Deborah Dunn, PA-C, MBA

The LBGT PA Caucus is honored to recognize Deborah Dunn, PA-C, as our inaugural PA of the Year. In doing so, we celebrate a lifetime of dedication, courage, and innovation in service to LGBTQIA+ communities- our trans communities and people living with or at risk for HIV.

With 43 years of clinical experience—including 19 years in emergency medicine during the height of the AIDS epidemic—she has consistently shown up for her patients and community with courage, clarity, and care. Her work in transgender health, combined with tireless advocacy at the policy level, has expanded access, advanced equity, and transformed the standard of care for countless individuals.

Deborah served as the TransHealth Coordinator at Chase Brexton Health Care’s Center for LGBTQ Health Equity, where she helped establish best practices in medical transgender care and led the development of comprehensive, affirming services for gender-diverse patients.

Co-authored Gender: JOY (Journeys of Youth)—a multidisciplinary program supporting trans youth and their families. Her leadership shaped care delivery models still referenced today( don’t know much about this)

Deborah’s impact has extended far beyond the clinic. She has been a critical force in policy change, helping pass legislation that allows minors to access PrEP without parental consent—an essential step in HIV prevention. She is widely recognized as one of Maryland’s top PrEP prescribers and spent 15 years at Chase Brexton, a Ryan White–funded community health center, where she championed community-based HIV care.

As an educator, Deborah has taught PA, NP, and medical students across the country, training future providers in culturally competent care for LGBTQIA+ populations.

Deborah also brings strategic and operational expertise to her work, holding an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Currently, Deborah serves as a Commissioner on the Maryland LGBTQ Commission, a Board Member of the Maryland Board of Physicians, a general member of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), and a previous AAPA DEI committee member as a liason between the Caucus and AAPA. 

Her presence in these leadership spaces ensures that LGBTQIA+ and HIV-affected communities remain part of healthcare policy conversations at the highest levels.

She is a mentor to many, a policy-shaper, a care innovator, and a champion for our most vulnerable. Her legacy is not only in what she has done, but in the doors she has opened for others to follow.