Advanced Degree Specialty Staff
Our Endocrinology practice includes specialty staff such as Nurse Practitioners (“NP’s”) and Physician Assistants (“PA’s”). NP’s complete training as a registered nurse. PA’s complete an undergraduate degree prior to entry into a Physician Assistant program. By the time they complete their education and extensive clinical training it is common for an NP or a PA to have one or more master’s degrees, and possibly a doctorate. Both must pass rigorous professional examinations and be licensed to practice by the states in which they work.
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants on our specialty staff obtain and record medical histories, diagnose and treat various conditions, order medical tests, x-rays and prescriptions, and provide preventive as well as follow-up care.
State laws regulate the scope of professional responsibilities and autonomy for both Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. In our office practice, our specialty staff work with the supervision of our physicians. For more detailed information about Nurse Practitioners, visit www.aanp.org, the website for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. For additional information about Physician Assistants, visit the website of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. There are also many other websites focusing on these healthcare professions.
High Quality Experts, High Quality Care
The training, experience and efforts of our Nurses, Medical Assistants, Nutritionists, Diabetes Educators, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, other technical and specialty staff all contribute to the ability of Endocrine Associates of Dallas to pursue our mission of providing quality patient care with a high level of expertise, optimal responsiveness and professional efficiency.
EAD Nurse Practitioners
Pamela Jones Cope, BSN, MSN, ARNP-C
Pamela Jones Cope is an Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and licensed by the state of Texas to provide patient-centered care to adult patients. She initially earned her Associates of Science Nursing degree in 1997. She later earned her Bachelors of Science Nursing degree in 2009, and then her Masters of Science Nursing degree in 2013 from the University of Central Florida.
Pamela places a unique emphasis on the health and well-being of the whole person. With a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling, she is able to guide patients in making smarter health and lifestyle choices to promote better patient outcomes. Her goal is to assist her patients in becoming motivated to make better decisions about their health and attain their personal health goals. She was voted Top Performer in patient satisfaction in 2016.
Prior to joining Endocrine Associates of Dallas in 2014, she had 17 years of clinical and nursing management experience in Florida.
In her free time, Pamela enjoys exercising, photography and spending time with her family.
Karla McHughes, RN, MS, NP-C
Karla McHughes, RN, MS, FNP-C has been a part of Endocrine Associates of Dallas in the Plano office since 2012. She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Woman’s University in 2009 and a Master of Science degree in the specialty of Family Nurse Practitioner from Texas Woman’s University in 2011. Karla has co-authored written work for the Journal of Pediatric Care and has brought her skills to the fields of Family Practice, Cardiology, Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. She is licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing. She is certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and has additional certifications from other specialty nursing and medical organizations.
She began her journey into the field of Endocrinology when she was diagnosed with a thyroid autoimmune disorder in 1996. Her passion is to empower patients to improve their quality of life through education and lifestyle management. Her areas of interest include weight management, cardiovascular risk reduction and thyroid disorders. In addition to patient care, she also participates in educating other healthcare providers about Diabetes, Obesity and Hypoparathyroidism.
Karla enjoys spending time with her husband, four children and 3 dogs. She has been a member of First Baptist Church of McKinney since 1992. She enjoys traveling, going to the movies, shopping, various forms of exercise and playing board games.
Sarah Ott, FNP-C
Sarah Ott is a Family Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner, board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and licensed by the state of Texas. She completed her Bachelors of Science degree in nursing at Indiana Wesleyan University in 2001. After a missions trip to Haiti in 2000, Sarah knew that she wanted to further her training so that she could provide the next level of patient care as a Nurse Practitioner. She was awarded a Masters of Nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2008.
She utilizes Betty Neuman’s treatment model with the goal to treat the whole person. In particular, she enjoys caring for patients with Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), Thyroid dysfunction and Obesity. She enjoys empowering patients so they can see how to remove barriers and experience success in overcoming and controlling their medical conditions.
Sarah relocated to Dallas in 2014 from Indiana with her husband, Brad and two sons (Malachi and Isaac). Has a labradoodle, Sadie JoJo. In her spare time, she enjoys running, her church family and participating in Metro relief. With a heart full of compassion to serve others she continues to enjoy her experiences with medical mission groups.
EAD Physician Assistants
Amanda Hart, PA-C
Amanda Hart is a Physician’s Assistant, board certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and licensed by the state of Texas. She is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania in 2012 with a degree in Biology. She went on to earn her master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
She previously worked in family medicine for two years at a certified rural health care clinic in Mannington, West Virginia. While working in family medicine she gained interest in endocrine disorders, and decided to specialize in Endocrinology. She joined Endocrine Associates of Dallas at the Plano office in 2017.
In her free time she volunteers with the American Boston Terrier Rescue. She also enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her husband and two Boston Terriers, Minnie and Daisy.
