Meet the NZPAS Board

Shelly Collins, NZPAS President

Shelly Collins, PAC, MHS graduated from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Physician Associate program in 2004 and spent her first five years practicing in Family Medicine in rural Southern Oklahoma. In 2009, she joined the OU Physicians Otolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer clinic for two years in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, followed by a five year stint in PA education as a Professor at both the University of Oklahoma PA program and the Oklahoma City University PA Program.

Shelly worked in Urgent Care in Seattle, WA for over two years before moving with her family to New Zealand in 2020.  She currently works at the Papakura East Medical Centre enjoying GP practice and feels honored and excited to be part of helping to grow the PA profession in NZ. Learn more about Shelly’s work in the rural Far North in her NCCPA PA Spotlight from September 2020.

Jamie Hyndman, NZPAS Vice President

Jamie started her career in healthcare in 1999 as an EMT and spent the next six years working on the ambulance, in the emergency department and volunteering for a mountain search and rescue organization. She graduated in 2008 from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine with a Masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies and spent the following six years as a provider in outpatient and inpatient internal medicine then transitioned to urgent care in 2014.

Jamie currently works in urgent care at Hastings Health Centre in Hawke’s Bay. When not working, Jamie and her family like to spend time exploring the beautiful outdoors, traveling, paddleboarding and baking.

Jamie C. Torres, Secretary

Jamie C. Torres, PA-C, completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology-Medical Science with a minor in Chemistry from Concordia University in Irvine, California (2010). She further completed her Masters of Science Physician Assistant degree at Western University of Health and Sciences in Pomona, California (2013). Her career began in Central and Southern California, serving the underserved populations at Federally Qualified Health Centers as a general practitioner and urgent care/ same day physician assistant. After that she served as an Urgent Care PA in both southern California and Colorado. She is currently working as a Physician Associate at the Dargaville Medical Centre providing medical services to the Dargaville and surrounding Northland area communities.

Jamie and her husband spent the last 3 years living and working in Guam. They enjoy a variety of outdoor recreation including travel, hiking, diving, and stand up paddle boarding. She has always had a passion for global health/medicine and is excited to help pioneer her profession in New Zealand.

Paul Queior, Treasurer

Paul worked as an EMT in prehospital 911 ambulance service in Flagstaff, Arizona, a WEMT on Antarctic cruises aboard the Research and Supply Vessel Laurence M Gould. He has his MPAS from Northern Arizona University and spent over seven years as an ED PA treating patients in hospital emergency departments across Arizona including two rural Level III and an urban Level V Trauma Center. Paul earned a Certificate of Added Qualification in Emergency Medicine from the NCCPA in 2018.

He now lives with his wife and daughters in Papamoa Beach where he enjoys providing Urgent Care in a busy practice serving patients of all ages, and is passionate about extending access to health care to all who need.

Kate Straughton, PA-R MSc FHEA, Special Advisor

Kate Straughton is the Programme Director for the PGDip Physician Associate Studies programme and MSc ‘top-up’ for qualified Physician Associates. Kate has significant experience at representing PAs at national level in the UK, finishing her role as President of the Faculty of Physician Associates of the Royal College of Physicians in 2022, but remaining involved in the FPA Education Committee and as a member of the Physician Associate Schools Council of the UK.