Association (PAEA), facilitating a Clinical Faculty Workshop, and holds leadership roles in the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants (MdAPA).
Melecia enjoys creating student-centered learning environments and academic coaching. She has worked in the Emergency Department at Northwest Hospital as a Psychiatric Physician Assistant and has experience working in Dermatology and Internal Medicine in the correctional setting. She is a native of Jamaica and grew up in New York and has lived in Maryland from more than 20 years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, volunteering, traveling, cooking and learning about other cultures.
Principal Faculty
Open and actively recruiting.
Ginger Boles, MS, PA-C
Adjunct Faculty
Ginger received her Physician Assistant degree in 1991 from Alderson Broaddus College. She received her master's degree from Alderson Broaddus in 2006. She has worked clinically in surgery, emergency medicine and psychiatry. Her love of teaching began when she was working clinically in emergency medicine and began precepting students. She was the chief PA in emergency medicine at her hospital and took on more roles within the hospital system supporting PAs throughout the hospital. She began her career in education in 1997 as a Clinical Coordinator and later was appointed Program Director. She developed a residency program for PAs in psychiatry within the VA system and then returned to entry level PA education and developed a new PA program. She has been active in her state PA society and has served on the nominations committee and as President of the West Virginia Association of PAs. She retired in 2024 and now enjoys lecturing as an adjunct in topics she loves. In her spare time, she and her husband enjoy trips to Disney, she loves quilting and spending time with her family and pets.
Matthew Kearney, MPAS, PA-C
Adjunct Faculty
Matthew worked for years as a Gravitational and Exercise Physiologist before obtaining his degree in Physician Assistant Studies from James Madison University. During this time his research was focused on the phenomenon of cardiovascular drift and microgravity. He has worked for the past 14 years as a Primary Care PA in Hagerstown, MD.
Matthew completed an Academic Fellowship in PA Leadership and Learning Academy from the University of Maryland Baltimore and is currently working at Meritus Family Medicine in Hagerstown, MD. When he is not working, he spends time volunteering as a leader in his local Cub Scout Pack, is an avid runner, and enjoys spending time with his family.
Frances Koomson, PharmD, MBA
Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Frances O. Koomson is a licensed pharmacist, clinical educator, and pharmacy leader with over a decade of experience in community, institutional, ambulatory, and nuclear pharmacy practice. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Dr. Koomson currently serves as Pharmacy Manager at Family Health Care Pharmacy and has extensive experience in medication therapy management, patient counseling, healthcare leadership, and pharmacy operations. As a dedicated preceptor and educator, she has mentored pharmacy students, interns, and technicians while teaching pharmacology, therapeutics, medication safety, and clinical practice principles.
Her academic interests include pharmacology, clinical therapeutics, medication safety, mental health pharmacology, nuclear pharmacy, and healthcare leadership. Dr. Koomson is committed to advancing pharmacy education through evidence-based teaching, student mentorship, and the promotion of patient-centered care.
Barbra Dixon
Clinical Coordinator
Barb is the Clinical Coordinator for the PA Program at Frostburg State University. She is a driven, energetic professional with 30 years combined experience in HR leadership, real estate sales, and a medical and paralegal background. Prior to joining the PA Program, she served as a nursing department admin assistant with a robust focus on the full clinical experience for disabled adults from assessment to case management. She is eager to participate in the academic realm to ensure that each student obtains the clinical experiences that will prepare them for the PA profession that will allow them to ultimately provide excellent patient care. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her seven dogs, walking, kayaking and nature photography.
Toni Hathaway
Administrative Assistant II
Biography coming soon.
Olivia Barton, NREMT-P
Clinical Simulation Technician
Olivia is the Simulation Technician for the Physician Assistant Program. She joined the team in September 2022. Olivia has previous experience in the medical field as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B), and Paramedic. She worked for a private transport company as an interfacility transport Paramedic, and most recently she worked as an Operating Room Assistant (ORA) at Meritus Medical Center. She is new to the field of Medical Simulation and is excited to learn and grow in her new role.
Olivia enjoys spending time relaxing at home with a good book when her two very energetic dogs and son allow it.