Disability Health Education Initiative
About our Founder,
Kendra Clark
Kendra Clark PA-C, DMSc-S, MPAS is a neurosurgical physician associate (PA-C), doctoral candidate at A.T. Still University, and a disability advocate.
Her work is deeply rooted in a lifetime of caregiving for her brother, Guy, who lived with intellectual and physical disabilities following a traumatic brain injury at the age of five.
In 2020, Kendra was diagnosed with a brain tumor, affectionately named “Ruby.” After a two-year journey of treatment, brain surgery, and rehabilitation, she was left with a permanent disability and was no longer able to return to work in neurosurgery. Rather than allowing that loss to define her future, Kendra transformed her lived experience and doctoral training into a vision for change.
In 2023, and in honor of her brother Guy, Kendra founded the Disability Health Education Initiative (DHEI), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing disability health education within physician assistant programs nationwide. Through DHEI, Kendra works to foster disability confidence, raise awareness, and equip future PAs with the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to provide competent, respectful care for individuals with disabilities.
Kendra is honored to be a recipient of the 2026 NCCPA Health Foundation EMPOWER Grant and is grateful for the support of leaders and organizations committed to strengthening disability-informed medical education, including the Physician Assistant Education Association and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
DHEI is staffed entirely by volunteers who share a sincere heart for individuals with disabilities. Our team spans communities across the United States and around the world, including Nigeria.
At DHEI, everyone is welcome. If you have a heart for people with disabilities, you have a seat at our table.
ABOUT
THE DISABILITY HEALTH EDUCATION INITIATIVE
The Disability Health Education Initiative (DHEI) advances disability-responsive education within physician assistant training by emphasizing whole-person care, clinical competence, and professional responsibility. People with disabilities experience persistent disparities in health care access, communication, and clinical outcomes. These disparities are often rooted in gaps within health professional education rather than patient complexity.
DHEI addresses this need through structured, evidence-informed educational programming designed to integrate seamlessly into PA curricula. The pilot program aligns with accreditation standards and complements existing PA educational frameworks.
The DHEI Core Disability-Responsive Care Pilot Series is a four-module, asynchronous curriculum that supports the development of knowledge, skills, and reflective practice necessary for equitable clinical care. Each module incorporates applied clinical scenarios, reflection, and assessment to support learner growth. View the core interactive modules and the pilot program curriculum below.
Participants
Who this series is for
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PA students (didactic and clinical phases)
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PA faculty and course directors
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Clinical preceptors and skills lab instructors
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Faculty development and remediation programming
DHEI's VISION
A future where disability-health education is standard in every PA program in America.
Current PA School Partnerships
