PA Department Faculty and Staff

Renee Levy, MMS, PA-C

Professor Levy is the Interim Program Director. She has previously held the position as Assistant Program Director and Academic Director. Professor Levy-LeBeau joined Keiser University Physician Assistant Program in December 2014 as Principle faculty. In September 2015 she was appointed to Academic Director. In October 2017 she was appointed to Assistant Program Director. Raised in Davie, FL she attended Nova Southeastern University for her undergraduate work as well as Physician Assistant training. She has a Master’s Degree in Medical Science. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate of Health Science. She is a National Health Service Corp Scholar. She has practiced primarily in Correctional Medicine for six years with the Michigan Department of Correction. In addition, she has experience working in a Ryan White title III program at which time she held certification as a HIV Specialist with the American Academy of HIV Medicine. She has experience in Infectious Disease, Pediatrics and Pain Management.

Dr. Manuel Porth, MD

Dr. Porth graduated from Cass Tech in Michigan and received a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Wayne State University. Dr. Porth’s post graduate training was in Microbiology and Virology at the University of Illinois. After receiving a Medical Degree from Wayne Medical School in Detroit, Michigan Porth trained three years in General Surgery at the University of Chicago until he joined the US Army. Dr. Porth did his Orthopedic Residency at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington DC and served as the Chief of Orthopedics at Martin Army Hospital Fort Benning, Georgia. While serving in the United States Army, Dr. Porth received vast experience treating traumatic orthopedic injuries as well as extensive surgical experience in total joint reconstruction. After eight years in the Military Porth retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and moved to Broward County where he began practicing orthopedics in Tamarac, Florida. While focusing his orthopedic practice in the area of hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow replacement as well as orthopedic trauma he was a Clinical Associate Professor at Nova University School of Medicine and preceptor for Physician Assistant students from several different PA Programs. Dr. Porth is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon and a long-standing member of the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Dr. Porth joined Keiser University in September 2019 as the Medical Director for the PA Program. He is married with three sons.

Annette Sophin, MSMM, PA-C

Professor Sophin joined the Keiser Physician Assistant Program as Clinical Director in September 2013. She previously served as Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator at Nova Southeastern University PA Program from 1995-2000. She completed a Surgical Fellowship from Montefiore PA Surgical Training Program. Professor Sophin has several years of clinical experience in New York and in Florida. Through her work as a Clinical Specialist, she developed important relationships in the local medical community. She is deeply committed to clinical site development and the education of PA students.

Rebecca Mclaughlin, MMS, PA-C

Ms. Rebecca McLaughlin received her Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Program. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from Florida State University. Prior to becoming a Physician Assistant, she spent five years in higher education, serving as faculty at the University of Florida and Valdosta State University in each school’s respective English Language Program. As a licensed Physician Assistant, she has worked mainly in Critical Care medicine and in Primary Care, where she strives to provide compassionate, evidenced-based medicine to deliver optimal patient outcomes. Professor McLaughlin was honored to join the Keiser University Physician Assistant Program as a Principal Faculty member. She has since transitioned into the role Clinical Coordinator, where her primary responsibilities consist of arranging and placing Clinical Year students in their Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences, evaluating Objective Structured Clinical Examinations and maintaining productive relationships between the Keiser University Physician Assistant Program and our local physicians and healthcare systems. One of her professional goals is to provide students high-quality Clinical Sites with Preceptors who are deeply invested in the education of future Physician Assistants. She is also deeply committed to meeting and exceeding standards enacted by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.

Dr. Karen Scotti, DC, MBA

Dr. Karen Scotti is a Chiropractor for more than 30 years and a graduate of New York Chiropractic College. In 1993 she earned her Diplomate degree in Chiropractic Orthopedics and Sports Injuries while maintaining a private practice in New York for 18 years. In 1997, with her extensive experience in clinical services was appointed the position of Clinical Director at the University of Bridgeport, College of Chiropractic. In 2000, Dr. Scotti obtained her MBA with honors in the area of Operations and Management, with a sub-specialty in Healthcare Finance, from the University of Bridgeport. She has taught and lectured for over 25 years in the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels, both online and in the classroom. For the past 2 years Dr. Scotti lectures as a didactic faculty in the PA Department at Keiser University. An extremely passionate woman who has dedicated her career to the continued improvement in herself, her career and the numerous students that she has interfaced with over the years.

Nieves Garcia

Ms. Garcia attended Florida International University. Before coming to Keiser University, PA Program, Ms. Garcia worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration at the US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela for 24 years. She brings to the Keiser family an extensive administrative and fiscal experience received in over sixteen countries where she traveled as part of the Caracas Country Office, Eight International Drug Enforcement Conferences (IDEC) throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and Four Traveling White House Presidential trips. Ms. Garcia is an avid reader and contributes to her community with volunteer service.

Nikki Sawyer, MAHR

Ms. Sawyer holds a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management from Webster University and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Dramatic Arts from South Carolina State University. She has been a part of the Keiser University family since 2008. She began with the university as an Admissions Counselor for the graduate division assisting prospective students interested in applying for various programs. In 2009, she also began working with the Physician Assistant (PA) program and helped develop the initial admissions process and procedures. Ms. Sawyer later moved into the role of working exclusively with the PA program as a Senior Admissions Counselor in 2014 before assuming her current position as the PA program’s Admissions and Administration Manager in 2015.