By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

Congratulations go out to Shelley Irving, MSPAS, PA-C, an Assistant Professor and Site Director of the Morehead Campus for the UK Department of Physician Assistant Studies, who has agreed to serve on the Board of Governors of Claire Blue Health LLC.

This comes on the heels of last month’s news, where UK’s Board of Trustees authorized the University to move forward with the acquisition of St. Claire Hospital, an essential community health provider in Morehead. In the same communication, the Board also officially appointed Irving.

“This is a huge honor for Shelley and for our College,” said Scott Lephart, PhD and Dean of the College of Health Sciences. “For years, she has served as a leader in our region, helping the members of our Commonwealth, as well as our students, and we’re grateful to have someone of her expertise and influence in CHS. This recognition is just another example of the respect she has as a healthcare provider and educator.”

A 2008 alum of the UKPAS Morehead Campus, Irving joined the faculty in 2016.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Eastern Kentucky in this new role through honoring the rich history of the past and embracing what is wildly possible for the future,” Irving said.

Irving is Board Certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and licensed by the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure. She has more than a decade of experience practicing rural primary and charitable care in Eastern Kentucky.

Primary interests involve preparing future Physician Assistants for practice in underserved areas to improve the health and well-being of Kentuckians. To provide for these needs of our learners, she serves as a Fellow of the UK Center for Interprofessional Health Education and as a Member of the CME advisory committee for the Northeast Area Health Education Center.

Irving advocates for the medically underserved in the community through her work as a member of the Board of Directors for People’s Clinic. She also promotes robust clinical learning environments for interprofessional healthcare students interested in rural primary care.  

The University’s Board of Trustees appointed the following individuals to serve on the Board of Governors of Claire Blue Health LLC:

• the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
• the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
• the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration
• the Treasurer of the University
• the Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for UK HealthCare
• the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for UK HealthCare
• William H. Redwine
• Shelley Irving, PA-C
• Aaron P. Banks, DO
• John P. Northcutt

The individuals who are University of Kentucky senior administrators will serve by virtue of their position. Should any of the University of Kentucky senior administrators leave their position, they will no longer serve on the Board of Governors, and their successor in their senior administrative position will be appointed to the Board of Governors without further action by the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees.

St. Claire HealthCare President and Chief Executive Officer Donald H. Lloyd, II said having Irving on the Board was a necessity.

“Professor Irving not only brings a strong clinical acumen to our governance process, but by virtue of Shelley being a native of Carter County, she has an understanding of the local community and its needs,” he said.

Virginia Valentin, DrPH, PA-C and Associate Professor who serves as the Department Chair for the Department of Physician Assistant studies, agreed.

“Shelley is a true professional and her passion for rural healthcare is shown in all that she does,” Valentin said. “As far as I know she is the only PA in the state who serves on a hospital board, and I personally couldn’t be prouder to have her on our faculty and serving as a role model to our students on the topics of both leadership and service.”