Catholic Advanced Practice Providers Association founded by local physician assistant

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent

When physician assistant Kris Correira wanted to restart the Catholic Medical Association guild in the Worcester diocese, the CMA informed her that the president and vice president of the organization needed to be physicians.

So Msgr. Peter Beaulieu, director of mission at St. Vincent Hospital where Mrs. Correira attends daily Mass in the chapel, suggested that she start an organization for Catholic physician assistants. While attending the 2021 CMA Conference in Florida, she was told that Carrie Heubner, a physician assistant in Georgia, had the same idea.

So the two got together and founded the Catholic Advanced Practice Providers Association for physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Mrs. Correira serves as president and Mrs. Heubner is vice president.

The other board members are secretary Lisa Higgins, a physician assistant in North Carolina, and treasurer Micala Abbiati, a College of the Holy Cross graduate who is a physician assistant in New Hampshire. All board members are volunteers.

CAPPA launched in January after two years of planning and now has 182 members from throughout the country.

The association has four goals. The first is to create a network of Catholic Advance Practice Providers to support each other in their practice of medicine in accordance with the principles of the Catholic faith, while recognizing Jesus Christ as the Divine Healer.

“In medicine, we won’t be compelled to perform in ways that are contrary to our deeply held Catholic beliefs,” Mrs. Correira said.

The second is to advocate for members, the Church and Catholic Advanced Practice Providers in the workplace and medical education.

“To strengthen the knowledge of how we practice as Catholic physicians among our members,” she explained, “so we can then bring that to the rest of healthcare. Because not everybody is practicing Catholic healthcare, and Catholic healthcare itself needs some strengthening.”

The third goal is to work to preserve and strengthen conscience protections for Catholic Advanced Practice Providers.

The fourth goal is to assist the Church in the work of communication and applying Catholic medical ethics to the medical profession and society at large.

“In order to provide a better way for us to connect,” Mrs. Correira said, “and to make known that there are a significant number of Catholics in healthcare that are concerned and we want to speak up. Our ability to practice as Catholics is being severely hindered.”

Mrs. Correira has been a physician assistant for 32 years, the past five with Dr. Nancy Berube in Worcester. Both are parishioners at Christ the King Parish. Mrs. Correira said Dr. Berube allows her to practice medicine in accordance with her Catholic faith.

Mrs. Correira spent most of her career in the emergency department at St. Vincent Hospital and in urgent care with Reliant Medical Group. She is married and the mother of three children.

Mrs. Correira has a master’s degree in theology with a concentration in bioethics attained after completing the National Catholic Bioethics Center certificate program. She headed Witness for Life, a pro-life Catholic organization, and she still works to combat the legalization of assisted suicide in Massachusetts.

Mrs. Correira recruited another Christ the King parishioner, Robert Hennigan, to serve as attorney for CAPPA and at no charge he filed for non-profit and tax-exempt status.

“What was most impressive,” Attorney Hennigan said, “was the board of directors that Kris put together involving advanced practice providers from New Hampshire, Georgia and North Carolina. Under the leadership of Kris and such a  board, CAPPA can provide  education and support to those providers who practice medicine in accordance with Catholic beliefs. Hard to argue against such a mission.  I was happy to help the organization in a small way.”  

Mrs. Correira also lined up Jesuit Father John Gavin to serve as the association’s chaplain. Father Gavin is an associate professor of religious studies and Catholic studies at Holy Cross.

“He’s just what we needed to spiritually guide our organization,” she said.

“Health care professionals face many challenges,” Father Gavin said, “in a world that has forgotten God and the dignity of the human person made in the image of God. CAPPA offers professionals facing moral challenges support, guidance, information, and, most of all, a community of prayer. The faith of CAPPA members does not conflict with nor undermine their competency and professionalism, but rather it makes them better caregivers in forming them to serve the whole person, body and soul.”

Mrs. Correira believes medical organizations haven’t fought hard enough against assisted suicide and she’s determined that CAPPA will.

“So it’s about community building,” Mrs. Correira said. “It’s about strengthening our faith, it’s about helping us to practice as faithful Catholics and how to get us through these bioethical nightmares that surround us all the time.”

“Kris is a courageous, faithful, and inspirational leader for CAPPA,” Father Gavin said. “We are so blessed to have her at the helm.”

Mrs. Correira said eventually the organization will charge dues to offer more online medical education, but it hasn’t yet. She can be emailed at [email protected]. CAPPA’s website is catholicappa.org.