Thank you for your eloquent piece on the crisis of access to primary care here in Franklin County. I was glad that you highlighted the hard work of our providers, like CHCFC, Valley Medical Group, and CRI, Trailside Health, and outfits like Dr. Warner.
I was dismayed at the overarching implication in piece that the care provided by nurse practitioners was somehow inferior to that of physicians, or second rate. As a local NP and primary care provider, I was surprised that the Recorder is not more with the times… nurse practitioners have been delivering safe, effective advanced practice care for over 50 years in the U.S.
Several high-power studies have shown that this care is equivalent, (if not in some cases better) than that provided by a physician. In fact, some studies have shown that in many regions, patients prefer to see a nurse practitioner for their care, due to the expanded patient time and psychosocial skills.
Nurse practitioners have on average six years of academic and clinical preparation and about 87 percent of us specialize in primary care, prepared with either a master’s or doctorate. We specialize in family practice, acute care, pediatrics, neonatal, and adult health, and work both independently and collaboratively with many health disciplines. In primary care, we see the same patients as our MD colleagues, and are not relegated to treat just the common and simple.
Nurse practitioners enjoy full practice authority in 23 states, meaning we work with, not under physicians. Nurse practitioners specialize in many disciplines, but here in the Valley we must treat them as they are: Well-educated, skilled, and competent primary care providers… not second-rate physician extenders.
Nurse practitioners re not the only solution to our primary care crisis in rural America, but we are critical players, and must be valued as such. I would be happy to provide references for the above data as needed. https://storage.aanp.org/www/documents/Infographic.pdf
Benjamin Woodard, MSN, NP-C, FAWM
Greenfield