Lavette Shirley, DScPAS, MPAS, PA-C
Lavette Shirley, DScPAS, MPAS, PA-C, is a Physician Assistant, educator, and healthcare leader with 14 years of clinical experience dedicated to advancing equitable, patient-centered care. Her journey into medicine was shaped by a deep desire to serve others and by her lived experience as a Black woman navigating the healthcare system with limited guidance and resources. Inspired early on by her sister—the first in her family to enter the medical field—Dr. Shirley explored multiple healthcare pathways, including conversations with PAs, MDs, DOs, and nurse practitioners, ultimately choosing the PA profession after recognizing its strong alignment with her values, desired impact, and work-life balance. As a teen mother, she was also motivated to complete her education efficiently to support her family while building a meaningful career in healthcare.
Today, Dr. Shirley serves as the Founding Assistant Program Director for a developing Physician Assistant program in Charlotte, where she leads the design and implementation of the didactic curriculum for first-year students. Her academic leadership emphasizes not only clinical medicine and pharmacology, but also the development of compassionate, whole-person care—preparing future providers to understand and serve patients holistically. She is deeply committed to shaping clinicians who are clinically competent, culturally responsive, and grounded in empathy and service.
Alongside her academic role, Dr. Shirley is the CEO and Co-Founder of a nonprofit organization focused on women’s health, where she leads free community education initiatives designed to improve health literacy and empower women to advocate for their own care. She also serves as a Director at Large for the North Carolina Academy of PAs, where she has contributed to advancing the profession through legislative advocacy, including efforts supporting optimal team practice and PA compact legislation to expand licensure mobility across states. What she values most in her work is the ability to serve communities—especially women whose voices have historically been unheard—while also mentoring and teaching future healthcare providers. She finds purpose in those moments when students experience understanding and connection, and in creating spaces where patients feel seen, supported, and equipped with tools to engage confidently in their own healthcare.
• DScPAS
• PA-C
• Kent State University - BS
• Kettering College - MPAS
• Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - DScPAS, Physician Assistant
• L.I.V.E Award
• 50 Most Dynamic Women in Charlotte
• Women to KNOW in North Carolina 2023
• 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Award
• Outstanding Didactic Instructor of the year
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
• Star Performer Award
• North Carolina Academy of PAs - Director at Large
• AAPA
• AAUCM
• PAEA
• NCAPA
• Founder and CEO of WHR Foundation - Women's Health Nonprofit providing free health education sessions
• Physician Assistant Education Association
• American Academy of Physician Associates
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to becoming a PA, which was my proudest accomplishment. Being a teen mom, even though I internally knew that I would be successful and find a way, a lot of people just don't have that opportunity, that chance, that drive, that motivation. By the grace of God, I was able to get through the very challenging and expensive program, which allowed me to do all the other things that I'm doing now. Without that piece, I wouldn't be able to do all the things that I love to do. So that's the thing I'm most proud of - really working through all of the sweat and tears and challenges and doubts and struggles, and still being able to achieve that goal, to be able to serve the people that I believe deserve the care that I'm able to provide to them. I also learned that you have to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of other people. It took me a while to learn that, but I have a grasp on it now.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to, number one, have a mentor. Have somebody who you can ask questions, who you trust, who's done what you've done or just can support you in the way that you need. And as we just talked about, find space for yourself. It is okay to say no when you need to say no. It is okay and even necessary to set boundaries - to turn that phone off, to not answer if it's not an emergency and not a fire, to delegate tasks to other people when needed. Fill your cup. Fill your cup, and then you can fill other people's cups, and you can help them. But without that, you will burn out eventually. Those are the things that I would say, and there's of course more, but those are the main things that I had to learn.
Locations
Women's Health and Resilience Foundation, Inc.
3122 Fincher Farm Rd 100-501, Matthews, NC 28105
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