Regions

Region 1 - Cleveland Area East of the Cuyahoga River

Meet your Regional Director

Michell McDiffett, PA-C has been a member of OAPA since 2008 and, in addition to holding her Region 1 Director position, serves as the Student Affairs Committee Chair and volunteers for the Membership Committee. Michell is a graduate from Tri-C/CSU (2010) and has worked the last 8 years with Signature Health Inc., a FQHC and CMHC, where she currently treat adults with mental health and substance use disorders. Michell is also a clinical preceptor for the Lake Erie College PA Program.  

Feel free to email Michell McDiffett, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved.

Region 1 Goals:

• Provide a regional platform for PAs to stay informed of issues related to physician assistants
• Provide opportunities for PAs to share their concerns or ideas regarding physician assistant matters in Ohio
• Increase student participation in the OAPA to support their professional development and promote continued membership
• Foster development of professional relationships between physician assistants and other health professionals
• Provide opportunities for professional development

Region 2 - Cleveland Area West of the Cuyahoga River

Meet your Regional Director

Michele Gavin, PA-C, is currently the Advance Practice Provider Director for Cleveland Clinic Community Care and practicing in Internal Medicine. Much of her leadership experience was gained throughout her 33 years of military service where she served as a leader and had 5 deployments to the Middle East from 2004-2008. This is her first time serving in an elected position with OAPA.

The PA issues that Michele is passionate about are many but primarily focus on the current legislation that is being brought forward to eliminate the formulary and to ensure that PAs are competing equally for jobs in Ohio. Michele is passionate about increasing OAPA membership and supporting our profession and its issues. She supports Optimal Team Practice and increasing the membership and support of OAPA.

Feel free to email Michele Gavin, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved. 

Region 3 - Akron, Canton & Youngstown Areas

Meet your Regional Director 

Natalie Talboo, PA-C has served as the Region 3 Director since 2002 and has been a member of the OAPA since 1997. She has also served on multiple OAPA committees and legislation over the past 16 years.  She currently holds the position of Clinical Coordinator of Advanced Practice Providers at University Hospitals in Cleveland and is the lead Orthopaedic Trauma PA. She is a preceptor for PA students from The University of Mount Union, Ohio University, Gannon University and Case Western Reserve University.  Natalie also serves on The University of Mount Union PA Program Faculty Advisory Board and has been a guest lecturer for the program since its inception. Natalie completed her Undergraduate degree in Biology at Wittenberg University (1988) and obtained a Master degree in Health Sciences at Wright State University (1992).  She obtained her Physician Assistant Studies Degree from Cuyahoga Community College (1999) and her Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree from The University of Nebraska.

Feel free to email Natalie Talboo, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved.

As Region 3 Director Natalie aims to: 

• Improve regional membership numbers by helping to keep local PAs informed of OAPA accomplishments and advocacy
• Continuing to keep our region’s PA’s informed about state and national issues that matter to Ohio PAs, like Full Practice Authority and Responsibility, abolishment of the PA Formulary, and the future of NCCPA recertification.
• Working to suggest and further foster legislative actions that advance the Physician Assistant profession
• Providing ways for members to be involved at the regional and state level
• Working to increase networking opportunities in the region, especially CME opportunities
• Advocating for OAPA in other professional organizations
• Reaching out to all members and potential members throughout the region and state
• Promoting the Physician Assistant by educating the public on our role in healthcare
• Increasing the Akron-Youngstown area’s Physician Assistant to OAPA membership ratio
• Continuing to foster a positive relationship with our region’s only PA program, sharing with students the importance of membership in our professional organization.

Region 4 - Central and Southeast Ohio

Meet your Regional Director

 Cheryl Geng, PA-C currently teaches at the Ohio University PA Program in Dublin.  As Region 4 Director, Cheryl helps his regional members monitor key legislation and be ready to act if needed for support.  

Feel free to email Cheryl Geng, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved.

Region 5 - Toledo & Northwest Ohio

Meet your Regional Director

Mike Armstrong, PA-C  has been serving as the Region 5 director since 2019, and currently practices at ProMedica Toledo Hospital in Orthopedic Trauma. He completed his undergraduate degree in exercise science at the University of Toledo in 2015, and obtained his Master's of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Findlay in 2017.  Currently Mike is a guest lab instructor at the  University of Toledo's PA Program. 

Mike plans to continue the expansion of physician assistant involvement in Region 5 by promoting current events and news regarding the PA profession and local PA programs. 

Feel free to email Mike Armstrong, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved.

Region 6 - Dayton Area

Meet Your Regional Director

Doug Eulberg, PA-C is a Distinguished Fellow of the AAPA and has served on the OAPA Board of Directors for 15 years, two of which were served as President (2007-08, 2010-11). Doug graduated from Kettering College of Medical Arts (1981) and earned his Masters in PA Studies from AT Still University where he majored in Education & Leadership.  Doug has practiced as a PA for 37 years in specialties including; Cardiovascular Surgery (26 yrs), Cardiology (4 yrs), and Interventional Radiology (7 yrs).

As Region 6 Director, Doug aims to increase OAPA membership and continues to support efforts to improve the scope of practice in Ohio.

Feel free to email Doug Eulberg, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved.

Region 7- Cincinnati Area

Meet your Regional Director

Steven Ward, PA-C is a Physician Assistant, Paramedic and PA educator at Mount St. Joseph University in the Physician Assistant Studies program. He received his Master of Medical Science in 2012 from Wake Forest University and a Master of Health Sciences with a focus in Emergency Medical Care Education from Western Carolina University. He currently works a Physician Assistant (PA) in the Emergency Department with the University of Cincinnati in addition to maintaining his Paramedic and EMS CE Instructor certifications. He was the first PA in Ohio to be formally involved in medical direction activities, including education, protocol development and quality assurance for EMS and is on the medical direction staff for three Cincinnati-area paramedic-level fire departments. Steven is an author of several peer-reviewed research publications in Emergency Medical Services, has presented research at national emergency medicine conferences and continues to provide outreach education and presentations at EMS Conferences and departments. He has served three terms as the Region 7 Director for OAPA.

Feel free to email Steven Ward, PA-C if you have any questions about your region or would like to get involved.

The membership and leadership of Region 7 strive to:

• Improve regional membership numbers by helping to keep local PAs informed of OAPA accomplishments and advocacy
• Continuing to keep our region’s PA’s informed about state and national issues that matter to Ohio PAs, like Full Practice Authority and Responsibility, abolishment of the PA Formulary, and the future of NCCPA recertification.
• Working to suggest and further foster legislative actions that advance the Physician Assistant profession
• Providing ways for members to be involved at the regional and state level
• Working to increase networking opportunities in the region, especially CME opportunities
• Advocating for OAPA in other professional organizations
• Reaching out to all members and potential members throughout the region and state
• Promoting the Physician Assistant by educating the public on our role in healthcare
• Increasing the Greater Cincinnati area’s Physician Assistant to OAPA membership ratio
• Continuing to foster a positive relationship with our region’s only PA program, sharing with students the importance of membership in our professional organization.