Faces of Cedars-Sinai Physician Assistant Laye Akinloye Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Faces of Cedars-Sinai Physician Assistant Laye Akinloye Oct 04, 2019 Agata Smieciuszewski Share Tweet Post Physician Assistant Laye Akinloye Meet Laye Akinloye! She's a physician assistant (PA) in cardiothoracic surgery and was in the first round of PAs that started at Cedars-Sinai in 1991. We chatted with her to learn more about the history of PAs at Cedars-Sinai and how she spends her workdays and free time. "Treat people like you want to be treated and treat all your patients like a loved family member." Tell me about your journey to Cedars-Sinai Laye Akinloye: In 1981, I came to Cedars-Sinai to work in phlebotomy and I went to PA school a couple years later. After I finished the program, I sent a letter to the administrators that I'd like to stay, but they didn’t hire PAs at the time. I had no choice but to leave and find another job. Five years later, I got word that Cedars-Sinai was hiring their first-ever group of PAs, and I came back to interview. 6 of us started a few months later. What was it like being part of this new group LA: When we first started, people didn't understand our role—it was all new. Over the next few decades, the program grew to support many different departments, including transplant, mechanical device support, and the ER. We currently work for 7 surgeons along with nurse practitioners—together we're known as allied health professionals. Read: Can I see a Nurse Practitioner Instead of a Doctor? What s a typical day in the life of a physician assistant LA: Our shift starts at 6:30am. We have different assignments for the day—operating room, floor duty, clinical consult, post-op. If you're in the OR, you're assisting with opening and closing the patients. If you're on the floor, then your job is to assess the patients and perform physical exams. You're also in charge of prescriptions and discharge. You interact with other staff, like infectious disease physicians or neurologists, to care for a specific patient. What drew you to being a PA LA: I really like helping people. Initially, I wanted to be a physician, but after being married and having kids, that didn't work out. So the next thing for me was being a PA—I could have my life and my kids and my husband and I could still help people. Read: What's It Like to Be a Woman in Medicine? What are you most proud of from your time here LA: I started the postgraduate program for PAs in cardiothoracic surgery and I directed that for 10 years. I also love to mentor the PAs coming through and rotating in our unit. Are you from LA originally LA: Born and raised! In the Newsroom: From Eagle Scout to Operating Room and Back Again What do you like to do outside of work LA: We love to travel a lot—I like the Caribbean, and we also do Europe or go on cruises. Our next cruise is to Alaska! I have 5 kids and 10 grandkids spread out across the country, so that keeps us pretty busy! My oldest daughter is a physician and she also directs the PA program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. What is the best advice you ve ever received LA: Treat people like you want to be treated and treat all your patients like a loved family member. Tags Faces of Cedars-Sinai Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics In Our Community Faces of Cedars-Sinai Patient Stories Los Angeles Behind the Scenes Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility