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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
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Contact Info

PA Online Program

PO BOx 208004

New Have, Connecticut 06520

United States

About

Titles

Assistant Professor Adjunct of Medicine (Physician Assistant Online Program); Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, PA Online Program

Biography

Diane Bruessow divides her time between academia, clinical practice, and service. She has graduate and post-graduate teaching experience, over 30 years of clinical practice experience, and extensive leadership experience in mid-size non-profit corporations within the healthcare sector with annual operating budgets of $25m+. She is experienced in best practices of governance and oversight, and moving culture toward inclusion and belonging by reducing systemic bias.

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 is nationally certified by the NCCPA with excellence awarded in Primary Care (reflecting scores within the top 5th percentile).

Her professional interests include healthcare disparities, workforce, policy, and leadership. Bruessow has been an invited speaker and has authored original research and other published articles and medical textbook chapters.

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 President-elect of the American Academy of PAs. She has served on the editorial advisory board of the Transgender Health Journal since its inception and is serving a 3-year term on the board of directors of the US Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH).

Bruessow graduated from the LIU Brooklyn PA program in 1993. In 2023, she was inducted into Pi Alpha, the national PA honor society, as a distinguished alumnus. She has been practicing clinically for over 30 years and has over 20 years of experience in transgender medicine across the lifespan. She is licensed to practice autonomously in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts and independently in Wyoming.

Bruessow joined the Yale University PA Online Program in 2018 and gave the keynote address for the inaugural class White Coat ceremony. She currently serves as the director of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and an assistant professor adjunct in the Department of General Internal Medicine.

She regularly participates in committees at the program and institutional levels, including academic affairs and the YSM Diversity Champions Advisory Council. She previously served on the PA Online program mission committee 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 working group.

Her faculty responsibilities include serving as course director of Preparing Future PAs 1, co-course director for Clinical Medicine and Capstone, an academic advisor, and facilitator for Problem-Based Learning 1-3, which includes small group work 3 days each week. She has been a lecturer in pulmonary, musculoskeletal, psychiatry, geriatric, and sexual history, taking lectures within Patient Assessments 1 and 2. She developed a virtual clinical elective in Sexual and Gender Minority Health that launched in 2020 and ran for 3 years during COVID.

During the program's intensive residencies, Bruessow also teaches hands-on skill development in patient assessment and clinical procedures. She 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.

Appointments

Departments & Organizations

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)

Board Certifications

  • Physician Assistant Certified

    Certification Organization
    National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
    Latest Certification Date
    2024
    Original Certification Date
    1993

Research

Overview

Medical Research Interests

Competency-Based Education; Education, Medical; Gender Dysphoria; Gender Identity; Health Services for Transgender Persons; Healthcare Disparities; Online Systems; Physician Assistants; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Transgender Persons

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Diane Bruessow's published research.

Publications

Featured Publications

2024

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Initially Haymarket Media, then Wolters Kluwer; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Publisher

  • activity

    Transgender Health Journal

  • activity

    YSM Dean's Advisory Council onLGBTQI+ Affairs

  • activity

    Academic Affairs

  • activity

    Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publisher

Get In Touch

Contacts

Mailing Address

PA Online Program

PO BOx 208004

New Have, Connecticut 06520

United States