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Joanne Rolls
( out of 115 reviews )

Joanne Rolls, MEHP, MPAS, PA-C

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Location

Sugar House Health Center

1280 E. Stringham Avenue
Salt Lake City , UT 84106

Joanne Rolls, MPAS, MEHP, PA-C, is a Certified Physician Assistant and a Professor (Clinical) at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Physician Assistant Education and Sciences (PAES). She is a Family Medicine PA who serves University of Utah students and patients as a PA Educator and Family Medicine PA.

Ms. Rolls has been with the University of Utah PA program since 2012. She is the Vice-Char of Education for the PAES Division and Director of Didactic Education for the PA Program. She is highly involved with teaching first-year PA students, primarily history taking and physical exam skills. She is an active faculty advisor and also precepts second-year PA students during their Family Medicine clinical rotations. She has authored book chapters in the 2016 edition of Procedures for the Primary Care Provider (Edmunds), and the 2021 Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers (Springer Publishing). She has published in the Journal of Physician Assistant Education, Academic Medicine, BMC Medical Education, and JAAPA, and is a peer-reviewer for the Journal of Nurse Practitioners, Transgender Health, BMC Medical Education, MedEd Portal, JPAE, and LGBT Health. She has a background in emergency medicine, pre-hospital care, education, and wilderness medicine. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and the University of Utah Academy of Health Science Educators. She lectures regionally and nationally on wilderness medicine topics as well as LGBTQ+ healthcare issues. At a national level, Ms. Rolls serves the Physician Assistant Education Association as a facilitator for faculty skills development and as the Chair of the Cultural Humility in Assessment Exam Development Board.

As a didactic educator, Ms. Rolls has a special interest in teaching reproductive and sexual health, quality improvement principles, laboratory medicine, excellent history taking, and physical exam skills. Her academic interests include promoting adult learning principles in graduate medical education and addressing diversity in healthcare and healthcare education. To advance her skills, she completed a Master's of Education for Health Professionals at Johns Hopkins University, in 2019.

Ms. Rolls grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and was a competitive rower at Boston University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts. She spent many years in Colorado working in pre-hospital care and volunteering with a mountain search and rescue team prior to moving to Salt Lake City to pursue her PA training at the University of Utah PA program.

She is currently not taking new patients

Specialties

Board Certification

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants

Patient Rating

5.0 /5
( out of 115 reviews )

The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.

The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

Patient Comments

Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

See comment above Joanne Rolls is the best PCP I've ever had. And I've lived in 5 states!

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

Extremely caring and competent provider - I highly recommend PA Rolls as a primary care provider

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

I have been a patient of Joanne's for years. She listens to understand, asks questions, creates a dialogue so my care is a mutual effort - I feel heard. She is kind and thoughtful in her care. Most of all I trust her and have confidence in the care she provides.

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

Joanne is a wonderful person. I always enjoy meeting with her.

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

Amazing provider who truly listens, validates, and understands your concerns. Absolutely one of a kind!

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

Jo is a phenomenal doctor. She genuinely cares and is a great listener.

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

She is the best general medicine doctor Ive ever had!

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

Joanne Rolls, PAC is an excellent Primary Care Provider. She is very knowledgeable and caring.

SUGAR HOUSE HEALTH CENTER

Dr. Rolls is a joy to be with. She is always caring and gentle. I would always recommend that she take care of any needs. I personally care for her deeply.

Joanne Rolls, MPAS, MEHP, PA-C, is a Certified Physician Assistant and a Professor (Clinical) at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Physician Assistant Education and Sciences (PAES). She is a Family Medicine PA who serves University of Utah students and patients as a PA Educator and Family Medicine PA.

Ms. Rolls has been with the University of Utah PA program since 2012. She is the Vice-Char of Education for the PAES Division and Director of Didactic Education for the PA Program. She is highly involved with teaching first-year PA students, primarily history taking and physical exam skills. She is an active faculty advisor and also precepts second-year PA students during their Family Medicine clinical rotations. She has authored book chapters in the 2016 edition of Procedures for the Primary Care Provider (Edmunds), and the 2021 Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers (Springer Publishing). She has published in the Journal of Physician Assistant Education, Academic Medicine, BMC Medical Education, and JAAPA, and is a peer-reviewer for the Journal of Nurse Practitioners, Transgender Health, BMC Medical Education, MedEd Portal, JPAE, and LGBT Health. She has a background in emergency medicine, pre-hospital care, education, and wilderness medicine. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and the University of Utah Academy of Health Science Educators. She lectures regionally and nationally on wilderness medicine topics as well as LGBTQ+ healthcare issues. At a national level, Ms. Rolls serves the Physician Assistant Education Association as a facilitator for faculty skills development and as the Chair of the Cultural Humility in Assessment Exam Development Board.

As a didactic educator, Ms. Rolls has a special interest in teaching reproductive and sexual health, quality improvement principles, laboratory medicine, excellent history taking, and physical exam skills. Her academic interests include promoting adult learning principles in graduate medical education and addressing diversity in healthcare and healthcare education. To advance her skills, she completed a Master's of Education for Health Professionals at Johns Hopkins University, in 2019.

Ms. Rolls grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and was a competitive rower at Boston University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts. She spent many years in Colorado working in pre-hospital care and volunteering with a mountain search and rescue team prior to moving to Salt Lake City to pursue her PA training at the University of Utah PA program.

She is currently not taking new patients

Education history

Undergraduate English Literature/History - Boston University B.A.
Graduate Training Master's of Physician Assistant Studies - University of Utah M.P.A.S.
Graduate Training Master of Education for the Health Professional - Johns Hopkins University MEHP

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Rolls (2019). Be Human. Be Kind. Academic medicine, 94(6), 770.
  2. Rolls J, Keahey (2016). Durability of Expanded Physician Assistant Training Positions Following the End of Health Resources and Services Administration Expansion of Physician Assistant Training Funding. The journal of physician assistant education, 27(3), 101-4.
  3. Rolls J, Smith T, Keahey D, Lessard (2021). Outcomes of HRSA-funded expansion of PA training grants 2011-2016. JAAPA, 34(12), 1.
  4. Rolls J, Lessard D, Smith T, Keahey (2021). Outcomes of HRSA-Funded Expansion of Physician Assistant Training Grants 2011-2016. The journal of physician assistant education, 32(3), 143-149.
  5. Handy R, Spackman J, Moloney-Johns A, Loder R, Curran S, Valentin V, Rolls J, Schaefer (2021). Administering a Physician Assistant Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The journal of physician assistant education, 32(2), 119-122.
  6. Rolls J, Davis J, Backman R, Wood T, Honda (2020). Curricular Approaches to Transgender Health in Physician Assistant Education. Academic medicine, 95(10), 1563-1569.
  7. Rolls J, Showstark M, Jones Q, Bruessow D, Kluznik (2022). Promising Practices in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Curriculum Inclusion. The journal of physician assistant education, 33(4), 346-351.
  8. Showstark M, Bessette M, Barry CL, Najmabadi S, Rolls J, Hamilton C, Valentin VL, Quella A, Honda (2022). PA applicant U.S. citizenship status and likelihood of program matriculation. BMC medical education, 22(1), 887.
  9. Baker J, Rolls (2023). An update on expanding HIV preexposure prophylaxis. JAAPA, 36(2), 17-24.
  10. Broughton A, Landry A, Showstark M, Barry CL, Najmabadi S, Rolls J, Honda (2024). Military Veteran Matriculation in US Physician Associate/Assistant Programs. The journal of physician assistant education,
  11. Najmabadi S, Valentin V, Rolls J, Showstark M, Broughton A, Bessette M, Honda T (2024). Non-native English-speaking applicants and the likelihood of physician assistant program matriculation. Medical education online, 29(1),
  12. Jones Q, Blew K, Brown T, Rolls (2024). Masculinizing Hormone Therapy and Associated Clinical Care . Physician assistant clinics, 9(3), 389-401.
  13. Rolls J, Brown T, Blew K, Jones (2024). Feminizing Hormone Therapy and Associated Clinical Care . Physician assistant clinics, 9(3), 375-387.
  14. Najmabadi S, Valentin V, Rolls J, Showstark M, Elrod L, Barry C, Broughton A, Bessette M, Honda (2024). Non-native English-speaking applicants and the likelihood of physician assistant program matriculation. Medical education online, 29(1), 2312713.
  15. Jones Q, Batchelder H, Sanchez M, Rolls (2024). An Analysis of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Curricula Inclusion: A National Study of Physician Assistant Programs. The journal of physician assistant education,
  16. Rolls J, Showstark M, Najmabadi S, Loder R, Barry C, Honda (2025). Gender Minority Physician Assistant/Associate Applicants and Likelihood of Matriculation: A Retrospective Analysis. The journal of physician assistant education, 36(2), 113-119.
  17. Rolls J, Jones Q, Okolie L, Yole-Lobe M (2025). Using Reflection and a Systems-Based Approach to Foster Gender Inclusion. The journal of physician assistant education, 36(3), e312-e315.
  18. Rolls J, Jones Q, Okolie L, Yole-Lobe (2025). Using Reflection and a Systems-Based Approach to Foster Gender Inclusion. The journal of physician assistant education, 36(3), e312-e315.
  19. Jones QB, Batchelder HR, Little NR, Fish LJ, Wu Q, Rolls J, Luo (2025). Identifying best practices for the delivery of sexual and gender minority content: a mixed-methods approach. The journal of sexual medicine,
  20. Johnson B, Najmabadi S, Goetz P, Ure S, George S, Greenberg J, Rolls (2026). Disparities in depression screening following adoption of universal screening protocol. JAAPA,
  21. Jones QB, Batchelder HR, Rolls (2025). Changes in Transgender Health Curricula in Physician Assistant Programs Following the Implementation of Accreditation Standards in the United States. The journal of physician assistant education,

Review

  1. Baker J, Rolls (2020). Update on HIV prevention and preexposure prophylaxis. JAAPA, 33(6), 12-17.

Book Chapter

  1. Marilyn Edmunds et a (2016). Chapter 4: HEENT Procedures.
  2. Marilyn Edmunds et a (2016). Chapter 7: Gastrointestional Procedures.
  3. Jordan K, Macri T et a (2016). Gender-Specific Considerations.
  4. Diane M Bruessow and Joanne Roll (2021). Pharmacotherapy Related to Transgender Care. 453-471.

Abstract

  1. Rolls J, Naimabadi S, Barry C, Showstark M, Hamilton C, Quella A, Honda (2023). Gender minority PA applicants and matriculation likelihood. JAAPA, 36(12), 1.
  2. Gerner A, Jan S, Shah M, Snelson C, Greenberg J, Rolls (2023). Assessing the frequency of fall risk screening in older adults on chronic opioids in primary care. JAAPA, 36(12), 1.
  3. Greenberg, J. Palacio, J.* Robinson, A.* Medrano, V.* Spencer, M.* Rolls, (2025). Cancer Screening in Women Being Treated for Opioid Use Disorder . 38(8), e2.

Other

  1. Joanne Roll (2014). Inter-professional Student-Run Clinic Improves Access for Uninsured.
  2. Hobson-Rohrer W, Rolls J, Wilson (2022). Hobson-Rohrer W, Rolls J, Wilson R. How to Master Education in the Health Professions. Accelerate Learning Community. Feb 7, 2022.

Video/Film/CD/Web/Podcast

  1. Rolls, Joanne. Gunning, Kare (2018). How an Excellent Clinician Becomes an Excellent Teacher.
  2. Joanne Rolls, MPAS, PA- (2018). "Bad News:" Any information which adversely and seriously affects and individual's view of his or her future.
  3. Cobb, Nadia, et. a (2018). Clinical Prevention & Population Health Curriculum Framework: Social Determinants of Health Case Studies.
  4. Rolls J (2019). Be Human. Be Kind. .
  5. Jones, Q. Rolls, J (2024). Analyzing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in PA Education.