Andrea M. Barker

Andrea M. Barker, MPAS, PA-C

Languages spoken: English

Research Interests

  • Interprofessional Education
  • Medical Education
  • Educational Research

Ms. Barker is a Physician Assistant and clinician educator with the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Education and Sciences, specializing in musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. She graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine PA Program in 2008 and joined the Salt Lake City VA in 2011.

Since joining the VA, Ms. Barker has been instrumental in building the Center of Excellence (COE) in MSK Care and Education, developing a nationally recognized interprofessional health professions education (HPE) portfolio aimed at enhancing MSK skills among students, trainees, and practicing providers. She has led the COE as Director since 2021.

Her contributions to MSK education and leadership have been widely recognized. In 2014, she received the Don Pedersen Leadership Award from the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants. She was awarded the National Outstanding Clinical Physician Assistant Award by the VA PA Association in 2016, and in 2019, her COE team was honored with the Interprofessional Education Team Award by the University of Utah Academy of Health Sciences Educators.

Beyond her clinical and educational roles, Ms. Barker is actively engaged in HPE leadership and research. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, where she focuses on workplace learning and PA contributions to graduate medical education. She also serves as Co-Director of the VA-sponsored Advanced Fellowship in HPE Evaluation and Research, which launched in July 2022.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Reynolds R, Knight J, Dorsey B, Phillips C, Kharkar V, Blickensderfer K, Keyser C, Hatch B, Connelly E, Decker J, Diamond L, Battistone M, Barker A, Thomas J (2024). Utilizing the Delphi Method to Develop Undergraduate Medical Education Learning Objectives to Address Medical Care of Gender and Sexually Diverse Individuals. Cureus, 16(10), e70779. (Read full article)
  2. Mulcaire-Jones E, Barker AM, Beck JP, Lawrence P, Cannon GW, Battistone MJ (2022). Impact of a Musculoskeletal "Mini-Residency" Professional Development Program on Knee Magnetic Resonance Imaging Orders by Primary Care Providers. J Clin Rheumatol, 28(5), 245-249. (Read full article)
  3. Pearson M, Barker AM, Battistone MJ, Bent S, Odden K, OBrien B (2020). Implementing an established musculoskeletal educational curriculum in a new context: a study of effectiveness and feasibility. Med Educ Online, 25(1), 1760466. (Read full article)
  4. Barker AM, LaRochelle JS, Artino AR Jr, Wiltz SA, Kim LM, Battistone MJ (2020). SimLEARN Musculoskeletal Training for VHA Primary Care Providers and Health Professions Educators. Fed Pract, 37(1), 42-47. (Read full article)
  5. Battistone MJ, Barker AM, Beck JP, Tashjian RZ, Cannon GW (2017). Validity evidence for two objective structured clinical examination stations to evaluate core skills of the shoulder and knee assessment. BMC Med Educ, 17(1), 13. (Read full article)
  6. Battistone MJ, Barker AM, Grotzke MP, Beck JP, Lawrence P, Cannon GW (2016). "Mini-Residency" in Musculoskeletal Care: a National Continuing Professional Development Program for Primary Care Providers. J Gen Intern Med, 31(11), 1301-1307. (Read full article)
  7. Battistone MJ, Barker AM, Grotzke MP, Beck JP, Berdan JT, Butler JM, Milne CK, Huhtala T, Cannon GW (2016). Effectiveness of an Interprofessional and Multidisciplinary Musculoskeletal Training Program. J Grad Med Educ, 8(3), 398-404. (Read full article)
  8. Battistone MJ, Barker AM, Lawrence P, Grotzke MP, Cannon GW (2015). Mini-Residency in Musculoskeletal Care: An Interprofessional, Mixed-Methods Educational Initiative for Primary Care Providers. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 68(2), 275-9. (Read full article)
  9. Day RW, Mack GK, Barker AM, Rees TQ, Jorgensen LO, Botto LD (2014). Prevalence of variants in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and the severity of pulmonary vascular disease. Pediatr Cardiol, 36(3), 524-30. (Read full article)
  10. Nelson RE, Battistone MJ, Ashworth WD, Barker AM, Grotzke M, Huhtala TA, Lafleur J, Tashjian RZ, Cannon GW (2012). Cost effectiveness of training rural providers to perform joint injections. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken), 66(4), 559-66. (Read full article)

Review

  1. Barker AM, Konopasky AW, Varpio L, Soh M, Poole BR, Stalmeijer RE (2024). How Advanced Practice Clinicians Support Education for and Contribute to Education of Graduate Medical Education Trainees: A Critical Literature Review. [Review]. Acad Med, 99(11), 1286-1297. (Read full article)
  2. Cimino FM, Varpio L, W Konopasky A, Barker A, Stalmeijer RE, Ma TL (2022). Can We Realize Our Collaborative Potential? A Critical Review of Faculty Roles and Experiences in Interprofessional Education. [Review]. Acad Med, 97(11S), S87-S95. (Read full article)
  3. Battistone MJ, Barker AM, Durning SJ (2019). Interprofessional Musculoskeletal Education: A Review of National Initiatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs. [Review]. Rheum Dis Clin North Am, 46(1), 135-153. (Read full article)