MICHAEL CONNER, APA-C

MICHAEL CONNER, APA-C

Chief Research Officer

Mike has served in the Army as a platoon leader, company commander, and staff officer. After transitioning careers he earned his master’s in physician assistant studies, Conner served as a primary care manager for a U.S. Army Cavalry Squadron. He oversaw the training of all assigned EMTs and trained basic lifesaving tasks for non-medical personnel and was deployed to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, as the squadron physician assistant in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

After returning to the U.S., Conner served as a lecturer and clinical preceptor for the Interservice Physician Assistant Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center at Fort Hood, where he was responsible for the education, mentorship and supervision of physician assistant students.

Conner spent a year as a neurosurgery physician assistant and then earned his U.S. Army Flight Surgeon qualification, which allowed him to become an aeromedical physician assistant. In that position, he served as the primary care manager for an empanelment of over 300 pilots and aviation support personnel. He was responsible for their health, preventative medicine, and deployment readiness, while also serving as a special staff officer to the commander and staff on all medical issues.

Continuing to move up in the U.S. military, Conner became the chief of clinical operations for the 2nd Infantry Division before retiring as a brigade senior physician assistant. He was responsible for the care of over 11,000 military personnel and was the primary care manager for 250 special staff. Conner now works as an independent medical consultant at Medical Equation inc. for litigation and workers’ compensation cases and completed the DWC’s Designated Doctor training in 2018.

While in the military, Conner earned the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, a Senior Parachutist Badge, a Combat Infantry Badge, an Expert Infantry Badge and a Flight Surgeon Badge. He also wrote an entry in the “Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present” titled “Bioterrorism.”

Mike’s passion is to be a catalyst for meaningful change in the first responder community through education and research.  He is a member of the American College of Cardiology, and the National Fire Protection Association.