2005 Press Releases
Physician assistant joins surgeon’s practice Shuban K. Moza, M.D., welcomes Physician Assistant LaShawnda Giuffrida, RPA-C to his practice, located at 1614 N. James St. in Rome. Physician assistants (PAs) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions. Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, LaShawnda will be Dr. Moza’s first assistant in the operating room. In addition, she will provide pre- and post-operative care, primary care and call coverage for Emergency Department patients. LaShawnda has been granted privileges to practice at Rome Memorial Hospital. “As first assistants establish a trusting relationship with the surgeon, there’s a natural synergy that emerges because of the continuity of working with one professional who is familiar with the surgeon’s procedures,” said LaShawnda. A native of California, LaShawnda became interested in medicine after her grandfather was diagnosed with asbestosis that developed into lung cancer in the early 1980s. “Just seeing how much medicine was able to help him made me interested,” she said. “I had always been an avid Quincy watcher. Becoming a PA was a way to help people and do something I enjoy.” LaShawnda obtained her associate’s degree in general science, psychology and liberal arts in 1992. She graduated from the University of Alaska in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in biological science. In 2001, she earned her certification as a physician assistant from LeMoyne College, Syracuse. Her PA training included clinical rotations in orthopedic surgery, primary/urgent care, pediatrics, geriatrics, emergency medicine, inpatient medicine, psychiatry, general surgery and obstetrics/gynecology at several Central New York hospitals. Before joining Dr. Moza’s practice, LaShawnda was a physician assistant to the orthopedic surgeons at Hamilton Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, where she worked closely with Dr. Michael Zahn, M.D, from 2002 to 2004. She also worked in primary care at the North Medical Urgent Care in Liverpool. “I loved orthopedics, but I’m looking forward to the challenges of general surgery because it is broader in scope and serves such a diverse patient population,” LaShawnda said. The PA feels her undergraduate degree in psychology has given her a good foundation to understand and connect with her patients. “Naturally, patients who are facing surgery are anxious. I feel it’s important to listen to them and explain everything so they know what to expect and nothing comes as a surprise,” LaShawnda said. “That means providing the explanation, taking a step back to let the patient think about it and absorb it, and then answering any specific questions.” LaShawnda resides in Munnsville with her husband Christopher and their 11-month-old son, John. The couple moved to the area when her husband was transferred to the Northeast Air Defense Sector at the Griffiss Business & Technology Park. “I met Dr. Moza about two years ago and I thought he was someone that I would like to work with some day,” she said. “He likes to teach, and in medicine, you have to be ready to learn because there are so many advancements.” To maintain her PA certification, LaShawnda is required to complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and take the recertification exam every six years. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. | 
