Meet the Faculty

Crystal Douglas has been the Medical Assistant Program Coordinator at the State College campus since the program’s launch at South Hills School of Business & Technology in 2009. She is a Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA), and a Surgical Technologist with over 15 years experience in the allied healthcare field.

Crystal graduated from Mount Aloysius College and has worked for primary care physicians and several specialties including Endocrinology, Surgery, and Behavioral Health. Crystal brings her expertise and experiences from the healthcare community to her classroom, motivating and challenging while educating her South Hills MA students.

Pam Meister has taught at South Hills for 18 years. Pam is an instructor of anatomy and physiology and other health-related classes. She is a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania with a BSN in Nursing. Pam has practiced throughout the U.S. in the areas of Medical-Surgical, Psychiatric, and OR Nursing. She is a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International which promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education. She is also a member of the Anatomy & Physiology Society, Inc., which is dedicated to promoting excellence in the teaching of human anatomy and physiology.

Brenda previously served at Centre Community Hospital [Mount Nittany Medical Center] for 12 years as a transcriptionist, coder, and later as a supervisor for the coding and transcription departments.

Brenda’s accreditations include:
• Certified Professional Coder (CPC), AAPC July 2013
• Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer, AHIMA September 2009
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), AHIMA September 1998
• Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), AHIMA November 1991

She holds the following professional memberships:
• AHIMA—American Health Information Management Association
• PHIMA— Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association
• CPHIMA—Central Pennsylvania Health Information Management Association
• AAPC—American Academy of Professional Coders

Suzanne Feathers is the Medical Assistant Program Coordinator for Altoona South Hills campus. Suzanne specializes in allied health education for Medical Assistant, Administrative Medical Assistant, and Health Information Technology students. Before joining the South Hills family, Suzanne was an educator at Computer Learning Network and Cambria-Rowe Business College, where she spent over twelve years as an Allied Health Instructor, Program Coordinator and Program Director.

Suzanne holds AHIMA certifications in Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) and as an AHIMA ICD10CM/PCS Coding Trainer. She has been a Certified Medical Assistant since 1995, becoming an LPN in 2012. Suzanne holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration with a minor in Education.

Her professional experience includes employment in skilled nursing facilities, physicians’ offices (including Family Practice and several specialists) working in the capacity of Office Manager, Insurance Billing and Coding Specialist, Medical Assistant, and LPN. She also served several years as a phlebotomist for American Red Cross.

Mary Prorok is the Administrative Medical Assistant advisor for South Hills Altoona campus. Mary specializes in allied health education for Medical Assistant s, Administrative Medical Assistants, and Health Information Technology students. Mary earned her RN Associate’s degree from Mount Aloysius College and continued her education from Saint Francis College and Indiana University of Pennsylvania earning a Bachelor's and Master's degree in nursing.

Her nursing experience includes staff nursing on a medical-surgical unit, mental health instructor in a hospital school of nursing, and adjunct faculty at Mount Aloysius College. She is also currently an instructor of CPR and First Aid classes through the American Heart Association.

Mary has interest and experience in complementary medicine and that adds a holistic approach to the student and to the classroom.

Holly Ipock earned a degree in Medical Assisting in 1992 and went on to earn her bachelor's degree in School Health Education K-12 in 2009 from East Carolina University. She taught in the Health and Human Performance department at ECU while working on and receiving her master's degree in Health Education. She is currently working on obtaining a doctorate in Educational Leadership through Cappella University.

In 1999, she moved from Liverpool, PA to North Carolina where she worked in OB/Gyn for many years and trained to be a doula to assist in delivering babies. When she returned to Pennsylvania in 2016, she joined the wonderful faculty of South Hills where she teaches allied health courses to students of the Medical Assistant program.

Cindy McCracken came to South Hills in 2015 with 18 years of previous teaching experience in the administrative and clinical medical assistant fields. She has a BSN degree from Goshen College in Indiana and an Education Specialist Certification from PSU. She has experience as a school nurse, a pediatric office nurse, and a coder for a general surgeon.

Her home is in Huntingdon where she lives with her husband, John. They have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. Besides teaching and family life, backpacking through Israel, Switzerland, Germany, and France; living in Arizona, Bermuda, and Massachusetts; and spending 3 months in an internship on the island of Guadeloupe have given her many unusual experiences.