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Center for the Future of the Health Professions

The Center for the Future of the Health Professions was developed to provide state, local and national policymakers and health system stakeholders with accurate, reliable, and comprehensive data and research about the healthcare workforce, so they can effectively plan for a sustainable future and make the best use of available resources.

Vision +
- The vision of the Center is to become a national and international network and resource focused on the future of health professions; particularly those health professions in which ATSU currently has educational programs or plans in the future. The aim of the Center is to bring greater visibility to ATSU as a preeminent institution of healthcare innovation, research and education.

Goals +
- The goals for the inaugural year 2018-2019 include:
  1. Publishing a periodic electronic newsletter, periodic research reports, and occasional “one pager” based on recent data and/or regulatory changes. The ATSU Health Professions Messenger is the inaugural issue.
  2. Hosting panel discussions with experts on a variety of health policy topics. The first panel discussion was held on September 11, 2018 on “The Future of Programmatic Accreditation.”
    The next panel discussion topic will be “Workforce Projections for the Health Professions”. We will invite ATSU faculty and staff to participate on site or through Zoom technology. The third panel discussion will address “The Challenge of Clinical Training Sites.”
  3. Hosting a page on ATSU’s website with health policy updates and resources.

Panel Discussions +
- The ATSU Center for the Future of the Health Professions conducts periodic panel discussions designed to foster an interprofessional dialog on contemporary and emerging themes and issues relevant to the health professions and health professions education. All ATSU faculty and staff are invited to participate in-person or virtually via video conference.
  - Panel on Programmatic Accreditation transcript (pdf)
  Panel discussion schedule
  - The challenge of clinical training sites (date TBD)
  - Workforce projections for the health professions (date TBD)
  - The future of programmatic accreditation (September 11, 2018)

Administration and Steering Committee +
- Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA
  Director
  
  Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C, Emeritus, DFAAPA, is the director of ATSU’s Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program. Since graduating from the University of Utah MEDEX PA program in 1974, Dr. Danielsen has distinguished himself as a clinician, PA educator, author, and editor. He received his bachelor of science in health science and graduated cum laude from the University of Utah in 1978, received his master’s in PA studies from the University of Nebraska with an emphasis on internal medicine in 1997, and received his doctorate from the Union Institute & University in 2003 in interdisciplinary arts and sciences.
  
  Dr. Danielsen has been with ATSU since 1995 serving as PA academic coordinator (1995-1997), chair of Physician Assistant studies (1997-2004), dean of the Arizona School of Health Sciences (2004-2010 and 2012-2018), and DMSc director since 2018. He retired after 28 years of service in the U.S. Air Force and Army National Guard as lieutenant colonel. He has been a peer-reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for the past ten years and received the Peer Corps Mighty Mentor award during the HLC’s 2023 annual conference.
  
  Dr. Danielsen has published over 19 peer-reviewed articles, 20 journal editorials, three book chapters, and his first co-authored book, “The Preceptor’s Handbook for Supervising Physician Assistants,” published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. He is also a senior consultant with the Academy for Academic Leadership and a proud member of Rotary International. He is also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Order of the Elks.
  
  Dr. Danielsen lives with his Kendra, a retired RN, in Quincy, Michigan, a town with a population of just 1,500.
  
  Amanda Weaver, MBA
  Program Administrator
  
  Amanda L. Weaver, MBA, earned her master of business administration degree from Arizona State University in 1998 and completed the American Osteopathic Association’s Health Policy Fellowship Program in 2001. She received ATSU-SOMA’s first honorary degree, the Doctor of Humane Letters, and New York Institute of Technology’s Riland Medal for Health Policy. ATSU recently honored her with President’s Medallion for Distinguished Service Award in 2024.
  
  As former executive director for the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association, she spent 20 years working with osteopathic physician leaders on boards, workgroups, and committees to improve delivery of healthcare services and access to quality healthcare in Arizona. She focused her efforts on many issues, including e-health information exchange, quality improvement for Medicare beneficiaries, affordable healthcare expansion, and graduate medical education. She also served as an advocate for osteopathic medicine, educating legislators, insurance companies, and the public about the profession.
  
  She is program manager for ATSU’s Center for the Future of the Health Professions.
  
  James Keane, DO
  
  James Keane, DO, is a board-certified internist and holistic medicine physician who practices osteopathic manipulative medicine regularly as the medical director of ATSU’s Osteopathic Medicine Center. After practicing in several Arizona-based clinics, both in- and out-patient, Dr. Keane joined the ATSU-SOMA faculty full-time in 2018. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Keane has spent the last 25 years in Arizona. He received a master’s in higher education from Arizona State University (ASU). Following his time at ASU, Dr. Keane served as an analyst at the Arizona State Senate and briefly as a lobbyist for Arizona’s cities and towns. After studying health and wellness informally for years, Dr. Keane left public policy to attend Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, and completed his internal medicine residency in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
  
  For fun, Dr. Keane enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, cooking, meditating, and other hobbies.
  
  Mai-Ly Duong, DMD, MPH
  
  Mai-Ly Duong, DMD, MPH,’12, is an associate professor and associate director of special care dentistry at ATSU-ASDOH. Dr. Duong completed a certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry from NYU Langone Medical Center in 2013. This program evolved her clinical skills to include computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing, sedation dentistry, and advanced periodontal/oral surgery. In 2016, she completed a master’s in education with a dental emphasis from the University of the Pacific. Her many accomplishments and contributions to the dental profession have earned her recognition as a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, Fellowship in the Special Care Dentistry Association, Fellowship in the American College of Dentists, Fellowship in the International College of Dentists, and Fellowship in the Pierre Fauchard Academy. On a personal note, Dr. Duong loves to sing. Her personal goals are to become fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language.
  
  Leonard B. Goldstein, DDS, PhD
  
  Leonard B. Goldstein, DDS, PhD, serves as ATSU’s assistant vice chancellor for clinical education development. Dr. Goldstein earned his doctor of dental surgery degree from Case Western Reserve University and his doctorate from the City University of Los Angeles. Immediately following dental school, Dr. Goldstein served in the U.S. Army as a captain in the Dental Corps during the Vietnam conflict.
  
  Before joining ATSU, Dr. Goldstein was the director of clinical education and associate professor of family medicine at the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine from 2005-2014. He was the co-author of NYITCOM’s Accelerated Family Medicine/DO Residency Continuum program, as well as the co-author of the HRSA grant that supported the program. He also wrote and ushered four master’s degree programs for NYITCOM through the NYS Education Department for approval. Before that, he was the assistant dean for graduate program development at the Touro College School of Health Sciences from 2000-2005. At Touro, he wrote and directed the nation’s first Master of Science in Forensic Examination program. Dr. Goldstein maintained a private dental practice for over 30 years, as well as directed a hospital-based multispecialty facial pain center. He has published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and a dental textbook on sedation.
  
  Marisa Hastie, EdD, MS, ACSM-EP, PN-1, FACSM
  
  Marisa Hastie, EdD, MS, ACSM-EP, PN-1, FACSM, is the dean of the College of Graduate Health Studies at A.T. Still University. Dr. Hastie received her doctor of education from George Fox University in 2013, her master of science in exercise and sport science with an emphasis in biomechanics from the University of Oregon in 2003, and her bachelor of science in exercise science from Gonzaga University in 2001. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a certified exercise physiologist.
  
  Before joining ATSU, she was a professor of exercise science and program chair for the Exercise Science Program at Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts. Dr. Hastie also served as the faculty fellow for the Fuss Center for Research on Intergenerational Education and Aging and received the deWitt Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from Lasell University. Dr. Hastie served as faculty chair of the University’s governance system.
  
  Dr. Hastie has extensive experience in online program development, teaching, and assessment. She developed an online master of science in nutrition for human performance program and has over 20 years of experience in synchronous and asynchronous teaching formats. Her research has included investigation of the impact exercise has on cognition, the positive health implications of intergenerational communities, and the impacts of functional resistance training exercise on affect in females. She serves on several industry boards and advisory committees, including the ACSM's Underserved & Community Health Committee. She is a past president of both the Northwest and New England Chapters of the American College of Sports Medicine.
  
  Steering Committee
  - Randy Danielsen, PhD, PA-C Emeritus
  - James Keane, DO
  - Mai-Ly Duong, DMD, MPH
  - Leonard B. Goldstein, DDS, PhD
  - Marisa Hastie, EdD, MS, ACSM-EP, PN-1, FACSM
  - Amanda Weaver, MBA