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The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s School of Health Professions is excited to announce three new staff members in the dean’s office.

Christa Lo, DHSc, MPAS, PA-C, joins SHP as associate dean. In her role, she will assist in overseeing the school’s academic programs, budget and finances, strategic planning, faculty development, clinical operations and research programs. She will also serve as faculty in the Physician Assistant Studies program.

Prior to joining HSC, Lo served as program director for the PA program at Red Rocks Community College in Colorado. AT RRCC, she implemented the conversion of the RRCC PA certificate program to a master’s degree, making it the only Community College in the U.S. to confer its own master’s degree.

Lo holds a Physician Associate Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, a Physician Assistant Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska and a Doctorate in Health Sciences from A.T. Still University.

Her more than 30 years of clinical experience includes family practice, internal medicine, occupational medicine and military physical and behavioral health evaluations. She acts as a site visitor and commissioner for the Accreditation Review Commission for Education for the Physician Assistant.

Lo is an Oklahoma native who has two sons and a fiancé. Her youngest son is a recent high school graduate and her oldest lives in Oklahoma City with family.

Whitney Johannessen, PhD, MCSO, APRN, NEA-BC, CPNP-PC, joins HSC as the director of program effectiveness. She will be responsible for evaluating hybrid and online program quality, addressing hybrid and online needs, facilitating extended campus services to students and providing student training opportunities. She will also coordinate and lead the operation and student-focused aspects of any future online and hybrid programs.

Prior to coming to HSC, she served as a graduate teaching fellow in clinical service operations at Harvard Medical School. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Clinical Service Operations degree from Harvard Medical School, and a PhD in Child Development from Texas Woman’s University.

Over the course of her pediatric clinical career, Johannessen has practiced in perioperative services, anesthesia, pain management, primary care and school nursing. Administratively, she served as a clinical coordinator, founding director of advanced practice, and founding assistant vice president of advanced practice. She is passionate about academic and professional development and currently serves as an undergraduate health care mentor, advanced practice student mentor, a post-graduate professional mentor and Young Men’s Service League community mentor.

In her free time, Johannessen enjoys volunteering with Special Olympics, going to the movies and traveling the world with her family.

Samantha Green, MS, has joined SHP as business manager. She will serve as the central point of contact for the dean’s office. Green’s primary duties include providing leadership, training and guidance to administrative staff across the school, documenting processes and leading process improvement initiatives. She will also provide essential backup and supplementary support to the senior executive assistant for both administrative duties and events.

Prior to joining SHP, Green served as the senior executive assistant to the vice provost in student affairs where she contributed to the strategic vision and operational success of the department. Prior to that role, she served in multiple administrative support roles within Arlington ISD. Green holds a Master of Nutrition from Lamar University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a concentration on conflict management.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her three children and husband.

All three started on Monday, June 3.

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