Candidates
Chair-Elect
Amanda R. Sikorski, C-TAGME
GME Residency Education Manager
University of Michigan Medical School
I have been involved in graduate medical education for just over fifteen years and a part of the Internal Medicine residency program for the last eight years. I have really enjoyed my time in GME as it is an ever changing yet still rewarding career.
I had the privilege of joining the Program Administrator Advisory Committee on council and have enjoyed learning the many ways the PAAC is involved in not only AIM but the coordinator community. I am currently working with the standardized evaluation letter (SEL) committee, which has been beneficial to offer the coordinator perspective but also to learn more about this initiative.
I have been a member of AIM since I started in Internal Medicine and have presented at APDIM. I worked with others last year to start up a physician scientist network for coordinators as I have always felt that this is an area that is not talked about enough. I have always enjoyed attending the national meetings for not only networking but the educational opportunities they have offered. The PAAC has been a major advocate for our roles in GME and I would love the opportunity to be involved in making some of these changes.
Institutionally in my role as a program administrator I have been able to work with new coordinators as part of our mentoring program, as well as leading workshops on various GME topics.
Councilors
JoVonnda D. Chresfield
Senior Program Administrator
Baptist Health South Florida
My path to the APDIM Program Administrator (PA) role has been a unique blend of science and service, starting as a pharmacy technician and evolving into a leadership role in healthcare administration. This journey, enriched by my background in life science, business administration, data science, and foreign languages, has fostered a deep commitment to advancing medical education and healthcare outcomes. My tenure as a national PA member, committee member, and councilor within multiple medical academia alliances has been marked by an unwavering dedication to enhancing medical education programs' quality and operational efficiency. Within my institution, I have collaborated with clinical and operational leaders on initiatives to integrate health equity into curricula, championed wellness and academic planning, and national projects that position our future physicians to provide compassionate, culturally competent care.
Currently serving as a Senior Program Administrator, I have witnessed firsthand the diverse challenges and opportunities within medical education. My commitment extends beyond administration, participating in healthcare tech innovations, and advocating for comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This involvement has allowed me to represent a broad range of perspectives within our community, understanding the nuances of sex, gender, race, and ethnicity as they pertain to both patient care and healthcare education. My academic and professional experiences, coupled with a recently earned Master of Business Administration with a concentration in data analytics, equip me with the skills and perspective necessary to drive change and represent the myriad interests of our community. As I persistently upskill and immerse myself in further education, along with my colleagues' collective expertise and guidance, program administrators create an inclusive space for all to thrive.
As I seek extended tenure on the APDIM PA Council (post 1-year term), my vision is to continue fostering a more integrated, innovative, and inclusive environment. I aim to leverage my background and experiences to amplify the voices of all program administrators, ensuring that our council reflects the diversity of thought, experience, and background that characterizes our community. I am committed to advocating for policies and practices that not only advance the professional development of our members but also resonate with the varied institutional, programmatic, and educational backgrounds we represent. This commitment to diversity and excellence is the cornerstone of my approach to leadership and representation on the council.
Building on the inspiring words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step," I embraced my role in the PA Council as a leap of faith towards collaborative growth and innovation. This dedication has not only accelerated my personal and professional development but has also fostered ties among those working to promote the alliance's strategic objectives. Each accomplishment of the council has been an affirmation of the power of ambition and teamwork, fueling my drive to continue advocating for and contributing to the dynamic evolution of our program administrators and the broader community that we serve.
Ashley Johnson, C-TAGME
Program Coordinator
White River Health System
My GME professional journey began in 2020, and I have consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence and innovation. In my role as a Program Coordinator, I successfully gained TAGME certification, presented a poster abstract at AAIM Week 2023, and developed a women’s mentorship group within my residency program. I am proud to share that within our program, I am the first coordinator to achieve these accomplishments.
I have a personal aspiration to achieve my utmost potential and be the best I can be in my professional and personal life. I strive to serve and grow as a leader, make a positive impact by empowering others (which includes becoming a mentor myself someday), and pursue ongoing professional development.
The council provides an environment of open communication where ideas flourish, initiatives are executed, and I am committed to the growth and success of the council. If selected, I would be a representative of rural community programs, with a vision of using AAIM’s education to equip coordinators with the skills, knowledge, and passion to thrive in their programs.
If chosen, I would bring a collaborative approach to foster teamwork, and you will see someone who is passionate about her job and is eager to share ideas. Being the only Program Coordinator at my institution, I am involved with every aspect of the program and my attention to detail and organizational skills have allowed me to streamline administrative processes, resulting in increased efficiency and reduced administrative burdens for residents and faculty. I take pride in my ability to adapt to changing demands, solve problems creatively, and maintain the highest standards of professionalism.
I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve as your representative on the council. My passion and goals align with the mission and vision of AAIM. Through participation in the council, I am eager to leverage my skills to contribute to the advancement of academic internal medicine and excited about the professional development opportunities.
Kimberly A. King, C-TAGME
GME Program Coordinator III
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
I have held various positions within medical education for 13 years, the most pervious five (5) in Internal Medicine as the primary GME Program Coordinator of the residency program and now as the primary GME Program Coordinator for the division of Hematology Medical Oncology. Two (2) years ago, after joining the HemOnc team, I found my voice as an advocate for GME Program Coordinators at my institution.
As the Chair of our institution’s Program Coordinator Advisory Council’s Wellness and Wellbeing Committee for the last two (2) years and, I have worked closely with our institutional GME Office to improve the working environment for Program Coordinators.
My work on the committee led to the creation of an institutional GME Program Coordinator Pulse Survey. This survey now serves as an annual data collection tool to better understand what is and what is not working for our community. I also created an institutional focus group and gathered data from other Texas state institutions on their GME administrator positions to aide our GME Office in updating our official job descriptions and salaries. In addition to the pulse survey, we have rolled out a monthly Fuel Gauge and plan to implement a Coordinator of the Year award.
I am a passionate mentor, having mentored coordinators both institutionally and within our department, and was most recently named as the designated GME Program Coordinator mentor for Internal Medicine. I am extremely committed to enhancing coordinator wellness and well-being and intend to remain a positive advocate for GME Administrators nationwide.
Stephanie Pennington
GME Program Coordinator
University of Michigan Medical School
My time as a program administrator has been a learning curve each and every day. Every day I am introduced to new challenges and changes that I welcome with open arms. I work closely with our primary care and physician scientist track programs on top of our categorical residency track. This past year my goal with our PSTP track was to really dig into a more universal approach between all the institutions across the country. To accomplish this, I reached out to multiple institutions with PSTP program administrators and run monthly meetings to go over processes and questions each administrator might have. We have helped institutions with no PSTP program currently, but looking to add one in the future, to programs that have been around for a while and giving them a different perspective. I look forward to growing this community and bettering our PSTP program as we all learn better systems and practices to help elevate the program.
A lot of programs have specialty tracks, Global Health, Primary Care, and LGBTQIA+, just to name a few, but there is very few information and resources for the program administrator community. I would love to see and be able to help these resources develop for our community. Having the knowledge in these specialty tracks will not only help our program in general, but help us provide the needed support for these tracks. Wellness is another big focus of mine. As program administrators, our roles come with a lot stress. Finding best practices to manage the intensity of our roles, will improve the work quality of all of our program administrators. I am currently researching two ways to improve wellness, program organization and mental health. I am working on ways to better organize our programs work in order to streamline and hopefully make our jobs a little “easier”. I am researching different programs that can help with working smarter and not harder. For example, there is a program called Trello that allows you to create and share boards with others. Multiple people in my office need to know where we are at in planning our events (graduation, dinners, holidays etc). I have created a Trello board that everyone in our office can access and update. I have the name of the event, assigned tasks within the event and once a task is completed, that person can go in and check it off and make any notes. This allows us to have live updates and less confusion on who is doing what. As for mental health, encouraging different ways to shut our brains off from work and focus on things that we enjoy outside of work, like making a new recipe, going for walks or reading a good book. My 2025 goals are really focusing on these two areas of wellness.
Suzy Williams, C-TAGME, MS
Program Administrator
University of Kansas School of Medicine
As someone who has been in a program administrator role for seven years, I am driven by a profound commitment to continuous personal growth of both me and my team. My primary goal is to leverage my skills and experiences to make a meaningful impact in the betterment of the Program Administrator and Program Manager roles.
APDIM has made great strides in highlighting the immense work that PC/PA’s do for graduate medical education programs and provided a career path that has taken these roles from a strictly program assistant role to a valued member of the education team.
Throughout my journey, I have tried to expand my role as an administrator by participating in APDIM committees – Program Planning Committee, Diversity, and Inclusion, and presenting at APDIM Spring conferences as well as becoming C-TAGME certified. I am also completing the Foundations of Academic Internal Medicine for Department and Division Administrators course.
My goals involve promoting C-TAGME certification and further expanding Program Manager and Program Administrator job descriptions and pushing for these title changes in hopes of increasing the salary range for these roles. At my institution, the Program Coordinator title is still being used and the salary range associated with this title does not do justice to the amount of work involved in running a residency or fellowship program.
I would also like to investigate what role AI can play in helping administrators in their daily activities. This technology is the future and can pave the way for further expanding and reducing the amount of work involved in the administrator role.
Furthermore, I am committed to networking with other PA/PC’s and fostering partnerships that amplify our collective efforts towards a brighter future for all members of the administrative team.