Kathy Kemle, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA, was a compassionate clinician, visionary educator, and tireless advocate whose work transformed how the medical community cares for aging and terminally ill patients. A nationally respected leader in geriatrics and palliative medicine, Kemle passed away unexpectedly on August 12, 2022. Her death left a profound void in the hearts of those she mentored, treated, and inspired.
Born on July 30, 1955, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Kemle’s lifelong devotion to older adults began in childhood. Living in a community where most neighbors were over the age of 50, she was, in her words, “incredibly spoiled” by elders and quickly developed a deep respect for their wisdom, resilience, and challenges. That early influence laid the foundation for a groundbreaking career focused on improving quality of life for vulnerable populations.
Kemle earned her PA certification and Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas Southwestern in 1979 and began her career in OB/GYN at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. Over the next decade, she expanded her clinical expertise into internal medicine and geriatrics, where she also served as a clerkship instructor and program coordinator. Always seeking deeper understanding, she earned a Master of Science in Clinical Gerontology from UTMB in 1993.
In 1989, Kathy Kemle moved to Georgia to join Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc., where she specialized in geriatrics and long-term care at a Federally Qualified Health Center. From there, she continued to make her mark on Georgia’s healthcare landscape as assistant director of the Division of Geriatrics at the Medical Center of Central Georgia (now Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center), where she served for over two decades. She was also Clinical Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine and held appointments at Emory University, the Medical College of Georgia, and South University.
Kemle’s contributions to education were unparalleled. She developed and led home visit and house call programs, contributed to the creation of a rural cooperative PA training model replicated nationally, and taught thousands of students across disciplines. She served as a visiting scholar in pain management at The Ohio State University. She authored and co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on dementia, end-of-life care, pharmacology in the elderly, and primary care challenges in long-term settings. In 2021, Kemle was co-editor in the first ever textbook of its kind for PAs, Palliative and Serious Illness Patient Management for Physician Assistants, Oxford University Press.
Kathy Kemle was a regular presenter at national and regional conferences where her sessions, like “Embracing the Bucket List” and “Choosing Wisely,” left lasting impressions on providers learning to integrate compassion and evidence-based care. In a 2019 Clinical Advisor video on palliative care, Kemle captured the essence of her work with a simple truth: sometimes, the most powerful thing a clinician can do is just “be present.”
Beyond the classroom and clinic, Kemle shaped healthcare policy and professional development across state and national levels. She served multiple terms as a delegate to the AAPA House of Delegates, held every major office in the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants, and was a founding member and president of the Society of Physician Assistants Caring for the Elderly. She was the first PA ever elected president of the Georgia Geriatrics Society and served as treasurer and board member of the American Academy of Home Care Physicians.
Her honors include:
- AAPA’s Paragon Award for Outstanding PA of the Year (2008)
- Georgia Association of PAs Outstanding PA (2013)
- Distinguished Fellow, AAPA (2009 & 2017)
- VistaCare Circle of Life Award (2003)
- Geriatrics Recognition Award, AGS (2001–2005)
Kemle’s peers frequently described her as brilliant, generous, collaborative, and fiercely dedicated to her patients. As David E. Mittman (a past president of the AAPA) once wrote, “It is professionals like Kathy—an AAPA Distinguished Fellow—who have laid the groundwork for the success of the PA profession.”
Her longtime collaborator and supervising physician, Dr. Richard Ackermann, offered perhaps the most personal tribute: “If and when she retires, I’m leaving with her.”
Kathy Kemle never got the chance to fully retire, because her work became a way of life—a legacy now carried on by those she trained, the organizations she led, and the lives she touched. She is survived by her husband, William R. Kemle, whom she married in 1975.
Kathy impacted so many PA careers and lives, including the author of this biography. I still have a notebook with those first few notes and pearls of wisdom Kathy passed on during those first few days of my first elective with her as a PA student. Kathy has left a lasting impression on me as she has many. While she was every bit the amazing PA educator her awards rightly celebrated, she was also an amazing person. A wife. A friend. An enthusiast of Comic Con. Early influencer of green tea Frappuccinos (I’ll never forget her order). Lunch at her favorite local Indian buffet in Macon, Georgia. Kathy taught us all the art of medicine and caring, and also the art of living. One former PA student shared that Kathy was “kindness incarnate.” There is not a day that passes that I, like many, wonder, what would Kathy do?
Acknowledgments: This biography was written by Jeff Myers. It was submitted to the Society in October 2025. All photographs are courtesy of Mr. Myers.
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