91´ÎÔª

Chair and Program Director

Email: marci.contreras@mso.umt.edu

Dr. Contreras is the founding Program Director for UM’s Physician Associate (PA) Program. Originally from Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) PA Program and later returned as faculty in 2014.  Dr. Contreras has been in PA education for over a decade and has been a sought-after public speaker throughout her career.  Her area of expertise is in Neurology, Behavioral Medicine, and Preventive Medicine.  She received her Doctor of Education in Health Professions degree (Ed.D.) in May 2022 from A.T. Still University (ATSU).

Dr. Contreras was awarded UT Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2018 by the UT Academy of Master Teachers (AMT). She was the recipient of the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) Outstanding PA Educator of the Year Award in 2019.  In 2023, she received the honor of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Dr. Contreras is a fellow member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), and the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants (MTAPA). She maintains her lifetime membership with Pi Alpha Honor Society, Alpha Eta Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society.

Dr. Contreras has a special interest in the social determinants of health, human anti-trafficking, mindfulness in medicine, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is the proud mom to twin daughters.  In her spare time, Dr. Contreras enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her dogs.

Medical Director

Email: jeffrey.adams@umontana.edu

Dr. Jeff Adams is the Medical Director for the 91´ÎÔª Physician Associate Studies Program. He is a Family Physician with over 20 years of experience at the 91´ÎÔª’s Curry Health Center, where he currently serves as Medical Director. He is passionate about helping students feel their best so they can do their best—physically, mentally, and academically. He believes that when students feel confident and empowered in their health, they are more capable of leading adventurous and successful lives.  Dr. Adams supports patients in recovering quickly from acute illnesses, managing chronic conditions, and developing lifelong habits that support wellness and resilience. He enjoys working collaboratively with patients to create care plans that are driven by their own goals and priorities.

A fourth-generation Montanan, Dr. Adams earned his BS in Biology with honors from Stanford University and completed medical school at Stanford University School of Medicine. He went on to complete a Family Medicine residency at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Dr. Adams has taught medical students, medical residents, and pharmacy doctoral students throughout his career.  He is excited to train the next generation of PA students to provide compassionate, evidence-based medical care, especially in underserved areas of Montana.  He also wants to help students understand the technology that can assist in both decision-making and completing required medical documentation.

Outside of work, Dr. Adams enjoys hiking, wildlife viewing, gardening, and exploring Montana’s rich history. He is married and has two children, and he spends as much of his free time as possible outdoors.

Director of Clinical Education and Associate Professor

Email: thomas1.bryant@umontana.edu

Col. (Ret.) Thomas A. Bryant, MPAS, PA-C, is the Director of Clinical Education and primary student advisor for the 91´ÎÔª’s Physician Associate program.  Mr. Bryant is originally from Summersville, WV, and entered the US Army immediately after high school in 1985.    During his time in service, he spent several years with special operations when he was first exposed to medicine.  Later he graduated Summa Cum Laude from the military’s Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) in 1996.  Afterwards, Mr. Bryant continued his military career, where his scope of practice included all aspects of leadership, family practice, and military medicine.  As his career progressed, he ultimately became a key senior leader in the military healthcare community and worked on the General’s Staff.   Mr. Bryant is a combat veteran of the Afghanistan campaign, and after 38 years of military service, he retired from Joint Base Lewis/McChord, Washington, in April of 2023.

Upon his retirement and making Montana his new home, Mr. Bryant became the first PA faculty member at the 91´ÎÔª, laying the foundation for the first PA program in the Montana university system.  As the program continued to develop, his position changed into the Director of Clinical Education and the primary representative with all regional healthcare facility executive leaders and clinicians, ensuring that all future PA program students have a challenging and rewarding educational experience.

Mr. Bryant is a member of the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants, the Society of Army Physician Assistants (SAPA), a proud father of 3 adult children, and a grandfather of 2.   His interests include the outdoors, traveling, music, and learning about other languages and cultures.  His professional passion is promoting a higher level of professionalism within the PA community and supporting pathways to leadership opportunities for PAs in the healthcare organizations.

Assistant Professor

Email: elizabeth.ansley@umontana.edu 

Elizabeth Ansley, MS, MPAS, PA-C, is an Assistant Professor in the Physician Associate Program.  She has earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from Montana State University. Ms. Ansley graduated from the Idaho State University Physician Assistant Program in 2010. 

Ms. Ansley has worked in various clinical specialties, including sleep medicine, internal medicine, and dermatology. She spent 11 years in dermatology, with particular interest in skin cancer prevention and the management of acne/rosacea and atopic dermatitis. She is working on a Doctor of Medical Science degree with a focus in education through The College of Idaho.

Elizabeth is passionate about the education of future Physician Associates and proud to be a founding faculty member of the 91´ÎÔª Physician Associate Program. She has interests in curriculum development, accreditation standards, and technology in education.  She is also a member of the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants (MTAPA), the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA), and the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA). Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family and three dogs in her free time. She loves being outdoors, hiking, fishing, and skiing.

Assistant Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor

Email: andy.ashford@umontana.edu

Andrew (Andy) Ashford, MCHS, PA-C, is an Assistant Professor and the Assistant Director of Clinical Education at the 91´ÎÔª Physician Associate Program.  He graduated from the University of Washington’s MEDEX Northwest PA program in 2014, earning his Master of Clinical Health Services (MCHS) degree. He has been in clinical practice in Cardiology since then. Additionally, he is a doctoral student at the 91´ÎÔª’s School of Education, pursuing his Doctor of Education degree.

Andy retired from the US Army in 2023 after serving over twenty years in the Active and National Guard components. Andy was a Special Forces Medical Sergeant (Green Beret,18D) and Special Operations PA for the entirety of his career, and he deployed multiple times throughout the world in support of combat and contingency operations.

Andy is an Associate of the American College of Cardiology (AACC), Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM), and holds a Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM). In addition to his teaching and clinical practice, Andy is an active member of the Missoula/Ravalli County Sheriff’s tactical team and provides medical support and training to the Law Enforcement community throughout the state.

Andy and his wife, Brandi, have one son and live in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley, where they enjoy the company of their horses and dogs. Andy can often be found in the forests and mountains of Montana elk hunting, climbing, and skiing in his spare time.

Assistant Adjunct Professor

Email: marshall.healy@umontana.edu

Marshall Healy, PA-C, FAWM, DiMM, is an assistant faculty member for the 91´ÎÔª PA program. He graduated from the Interservice Physician Assistant Program in 2010, joining Pi Alpha, the PA honor Society. He then practiced in the Army for 10 years, focusing mostly on austere medicine and PM&R / Sports medicine, providing US exams, and US-guided injections such as PRP and Prolo. Since leaving the service, he earned a second degree in Clinical Informatics and advises the program on clinical software and technology.

Inside wilderness medicine, he has been an active Member of the Wilderness Medical Society since 2014 and has completed his Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine (FAWM), as well as his Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) from WMS/ICAR. While in the service, he worked to develop whole blood use far forward and in remote locations to facilitate life stabilization for removal to higher care. He is an avid supporter of wilderness-trained and prepared providers and whole blood products to the point of injury.

While in service, he supported TBI research as a patient coordinator and helped develop a whole health program to help sustain longevity. He’s assisted on related papers, published himself on Airborne-related injuries, and for the last two editions, written the Altitude Medicine section of the American College of Sports Medicine, Exercise Prescription textbook. He enjoys helping others find novel ways to approach research problems they are interested in and using his informatics education to help advise on data access and management. Marshall and his family are avid readers, enjoy truck camping, spending time fishing and floating the Clark Fork River, and exploring the hiking trails around Montana.

Assistant Professor

Email: 

Brittany Robertson, MMSc, PA-C, is an Assistant Professor in the Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS) program at the 91´ÎÔª College of Health. She has a clinical background in trauma, acute care surgery, and orthopedics. Originally from the Midwest, Brittany attended grade school in the greater Atlanta area before earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida. She then pursued her Master of Medical Science degree at the Yale University Physician Associate Program, graduating in 2013.

Brittany began her career at a level I trauma center in Portland, OR, where she honed her skills in trauma and acute care surgery. Her passion for the field led her to work in orthopedic surgery for several years before returning to trauma care at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, MT, where she worked for six years before joining the inaugural MPAS program.

When she's not teaching the next generation of healthcare providers, Brittany cherishes spending time with her family, including her husband, two young sons, and their beloved griffon. An avid outdoor enthusiast, she loves hiking, skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, and rafting in the beautiful Missoula area, which she's grateful to call home. She also enjoys painting and listening to endless hours of audiobooks. Gardening makes the list of hobbies, but she has yet to earn a green thumb!

Program Coordinator

Email: charlotte.dunn@umontana.edu

Charlotte Dunn is the Program Coordinator for the 91´ÎÔª’s Physician Associate program. She spent her childhood in Columbia Falls, Northwest Montana, and attended the 91´ÎÔª in Missoula after graduating from high school. Following a career break during which she raised her family, Ms. Dunn worked as a high school educator in Southwest Washington for over 10 years, focusing on supporting academically at-risk youth.

While in Washington, she actively participated in legislation aimed at changing teacher credentialing. This included advocating for an expedited alternative pathway for instructional paraeducators with college experience to become certified teachers. This successful initiative addressed the shortage of qualified teachers in Washington State and has since been adopted by several other states.

In 2024, Ms. Dunn returned to Montana. She became the first administrative professional for the Physician Associate Studies program at the 91´ÎÔª, playing a crucial role in establishing the first PA program within the Montana university system.

Ms. Dunn is a member of the National Education Association (NEA), the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants (MTAPA), and the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP). She and her husband are proud parents of five adult children and one granddaughter. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, landscape painting, attending live music concerts, and cheering for her beloved Griz Football team. Her professional passion lies in promoting student mental health and wellness, as well as ensuring students have access to advanced educational opportunities and free mental healthcare.