​​Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives.

You’ve probably received exceptional care from them at some point through the years. Many of you have selected them to be your healthcare partner of choice because of the quality of care you’ve received from them.

But do you want to know more about why these Advanced Practice Providers are so important to your care? Want to know more about what they do?

In short, Advanced Practice Providers are nationally certified and state licensed health care providers. Like physicians, they can diagnose and treat acute and chronic health conditions, examine and educate patients, order and interpret laboratory tests, and many can prescribe medications. They’ve received advanced degrees and clinical training in their field.

Some recent studies have shown what a tremendous value Advanced Practice Providers can bring to their communities, including:

• Greater access to healthcare in areas and/or specialties where there’s a shortage of physicians
• Care that – when provided in concert with physicians – is comparable to, and sometimes better than, care provided solely by physicians
• Reduced healthcare costs

At The Christ Hospital Health Network, we have Advanced Practice Providers working in a variety of departments and specialties. Some focus solely on one aspect of care – for example patient education for inpatients – while others provide the full scope of care in an office setting. The care they provide is invaluable to our patients, their families and our physicians.