Jade Ciancanelli feels like a member of the district family since becoming the permanent physician assistant at the Open Door Family Medical Center's School-Based Health Center (SBHC) earlier this year.

“Everyone here is like a close family,” said Ciancanelli, who previously assisted at times in the district’s SBHC.

Ciancanelli initially wanted to be pediatrician before beginning to hear about the role of a physician assistant, a licensed medical professional who provides direct patient care.

“I previously worked in the emergency room as a scribe and also an emergency room technician, and I worked alongside physician assistants and had seen how they contribute to patient care and are part of the collaborative team under a doctor.

“We’re able to see patients and take a medical history on a patient. We’re able to order lab work, tests and imaging studies. We’re able to interpret those studies, and from that, we’re able to prescribe medication

At Webutuck, the health center offers students physicals, sports physicals, vaccinations and can assist students with illnesses, including prescribing medicine to treat the illness. About 65 percent of the district students are enrolled to be treated at the health center.

“We’re working on increasing the enrollment numbers,” she said. “I believe the number will go up especially with more parents and their children who are enrolled here and they talk to other families who may not know about us or are not enrolled.”

The Beacon High School graduate earned an associate’s degree in biology from Dutchess Community College and a bachelor’s degree in bioscience at Farmingdale State before receiving her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Marist College.

Ciancanelli and her husband, Richard, are the parents of three young children – Jack, Lillian and Charlotte. They enjoy the outdoors and going to the park.