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Diane Bruessow

MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA
she/her/hers
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

Contact Information

Diane Bruessow, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Mailing Address

  • PA Online Program

    PO BOx 208004

    New Have, Connecticut 06520

    United States

Biography

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 committee, 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 in 2020. 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 board of directors of the US Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH).

Bruessow is licensed in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Wyoming.

Education & Training

  • MPAS
    University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, PA Studies
  • BS
    Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, PA Program (1993)
  • BS
    Long Island University, CW Post Campus, Biology, Chemistry Minor (1991)

Certifications

  • Board Certification
    National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Physician Assistant Certified (1993, recertified: 2024)

Activities

  • What can I do? Empowering Allies to Address a Public Health Crisis
    Nashville, TN, United States 2023
    49th Annual Conference of the American Academy of Physician Associates
  • Caring for Gender Diverse Patients in Your Practice
    Held virtually due to covid 2021
    48th Annual Conference of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
  • Toward Health Equity: Social Determinants of Health and PA Practice
    virtual due to covid 2021
    48th Annual conference of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
  • Caring for Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients In Your Practice: Considerations Across the Lifespan
    virtual due to covid 2021
    Vituity Annual CME Conferece
  • Summit to Define the Role of Oncology Advanced Practitioners in Equitable Cancer Care Delivery.
    Summit to Define the Role of Oncology Advanced Practitioners in Equitable Cancer Care Delivery: Care Coordination, Clinical Trials and Implicit Bias. Steering Committee Member. 2021
    Summit to Define the Role of Oncology Advanced Practitioners in Equitable Cancer Care Delivery: Care Coordination, Clinical Trials and Implicit Bias. Steering Committee Member.
  • Enhancing Care for Gender Expansive Patients with Telemedicine and Remote Care.
    virtual due to covid 2021
    National LGBT Health Awareness Week Forum hosted by the PAs in Virtual Medicine and Telemedicine, cosponsored by the LBGT PA Caucus.
  • Medical Provider Awareness of Patient Gender Identity and Assigned Sex at Birth, and Influence on Clinical Decision Making: A Quality Improvement Study
    Hong Kong, Hong Kong 2020
    26th Annual Scientific Symposium (on Transgender Health)
  • Toward Health Equity: Social Determinants of Health and PA Education
    Austin, TX, United States 2020
    202 PA Education Association (PAEA) Annual Education Forum
  • Promising Practices in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Curriculum Inclusion
    Austin, TX, United States 2020
    Annual Education Forum
  • Health Disparities and Professional Behaviors: An Educational Intervention
    Washington, DC, United States 2019
    PAEA Education Forum
  • Opportunities for Health Disparities Related Performance Improvement in PA Practice
    New Orleans, LA, United States 2019
    37th GLMA Annual Conference on LGBTQ Health
  • How Health Professional Associations Advance LGBTQ Health Equity
    New Orleans, LA, United States 2019
    GLMA's 37th Annual Conference
  • WPATH 24th Scientific Symposium
    Amsterdam, NH, Netherlands 2018
    Biennial scientific symposia sponsored by The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly known as the (Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health. WPATH provides opportunities for professionals from various sub-specialties to communicate with each other in the context of research and treatment of gender dysphoria.
  • Clinical Practice: Performing Arts Medicine
    New York, NY, United States 2012
    Performing Arts Medicine, certified by the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA). Keeping globally-renouned performing artists healthy, present and productive.
  • Clinical Practice: Transgender Medicine across the lifespan
    Bellmore, NY, United States; Montclair, NJ, United States; Newton, NJ, United States; New York, NY, United States 2012
    private medical practice focused on providing transgender medicine across the lifespan since 2006. Offices in New Jersey and New York, and virtual visits.

Honors & Recognition

AwardAwarding OrganizationDate
Inducted, Distinguished AlumnusPi Alpha Nation Honor Society2023
Lifetime Achievement Award: PA of the YearNew York State Society of PAs2019
Outstanding PA Humanitarian of the Year 2017New Jersey State Society of PAs2017
Distinguished FellowAmerican Academy of PAs2009

Professional Service

OrganizationRoleDate
US Professional Association on Transgender HealthHealth Profession Education/Training Lead, Scientific Steering Committee, USPATH 2023 Scientific Symposium, Westminster (Metro Denver), Colorado, November 1 -7, 20232023
United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)Review of 44 abstracts for 2021 Scientific Symposium on the topics of Education, Endocrinology/Hormone Therapy - Adult, Endocrinology/Hormone Therapy - Child and Adolescent, Health Services and Systems, and Primary Care- Adult (Medicine)2021
American Academy of PAs, Alexandria, VAPresident-elect (elected) In this role, responsibilities included: Prepare to succeed to the office of the president; Serve on the Board Internal and External affairs committees; Serve on the Board Finance Committee; Serve on the Executive Committee & the Executive Compensation Committee. In this role I am responsible for effectively applying an appropriate level of professional deliberation to judgment processes, explicitly considering alternative perspectives, and engaging management in frank & open discussions. Candidacy was endorsed by AAPA Nominating Work Group * NYSSPA * NJSSPA * PAVMT. Founded in 1968, the AAPA is the national professional society for PAs representing a profession of more than 150,000 PAs and PA students across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, DC, the majority of the U.S. territories & the uniformed services.2020 - 2021
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)Objective (Grant) Review committee member. SAMHSA uses mental health professions subject matter experts as peer reviewers to objectively evaluate a competitive group of grant applications against the published criteria in the SAMHSA Funding Opportunity Announcement.2020
Academic AffairsAAC servces as a group that reviews the academic status of students who have been referred by the Progress Committee for various concerns. AAC reviews the data submitted on students who fail to achieve satisfactory academic progress, are identified as participating in academic dishonesty, or may be involved in program or university violations.2020 - Present
Doctor of Medical Science Program, School of PA Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of LynchburgDoctoral project mentor for Bernadette Yalung-Almondiel, PA-C, DMSc. Course PA 963 Doctoral Project titled Experiences and the Unmet Needs in the care of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Cancer Patients.2019 - 2021
Medical Advisory Board, Lupin Pharmacerticals, Inc., Baltimore, MDMedical Advisory Board2019 - 2020
YSM Dean's Advisory Council onLGBTQI+ AffairsCore members are the engine of DAC, meeting monthly to drive tasks and projects. contributed on LGBT health policy endeavors, external communications including co-author of AAFP letter on gender-affirming care in minors, invited speaker Q-Forward 2020 (canceled Covid19).2019 - Present
Advisory Board, Saint Elizabeth University, MS program in PA Studies, Morris Township, NJPA Program Advisory Board2018 - 2021
American Academy of PAs, Alexandria, VASecretary-Treasurer (elected) In this role, responsibilities included: Chair, Board Finance Committee & Audit Committee where I shared responsibility for diligent in the fiscal oversight and review of financial matters on a regular basis, including financial position, quarterly and annual fiscal year financial statements, capital budgets, investment policy and performance, reserve funds, Form 990 & other tax forms prior to Board review and filing with the IRS. *Accounting & financial policies & procedures *Long-term financial planning *Evaluating the proposed fiscal year budgets and performance against the approved budget (operating budget of $25m) *Presenting the proposed annual budget to the full board for their consideration *Responsibility for hiring, compensation, retention & termination of investment advisors Chair, Audit Committee; Member, Executive Committee; Member, Executive Compensation Committee; Member, Board Internal & External Affairs Committees.2017 - 2020
GLMAAnnual Medical Conference core content committee member responsible for transgender health content post peer-review.2017 - 2020
Wolters Kluwer; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, PublisherMedical Care Journal2017
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. PubliserLGBT Health Journal2016 - 2020
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. PublisherJournal of Women's Health2016 - 2020
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. PublisherTransgender Health Journal2015 - Present
Transgender Health Journal, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. PublisherEditorial Advisory Board, Transgender Health Journal2015 - Present
American Academy of PAs, Alexandria, VADirector at Large (elected) In this role, I analyzed, anticipated and influenced trends within a rapidly changing healthcare sector, Intensified vision and direction while safeguarding values and reputation, Strategic planning, finance, governance, external affairs, and health policy; Chair, Board External Affairs committee; Chair, Board Internal Affairs committee; Member, Board Finance committee ($25m op budget); Member, Board Governance Documents Task Force; Member, Board Awards committee.2013 - 2017
New Jersey State Society of PAsBoard Vice President (elected) Championed improvements to operational processes that were hindering strategic activities2012 - 2013
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)Objective Reviewer. HRSA uses health professions subject matter experts as peer reviewers to objectively evaluate a competitive group of grant applications against the published criteria in the HRSA Funding Opportunity Announcement.2012 - 2020
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), Washington, DCDirector at large (appointed)2012 - 2013
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), Washington, DCBoard Secretary (appointed) Committee service included participating in strategic planning, executive search, external affairs, and finance committees. Improved efficiency of board-level operations.2011 - 2012
Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender (LBGT) PA CaucusChair of the Board and Immediate Past President (elected)2010 - 2011
Journal of the American Academy of PAs, Initially Haymarket, then Lippincott Williams and Wilkins publisherEditorial Advisory Board, Journal of the American Academy of PAs2009 - 2013
Initially Haymarket Media, then Wolters Kluwer; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, PublisherJournal of the American Academy of PAs2009 - Present
Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender (LBGT) PA CaucusPresident (elected)2008 - 2010
Bioscientifica, Ltd PublisherEuropean Journal of Endocrinology2000

Departments & Organizations