Assistant Professor Adjunct of Medicine (Physician Assistant Online Program); Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, PA Online Program; Core group member, Dean's Advisory Council (DAC) on LGBTQI+ Affairs, Yale Medicine Outlist
Diane Bruessow divides her time between academia, clinical practice, health policy and organizational governance. She is nationally certified by the NCCPA with excellence awarded in Primary Care (reflecting scores within the top 5th percentile).
Bruessow has received honors, awards, and legislative proclamations for academic, clinical, humanitarian, and leadership excellence - including the New York State Society of PAs as the PA of the Year (2019), New Jersey State Society of PAs as the outstanding Humanitarian of the Year (2017), as well as the designation of Distinguished Fellow, a recognition of exceptional professional achievement, leadership, professional interaction, learning, and community service by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA). Less than two percent of PAs earn this designation. She was honored to be invited to present the White Coat ceremony's keynote address for the PA Online program's inaugural class of 2020.
Bruessow joined the Yale University PA Online Program in 2018. She currently serves as the director of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and an assistant professor adjunct. She is an academic advisor and regularly participates in committees at the program and institutional levels including academic affairs and progress committees, as well as the YSM Diversity Champions Advisory Council. She previously served on the PA Online program mission, and the joint diversity, equity, and inclusion mission committee. She has served as a core member of the YSM Dean's advisory council (DAC) on LGBTQI+ Affairs, and has chaired the DAC's LGBT health policy subcommittee.
Her faculty responsibilities include serving as course director of Preparing Future PAs 1, co-course director for Capstone, facilitating Problem Based Learning 1-3 which includes small group work 3 days each week, providing lectures in pulmonary, musculoskeletal, psychiatry, geriatric, and sexual history taking lectures within Patient Assessment 1 and 2. She developed a virtual clinical elective in Sexual and Gender Minority Health that launched at the onset of COVID. Bruessow also teaches hands-on skill development in patient assessment and clinical procedures during the program's intensive residencies. She's developed standardized patient case scenarios involving transgender patients which was implemented in 2021, and supported the development of a Virtual Inter-Professional Education (VIPE) scenario that included a transgender patient.
Bruessow has authored original research and other published articles and medical textbook chapters. She has been an invited speaker on topics including healthcare workforce, policy, disparities, and leadership. She has held elected and appointed positions on multiple national boards, councils, and commissions. She formerly served as a board officer for GLMA (formerly the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association), and is a past president of the LBGT PA Caucus. In 2020, after serving in the roles of Director at Large, and Secretary-Treasurer, she was elected to serve as the President-elect of the American Academy of PAs. She currently serves on the editorial advisory board of the Transgender Health journal and the US Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH) Scientific Steering Committee in the role of Health Profession Education/Training Lead.
Bruessow lives in New York City and practices clinically - either in person or virtually - in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Wyoming.