Stephen Cornell, 1967-2009
Stephen Cornell, who had been on the
ADVANCE for Physician Assistants editorial staff for nearly 13 years -- and who had been our colleague and close friend -- died yesterday. Steve battled bipolar disease for as long as we knew him, and ultimately that was what took him from us.
It is no exaggeration to say that Steve's reporting on the PA profession over the years, his encyclopedic knowledge of PA history, politics, policy and personalities, and his deep passion for and
belief in PAs, has had an incalculable impact on the profession. His comprehensive coverage of PAs -- evidenced by the prodigious body of work bearing his byline in our archives, his daily updates of the
ADVANCE Blog for PAs (which he founded long before "blog" became a household word) and his latest project,
ADVANCE Web videos -- stands as testament to his commitment.
Steve was looking forward to attending the annual AAPA conference in San Diego next month, where Team
ADVANCE will participate in the PA Foundation's Fun Walk/Run. While memorial arrangements are incomplete, I can think of no better way to honor Stephen Cornell's relentless promotion of and advocacy for PAs every single day than to support the PA Foundation's mission in his memory. Go to
http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=292920&lis=1&kntae292920=17ED6292F96340FBBFCD6F14E9F9BA4E, click on "Team ADVANCE" in the box on the right, and then click on Steve's name.
Steve leaves behind his wife, Jennifer, and his two sons, Christopher and Tommy. Please keep them in your thoughts.
--Michael Gerchufsky and Terri Schaefer, April 22, 2009