PA Faculty and Staff

Dennis J. Brown, DrPH, MPH, PA-C
Program Director

Dr. Dennis Brown is the Program Director for the Westfield State University Physician Assistant Program. Dr. Brown has over 35 years of experience as a clinician, and 13 years experience in PA education. 

Prior to joining the faculty at Westfield State University, Dr. Brown was at Quinnipiac University serving in multiple roles including simulation, interprofessional education, Director of Didactic Curriculum, Director of Assessment and Outcomes, and Program Director. Dr. Brown was also the Program Director for the University of New England’s PA Program for a short time post COVID. Dr. Brown’s clinical experience includes serving as a PA in the Navy after graduation, serving as the ship’s PA onboard the USS JOHN F KENNEDY (CV 67). Following honorable discharge from the service, Dr. Brown worked predominantly in emergency medicine in settings from rural and acute access hospitals to major tertiary care centers. Drawing on his roots in EMS and time with FEMA, he been involved in emergency preparedness and EMS oversight for hospitals and towns, in addition to other administrative duties. With a passion for public health, he has been involved in local public health initiatives including serving as a town representative on the board of directors of the Farmington Valley Health District in Connecticut. 

Dr. Brown received his Certification as a Paramedic from Norwalk Community College. He earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Health Sciences and Humanities / Physician Assistant from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. Dr. Brown later earned his Master in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University, and his Doctor of Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology from Capella University, graduation with Academic Distinction.

Dr. Brown maintains certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Associates (NCCPA), and PA licensure in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. He is active with the Connecticut Academy of Physician Associates, having served as an at-large member on the Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), Association of Military Surgeons of the US (AMSUS), and the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Dr. Brown’s scholarly work includes publications in simulation, interprofessional health care education, mental health in health sciences students, and noninvasive monitoring of firefighter carbon monoxide exposure at fire scenes. He has presented a variety of topics at local, state, and national conferences. In addition, he has successfully been awarded grants from HRSA, the PA Foundation and PAEA Health Foundation for PA education and community activities.

Kristin L. Dardano, MD
Medical Director

Dr. Dardano is the Medical Director for the Westfield State Physician Assistant Program and works for Baystate Medical Practices at Baystate Health.  She is a Board Certified Obstetrician Gynecologist and currently sees patients in Northampton. She has practiced general obstetrics and gynecology in the Pioneer Valley since 1998.  

Dr. Dardano is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts – Chan Medical School and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts University School of Medicine.  She has been involved in medical education throughout her career, serving as the Obstetrics and Gynecology Student Clerkship Director at Baystate Medical Center from 1998 to 2006.  She was involved in all disciplines of medical education as the Chair of the Tufts University School of Medicine Curriculum Committee from 2003 to 2007. This involved oversight of the entire medical school wide curriculum, including accreditation and strategic planning for curriculum revision.

She has studied behavioral event-based interviewing techniques for admitting medical students to residency and been involved with projects to prevent medical errors by improving communication skills in the health care setting. She has received multiple teaching awards and citations, including the Zucker Clinical Teaching Prize at Tufts University School of Medicine for innovation in clinical teaching. 

She has been the Medical Director for the Physician Assistant Program at Westfield State University since its first class.  She is involved in the teaching and assessment of the first and second year students, as well as runs the Women’s Health Clerkship for the clinical year students.

Susan McDiarmid, EdD, MS, PA-C
Assistant Program Director & Director of Clinical Education

Dr. Susan McDiarmid is the Assistant Program Director and Director of Clinical Education of the Westfield State University PA Program. She has over 13 years of experience as a medical provider and educator. Professor McDiarmid is a Western Massachusetts native and enjoys being involved in her community with her husband, especially in the sports of gymnastics, swimming, diving and volleyball.

Prior to joining Westfield State University, Dr. McDiarmid was the Director of Clinical Education in the Bay Path University PA Program and an adjunct professor in the Springfield College PA Program. She has also served as a guest lecturer and clinical preceptor in the past. Her clinical experience as a PA includes emergency medicine at Hartford Hospital, college health, urgent care and addiction medicine. As a clinician, she maintains clinical practice in addiction medicine in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. McDiarmid is a buprenorphine-waivered prescriber and has a passion for doing her part to combat the opioid epidemic as a PA.

Dr. McDiarmid has presented and been published at the local and national level on many PA education and medical topics. She currently serves as a facilitator for the national PAEA Clinical Coordinators 101 Workshop. Additionally, she serves as an AAPA PA Foundation scholarship reviewer.

Dr. McDiarmid obtained her B.S. in Health Science from Springfield College, M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies from Springfield College, Certificate of Healthcare Management from Bay Path University, and Doctor of Education (EdD) from Bay Path University in Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Studies. She is certified by the NCCPA.

Dr. McDiarmid is a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), the Pioneer Valley Interprofessional Practice and Education Collaborative (PV-IPEC), the Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants (MAPA) and the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants (ConnAPA).

Michelle Duffelmeyer, MD, FACP
Director of Didactic Education

Dr. Duffelmeyer is the Director of Didactic of Didactic Education in the Westfield State University Physician Assistant (PA) Program. She is a board-certified Internal Medicine Physician practicing primary care in the pioneer valley since 1998.  She currently is Medical Director for Springfield Technical Community Colleges Health Center as well as full time faculty at Westfield State University. Much of her time in primary care practice was in the outpatient setting at Baystate Medical Practice and University Health Services at the University of Massachusetts.

Dr. Duffelmeyer holds a B.S. from Cornell University, Doctor of Medicine from State University of New York Downstate Medical School and completed her Internal Medical Residence at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. She is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians.

Her goal is to train compassionate skilled providers to help meet our community health care needs.

Jessica Marchesi, MS, PA-C
Associate Professor

Professor Marchesi is the Director of Didactic Studies for the Westfield State University Physician Assistant Program. She completed her A.S. in Biology at Holyoke Community College, B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts, and M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies at Bay Path University. After achieving her degree and certification as a physician assistant, she has worked for Mercy Medical Center, Baystate Health Systems, Noble Hospital, and Jewish Geriatric Services in the fields of emergency medicine, urgent care, hospital medicine, subacute rehabilitation, addiction medicine, and geriatrics. Over the course of her clinical career, Professor Marchesi has precepted many physician assistant students during their clinical rotations and has previously worked in the academic arena as adjunct faculty for Bay Path University. Professor Marchesi is a native of Westfield and maintains strong ties to her community. 

Chelsea Robitaille, MS, PA-C
Assistant Professor

Chelsea Robitaille is an Assistant Professor of Didactic Education and the Chair of the Admissions Committee for the Westfield State University Physician Assistant Program. She received her Master of Science Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Bay Path University, and she completed a post-graduate residency in emergency medicine at Baystate Medical Center. Professor Robitaille has a passion for teaching and has precepted many students in the emergency medicine and urgent care settings. She is a Western Massachusetts native and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and adventuring with her husband.