Debra Baio, PA-C, MPAS

Deb Baio, PA‑C, MPAS is a board‑certified physician assistant with 25 years of experience across multiple surgical subspecialties, including surgical and trauma critical care, gastrointestinal surgery (biliary, bariatric, and colorectal), orthopedics, and acute care/emergency general surgery. She graduated from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine PA Program in 2001 and earned her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2007.

Deb currently serves on the rapidly expanding Acute Care Surgery (ACS) service at Atrium Health University City in Charlotte. Since joining the team in 2022, she has taken on an elevated leadership role as senior APP, working closely with the surgeon program director to shape and advance the service. Under this leadership structure, University City has earned American College of Surgeons NSQIP hospital recognition in 2024 for meritorious outcomes both in high risk and all cases as well as received EGS-VP verification in April 2025, a distinction of being recognized as an ACS Surgical Quality Partner.

During her tenure, the ACS clinic has grown from a single weekly postoperative clinic to four weekly clinics that now include postoperative care, follow‑up visits, and general surgery referrals—supporting the development of an elective general surgery practice alongside the EGS service. The service is also collaborating to help expand use of robotic surgery for both emergency and elective cases, strengthening the hospital’s surgical capabilities and patient care offerings.