What Is An Advanced Practice Provider?
Simply put, an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) is a healthcare provider who is not a physician but who performs medical activities typically performed by a physician. The specific titles or most common names you may hear the most are nurse practitioner or physician assistant. In either case, their roles in providing quality and compassionate care to patients are often an important part of a patient’s outcome.
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or Nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse (RN) who is prepared, through advanced education and clinical training, to provide a wide range of preventive and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a master’s or doctoral degree.
NPs take health histories and provide complete physical examinations; diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic problems; interpret laboratory results and imaging studies; prescribe and manage medications and other therapies; provide health teaching and supportive counseling with an emphasis on prevention of illness and health maintenance; and refer patients to other health professionals as needed. An NP’s practice may also include education, research, and administrative services.
Physician Assistant (PA)
Physician assistants (PA) are health care professionals licensed, or in the case of those employed by the federal government they are credentialed, to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions.
Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PA’s practice may also include education, research, and administrative services.
Dr. Arpeet Shah is the Director of the APP Program at Associated Urological Specialists. He notes the importance of the Advanced Practice Providers on a daily basis. “As we celebrate National Advanced Practice Providers Week, I want to take a moment to recognize and honor the critical role you all play within our practice at Associated Urological Specialists. “They are not only a key to delivering high-quality, compassionate care to our patients but are also instrumental in improving clinical efficiency and enhancing the patient experience. Their dedication, expertise, and teamwork make our practice thrive, and we are deeply grateful to have them as integral members of our team.”
“What fills me with the most pride,” he adds, “is the positive and collaborative culture we’ve built together—a culture that supports, encourages, and empowers each other to succeed.”
Associated Urological Specialists (AUS) is a unified group of Urologists and related specialists committed to providing comprehensive urological care to patients and their families around southwest Chicago and northwest Indiana. AUS has placed a tremendous emphasis on bringing together a highly dedicated and skilled set of Board-Certified professionals, equipped with the latest state of the art tools and techniques, to deliver a full range of urological care. Their entire team of physicians and staff are fully dedicated to providing state-of-the-art, compassionate and convenient urological care throughout Chicagoland and beyond.