Who Are APPs?

Have you ever called to schedule a medical appointment and been asked if you’d like to be seen by a doctor or an APP? Check out this article to learn more about these professionals and the important role they play in providing effective, timely healthcare.

Advanced Practice Professionals – also known as APPs – are a type of healthcare provider who work in hospitals, primary care and specialty practices, urgent care offices, and more. The four types of APPs you may meet at Bronson are:

• Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM)
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
• Nurse Practitioners (NP)
• Physician Assistants (PA)

What Care Can APPs Provide?

APPs are an important part of the healthcare system and share a commitment to positive health outcomes. Depending on the specific degree and specialty, APPs have at least 6-8 years of education. They also hold board certifications and are licensed by the state they provide care in. Like other healthcare providers, APPs must keep up with continuing education requirements, and regularly undergo a re-certification process. As part of your medical team, they ensure continuity of care and individualized treatment. They do not hold medical degrees, however, they can provide much of the same care as doctors. In general, APPs:

• Take patient histories.
• Conduct physical exams.
• Take pre-operative histories and conduct post-operative exams.
• Order, perform and interpret tests, like labs and/or x-rays.
• Deliver babies and perform women’s health exams.
• Help patients manage chronic conditions, like diabetes or heart disease.
• Make referrals to specialists or other services.
• Administer anesthesia, act as first assistants during surgery, and perform bedside procedures.

More specifically:

• Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) specialize in reproductive health and childbirth. At Bronson, you may see a CNM at our Obstetrics & Gynecology offices or at the Bronson Birthplace.
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) have extensive training in anesthesiology. Prior to going back to school to become a CRNA, they worked as a registered nurse. At Bronson, you will find CRNAs working in the hospitals – typically in the operating room (OR), or on the labor & delivery (L&D) or emergency departments (ED).
• Nurse Practitioners (NP) can work in nearly every area of a healthcare system. This can include providing preventative care in a primary care office, specialty care at an orthopedic or neurology office, or acute care in the inpatient hospital setting.
• Physician Assistants (PA) can conduct physical exams, write prescriptions, assist in surgery, order and interpret tests, and more. Like NPs, you will find PAs working in Bronson’s primary care and specialty care offices, as well as in acute care roles throughout the hospital.

Certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants can also prescribe medications.

An Important Part of Your Healthcare Team

Nearly 540 APPs work at Bronson! Some interesting facts about APPs include:

• APPs often have high patient satisfaction scores. Based on verified patient feedback, Bronson APPs have an average star rating of 4.78/5.
• Many people are choosing to pursue APP healthcare careers. It can often be quicker to get an appointment with an APP than a physician.

Whether for primary or specialty care, many of Bronson’s APPs are accepting new patients! Find one today at bronsonhealth.com/find-a-doc.