Western Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, P.C.

Physician Assistants

Physician Assistants (PA-C) and Orthopedic Physician Assistants (OPA-C)

Physician Assistants (PA-C) are licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. The average PA curriculum is 26 months, and there are currently more than 130 accredited programs. Upon graduation from an accredited program, physician assistants may sit for the national board exam administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). All states require passage of the NCCPA exam as a prerequisite for full licensure as a PA. In addition, to maintain certification, PA-C’s must log 100 hours of continuing education every two years and sit for the
re-certification exam every six years.

A PA-C practices medicine within the scope of practice of his or her supervising physician. Because of the generalist education, PA-C’s are free to choose any medical or surgical specialty after graduation. It is not uncommon for a PA-C to move among specialties – something which is facilitated by the scope of their degrees and licenses.

Orthopedic Physician Assistants (OPA-C) are professional physician extenders who work solely within the field of orthopedic medicine and within the scope of his or her supervising physician. The national certifying exam is administered by the National Board for Certification of Orthopedic Physician's Assistants (NBCOPA). A candidate may sit for the national board exam after graduation from an accredited Physician Assistant (PA-C) program, Nurse Practitioner program, or having at least five years experience in orthopedics with responsibilities including surgical assisting, history and physical assessment, and immobilization techniques, under the supervision of a Board-certified orthopedic surgeon. In order to maintain certification, an OPA-C must log 120 hours of continuing education every four years.

Orthopedic Physician Assistants (OPA-C), despite the similarity in title, are not Physician Assistants (PA-C). OPA-C’s are accredited with separate standards and take a separate exam. OPA-C’s may only practice with physician supervision and may only work within the scope of orthopedics.

For more information regarding Physician Assistants and Orthopedic Physician Assistants, you can visit:

The American Academy of Physician Assistants
The American Society of Orthopedic Physician Assistants

Sandy Boily-Earnheart, PA-C

Sandy obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Moorhead State University in Minnesota in Biology and Minors of Chemistry and Psychology. She then received her Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from the Physician Assistant program at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo in 1987. Sandy is Board Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Sandy moved to Colorado in 1992, and has worked at Western Orthopedics since that time. She currently is a Physician Assistant for Dr. Patrick Sillix and is a member of both the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants.

Sandy is married to Bill and enjoys bicycling, hiking, and cross country skiing. She also teaches weaving classes and is active in the Mesa Fiber Arts Guild and the San Juan Weaver Guild.

Erica Herrera, PA-C

Erica is a licensed and certified Physician Assistant in the state of Colorado. She received her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona. Erica plays an active role in the care of the orthopedic patient consisting of physical examination, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. She also assists with surgery in the operating room. Erica is a strong advocate of teamwork and collaborates with other health care providers and specialists to provide optimal patient care. She plays an integral role in patient education including pre-operative and post-operative instructions, home exercise programs, and injury prevention. Erica’s hobbies include skiing, mountain biking, fishing, and spending time with family.

Elizabeth Kirtley, ATC, OPA-C

Elizabeth received her education and training from Mesa State College and graduated in May 2001. She joined the Western Orthopedics & Sports Medicine team in March 2001. With continued education and work experience she has increased her knowledge and skill level to include an additional certification as an Orthopedic Physician Assistant.
In addition she has continued to provide medical coverage for varsity athletics at Mesa State College through the clinical liaison program. In the past year we have started a new partnership with the local Glacier Ice Arena and are providing medical coverage for skating events and tournaments.

S. Diane Meyer, OPA-C

My husband, our five children, and I moved to Grand Junction from California in 1988. Our family has grown, and now includes seven grand children. I enjoy hiking, bowling, camping, and spending time with our family.

I have worked in the medical field for the past 30 years. I started here at Western Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in 1992. I am the back office manager and also a First Assistant. I enjoy every aspect of my job, but the most gratifying for me is to see patients improve physically and be able to enjoy life. We have a great group of physicians here who are all committed to providing excellent health care for all of our patients. It makes me feel good to be a part of such a professional health care team.