Laurarose Dunn-O'Farrell, MPAS, MS, PA-C, LCPC, CCTP
Laurarose received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and first Master's Degree in Applied Psychology - Counseling from the University of Baltimore. A second Master's Degree in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies was awarded from the Towson University/CCBC Essex Program several years later. She has experience working in urgent care, crisis intervention, and expertise in behavioral health across the lifespan in addition to experience as a clinical trainer, community educator, and program developer. Legislatively, Laurarose has been a frontline leader for the expansion of the PA role in behavioral health ("psychiatry") and telehealth utilization in Maryland. She was the first PA authorized by the MD Board of Physicians to perform psychiatric evaluations and shortly thereafter, the first to perform telepsychiatry appointments. She partners with and has served on numerous advisory committees for local and national organizations, including the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants (MdAPA), in promotion and advocacy of patient care, practitioner and employee wellness, cross-disciplinary training, and organization restructuring. The diversity of her training, education, and dual licensure, as both a PA and a counselor, bolsters the of impact from her service through her current role as a faculty educator with the Towson University PA Program, and overall, as a community health care leader.
Why the PALLA Fellowship?
I firmly believe in the strength of PAs’ diverse capabilities to propagate the modernization of treatment modalities, wellness practices, and the expansion of care access. Participating in the PALLA Fellowship grants a unique opportunity to enhance my knowledge, experience, and general growth as a PA leader, as well as extend my service reach, as an agent of change, to support the revitalization of community wellness practices.
