Lights, Camera, Learning: 
JoAnn Willette Shines in Hollywood and PCOM Georgia’s Simulation Center

November 13, 2025

What might an accomplished actor and casting director be doing in a healthcare simulation lab? Quite a lot, actually.

Meet JoAnn Willette — now starring as the Manager of Clinical Simulation at PCOM Georgia. 
Born to play multiple roles, Willette oversees simulation operations across both Suwanee and Moultrie campuses, orchestrating simulation exercises with standardized patients (SPs), to bring hands-on medical training to new heights.

In addition to Willette's work at PCOM Georgia, she is also an esteemed actor and director, with a career spanning a spectrum of roles, including appearances in the second installment of “Nightmare on Elm Street” to the spinoff series of “Growing Pains,” known as “Just the Ten of Us,” which earned her a nomination for “Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special.” Other notable guest appearances include cameos on “ER”, “Sweet Magnolias” and “The Walking Dead.” As a theatre and film graduate of UCLA, Willette is proud to have spent many years balancing her on-screen pursuits with motherhood and a career in medical education.

With her knack for storytelling and performance, Willette brought this mix of acting and directing expertise to PCOM Georgia's SP program in 2020, and has been channeling her creative energy ever since.

As a former SP herself, Willette's keen understanding of character development has helped turn patient scenarios into compelling, emotionally resonant experiences that prepare students for the human side of health care.

“Being a standardized patient is a fantastic side gig for actors,” she explains. “You get a script, you study the case, embody the role and get paid.”

Through these simulated encounters with actors playing patients, Willette has seen students strengthen their soft skills alongside their clinical skills.

“It's about making students feel safe to learn, to try, and sometimes to stumble — so they can become the best clinicians they can be.”

Willette's dedication extends beyond the Simulation Center with her mentoring junior and senior high-schoolers at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (GSMST). She oversees their student projects in the Simulation Center involving 3D printing femur bones and most recently, a smaller IV pad to use on the high-fidelity mannequins.

Willette's commitment to community engagement recently earned her the Employee Campus and Community Partnership Award — an honor given to individuals who foster cross-collaborations within the school and the wider community.

As for her next gig, she is currently creating instructional videos on professionalism and behavioral expectations for students during their rotations.

“We want our students to lead with kindness and compassion. You can really get much further with your patients if they trust you,” offered Willette.

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