FACULTY & STAFF

Department Chair:

Robert Beattie, MD                                                                                                                                              

Dr. Beattie is the Chair of the Department of Family & Community Medicine, School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He works part time as a physician provider for MeritCare Health Systems, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and is Clinical Professor for the Department of Family & Community Medicine. He graduated from UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences in 1989 and completed his residency in Bismarck, ND at the UND Center for Family Medicine in 1992 and practiced rural medicine in Hettinger, ND for 15 years prior to moving to Grand Forks in 2006.

beattie@medicine.nodak.edu

Program Director:

Jeanie McHugo, PhD, PA-C

Dr. McHugo has been involved in PA Education since 2004 and a certified PA since 1998. A graduate of Mankato State University (1993), the University of South Dakota (1998) and the University of Nebraska-Omaha (2000), Dr. McHugo most recently completed her doctorate degree in Higher Education: Teaching and Learning at the University of North Dakota (2008). Her graduate teaching responsibilities include on-line anatomy, EKG’s, history and physical exam, primary care coursework and specialty clerkships. She also coordinates all aspects of clinical testing and maintains a Preceptor Community Network site for on-line evaluations, resources, and increased communication with primary care preceptors. Dr McHugo’s research interest areas include clinical teaching evaluation and improvement, student and program assessment, teaching and learning strategy and andragogical learning theory. Dr. McHugo’s previous clinical experience includes urgent care/family medicine, general medicine with an emphasis on psychiatry, and clinical and surgical orthopedics. jeanie.mchugo@med.und.edu

Medical Director:

Eric Johnson, MD                                                                                                                                                

Dr.  Johnson is a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine.  He works part time in Primary Care at Altru Hospital and Clinic and is the Assistant Medical Director for the Altru Diabetes Center.  In addition to this, he is the physician consultant for the North Dakota Tobacco Quitline program, and is also the Medical Director for STEP Chemical Dependency Treatment Program for Women.  ejohnson@medicine.nodak.edu

Program Faculty:

Julie Andersson, MS, PA-C, Assistant Professor                                                                                                 

Julie began working as UND Faculty in 2010 and is a graduate of the Program.  She helps coordinate the clinical experience of the students while on campus and during the clinical phases. She maintains clinical practice one to two days per month in a rural Emergency Department. Prior to her work at UND, she practiced as a PA in Grantsburg, WI working in family practice, urgent care and ER. julie.andersson@med.und.edu

Susan Kuntz, PhD, MLS (ASCP), Assistant Professor                                                                          

Dr. Kuntz joined the faculty in April of 2004. She teaches in both the pre-clinical and clinical didactic portions of the program and functions as the technology support person for the program. She maintains clinical practice in her specialty on an as needed basis. Prior to joining the PA faculty, she was a faculty member of the Clinical Laboratory Science program at UND in charge of the UND/Mayo cohort project.  susan.kuntz@med.und.edu

Vikki McCleary, LRD, Ph.D., Associate Professor  

Dr. McCleary began her association with the PA Program in 2003, and was hired as a full-time faculty member in November of 2006. Prior to joining the PA Program, she was an assistant professor in UNDSMHS Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Therapeutics, where she taught undergraduate, graduate and medical students. She is coordinator of the preclinical courses and teaches physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and nutrition.  Dr. McCleary’s research interests include the development and assessment of critical thinking skills in students enrolled in online courses, admission criteria assessment, and Program assessment.  vikki.mccleary@med.und.edu

Program Clinical Adjunct Faculty:

Kenneth Korn, EdS.,PA-C, Adjucnt Faculty - kkorn@medicine.nodak.edu;

Jacqueline Nelson, MPAS, PA-C -jdnelson@medicine.nodak.edu

Rhonda Wallace, MPAS, PA-C -rwallace@medicine.nodak.edu

The Clinical Adjunct Faculty bring to the Program their clinical expertise in Family Medicine, Oncology, General Surgery, Women’s Health and Emergency Medicine.

Program Staff:

Rhonda McDaniel, Administrative Assistant                                                                                                       

Rhonda coordinates the application and admissions process, is the administrative assistant, and serves as the program's administrative contact for graduate matters. She has been with the Program since 1989. rhonda.mcdaniel@med.und.edu

Avis Reynolds, Administrative Secretary                                                                                                               

Avis works with the Didactic Coordinator, preparing for the people and materials needed for each of the didactic sessions. Avis joined the program in 1982. avis.reynolds@med.und.edu

Nomani Benda,  Administrative Secretary                                                                                                       

Nomani works with the Clinical Coordinator, preparing for the people and materials needed for clinical testing at UND, support staff for specialty clerkships and handles all affiliation agreements between the program and preceptorship sites.  Nomani has been with the the University system since 2008 and with the program since 2009. nomani.bingham@med.und.edu