What is an advanced practice provider?
While everyone has heard of doctors and nurses, you might be less familiar with some other types of medical providers.
Lori Zwickel, a certified physician assistant with Kettering Health, serves in a category of caregivers known as advanced practice providers.
“Advanced practice providers are medical providers with a master’s degree,” Lori explains. “They are licensed to diagnose, treat acute illnesses, manage chronic disease and prescribe medications.”
In addition to physician assistants like Lori, the APP category includes many other types of providers. The more common ones you might encounter are advanced practice registered nurses with additional training in different specialties. Among them are
■ Nurse practitioner
■ Certified nurse practitioner
■ Certified nurse midwife
■ Clinical nurse specialist
Expertise and compassionate care
APPs occupy unique roles within the world of health care, providing and coordinating patient care in a variety of primary and specialty settings.
A physician assistant or certified nurse practitioner could be your primary care provider, or your annual OB-GYN exam might be performed by a CNP. You might choose to have a certified nurse midwife deliver your baby or find yourself being cared for in the emergency department by a PA or NP.
Advanced practice providers bring nuanced expertise and understanding to their professions. In addition to their master’s degree, APRNs have acquired specialized nursing experience.
Physician assistants also come from many backgrounds. Lori, for example, had experience as an Air Force lab technician. Becoming a PA enabled her to build on her previous experience and education.
Other advantages
Patients receiving care from an APP enjoy some advantages. Among them, APPs offer the same kind of compassionate, competent care patients expect to receive from a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathic medicine.
APPs like Lori care for patients throughout their health care journeys, providing the knowledge to guide both preventive care and treatment of medical conditions. And they don’t do it alone. They serve as part of a dedicated team of health care professionals that includes physicians.
“If I ever need a second opinion, there are plenty of physicians here to help,” says Lori. “If it is a complicated case, I always have a physician to collaborate with.”
Another advantage: Often, patients can schedule appointments sooner with an APP than with a doctor.
“Sometimes it can take longer to get in with an MD or DO,” says Lori. “Seeing an APP might expedite needed care or tests.”
And in a fast-paced world, finding quick, compassionate care can make all the difference.