On March 25, 2024, ConnAPA President Sarah Adams, and Director at Large Adam Olsen had the honor of presenting PA Paul Possenti as ConnAPA’s 2024 PA of the Year. The below comes from the nomination submitted for PA Possenti by PA Olsen.
“Mr. Paul Possenti has been an exemplary PA leader, educator, and advocate for the PA profession. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Trauma Services, Emergency Management and Patient Relations at Bridgeport Hospital, part of the Yale New Haven Health System. Paul has a distinguished record of military and volunteer service having served in the Army and Active Reserve from 1987 to 2004, achieving the rank of Major. He has been a volunteer firefighter since 2002 and holds the rank of Captain with the Great Hill Hose Company in Seymour, CT.
Paul started his PA career in the Department of Surgery and Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital. In 1991, he became the Clinical Coordinator of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, and a short time later was instrumental in helping the hospital obtain recognition as a Level I Trauma Center from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma. The hospital has maintained its Trauma Center recognition ever since. He took on the additional role of Trauma Program Manager in 2004, became the Director of Trauma Services in 2010, and assumed his current position as Executive Director in 2022. He had also served as the Chief Surgical PA from 2003-2015. He has several decades of proven leadership and has a passion for helping others.
Paul actively participates in the training of all healthcare students and has faculty appointments at a number of colleges and universities in Connecticut. He is also a certified instructor in several categories of life support, including advanced burn, advanced cardiac, advanced trauma and advanced pediatric life support. He has participated in numerous scholarly presentations on both the national and international level and co-authored over 20 research articles and textbook chapters. Additionally, he has co-authored a children’s activity book on burn and fire prevention.
Through his leadership role at Bridgeport Hospital, he has generously donated over $175,000 of medical equipment and supplies to the Sacred Heart University PA program. He has been invaluable at helping secure quality clinical sites for PA students and always finds a moment in his busy schedule to help a PA student with a surgical procedure.
Paul Possenti is the true definition of what encompasses a PA An extraordinary individual who has served his country, his community, and his profession.”
Congratulations Paul!!!