In many health care facilities, a nurse practitioner or physician assistant may be on hand to help provide care. These professionals can diagnose and treat conditions and prescribe medications usually under the supervision of a physician.
Raekeisha L. Dean, PA-C is here to explain the roles of PAs and NPs.
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What Role Do PAs and NPs Play in Healthcare?
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Learn more about Raekeisha L. Dean, PA-C
Raekeisha L. Dean, PA-C
Before joining Summit Medical Group, Raekeisha L. Dean, PA-C, was a clinical lead physician assistant with Trenton Anesthesiology Associates in Trenton, New Jersey. She also has worked with Town Medical Associates of Verona, New Jersey, and HJG Medical Associates of Hopewell, New Jersey.Learn more about Raekeisha L. Dean, PA-C
Transcription:
What Role Do PAs and NPs Play in Healthcare?
Melanie Cole (Host): When you go to the doctor’s office, some of the people caring for you might include a nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant. Both are highly skilled clinical experts who have played an increasingly central role in healthcare. My guest today is Raekeisha Dean. She’s a clinical physician assistant at Summit Medical Group. Welcome to the show, Raekeisha. Tell us, what is a physician assistant?
Raekeisha Dean (Guest): So, physician assistants are licensed healthcare providers who practice medicine under the delegation of a physician or DO or a MD.
Melanie: So, what type of training would be required to be a physician assistant?
Raekeisha: Physician assistants typically go through 4 years of college and then we are further trained through a specialized PA program which, typically, is 27-36 months after college.
Melanie: So then, what are you specifically trained to do? Let’s talk about the role of a physician assistant. When someone comes to the doctor’s office, whether it’s for a well visit or for an illness visit, what would you do different than a doctor would do?
Raekeisha: PAs, just like nurse practitioners, are trained to practice medicine. We care for patients in the same way that physicians do. We are basically there to practice medicine. We educate patients; we care for them; we are there to create access and to decrease healthcare disparities and improve coordination of care; to help decrease healthcare spending and alleviate some of the strain on the healthcare system.
Melanie: See, there’s what I think is one of the more amazing parts of what you do-- is to help decrease that strain on the healthcare system. Do you think that some people are hesitant to see you, they want to see the doctor? What reason would that be?
Raekeisha: I think in the beginning, some patients who are not familiar with us and our level of training are a little bit hesitant to see PAs and NPs but once they meet us, they become comfortable with the level of care we are able to provide and they are more than confident to see us. I’ve been practicing for over 10 years and I’ve had patients who actually prefer to see me and they love seeing me because they are more than confident at the level of care that I’m able to provide as a PA. PAs and NPs are proven to deliver high quality care and we actually enjoy high patient satisfaction. We’re cost effective and we play a critical role in team-based medicine.
Melanie: Are you able to spend more time, Raekeisha, with a patient than, say, the doctors whose schedules get so packed that their windows of time for each patient can be very short.
Raekeisha: In some cases, I do have a little bit more flexibility in my schedule where I can take a little bit of extra time to sit and educate a patient about their disease process; maybe take a little bit more time for that patient who maybe needs a little bit more hand holding or maybe needs a little bit more education about their disease process or needs a little bit more time spent just walking them through the channels of medicine or just educating them about a particular disease process and a course they are going to have to take regarding their particular health issue.
Melanie: Do PAs do rotations just like doctors do? So, you spend some time in family medicine, maybe general surgery or obstetrics and gynecology. Do you do various rotations to pick one of that to focus on?
Raekeisha: Both PAs and Nurse Practitioners do clinical rotations in family medicine; we do them in surgery; we do them in internal medicine, depending on your training and your interest. You’re required to do all of those different areas of training and we learn pharmacology. We learn anatomy and physiology just as physicians do.
Melanie: So now, as far as your role, can you write orders if you’re a surgical PA in the recovery room? Or, talk with family? Can you write prescriptions? What can you do that will help patients steer those waters?
Raekeisha: We definitely can do all of those things. Our practice is actually mandated by the state and so we are definitely able to write orders. We can write prescriptions. Basically, what you’re allowed to do is delegated by, for nurse practitioners it’s by the state nursing board, and for PAs it’s by the state medical board.
Melanie: So now, we’ve talked a little bit about what you can do for the patients and their families. What do you do to help the doctors to streamline that process as well?
Raekeisha: Well, one of the things that I do that is an intangible service that I feel is just helping to create access in the office. Sometimes my docs in the office are very busy and they’re not able to see all of their patients. I create a lot of access so that patients who may call and may not be able to see their doc for maybe 3 or 4 days, they can come in and see me for maybe a headache or a bellyache or even something as simple as a sore throat. They might be able to see me the same day or even get an appointment the next day versus waiting 2 or 3 days to see the physician.
Melanie: I think that’s an amazing addition to the whole healthcare system. What about some duties and responsibilities you might have where it comes to social with the families, helping them deal with the after effects of surgery or a heart attack? How can you help in that way?
Raekeisha: In some ways, if the doctor is not available, I can take phone calls and just answer questions that the family may have when maybe the doctor’s not available or he’s in with another patient. I can answer the family’s questions. We have patient portals here and sometimes the doc might be on vacation or just not able to always answer questions. I might have a little bit more availability, so sometimes I’m there to just pick up the slack where they’re not available and I’ll pick up some of their portal messages and answer questions so that patients don’t always have to wait as long to get an answer to a much needed question. A lot of times the patients are very grateful for that extra access.
Melanie: I would think they were. What about new patients, Raekeisha? Or, sports physicals, that sort of thing that sometimes you can’t afford the time to wait for an appointment for your doctor but you really need to get in or you want to see a new office and see if it’s a good fit for you. What’s your role there?
Raekeisha: A lot of patients will come in and sometimes they might have an intention of establishing with one of our physician here in the office who work alongside me but maybe they might not have the availability for several weeks. They’ll come in and they’ll make their appointment with me and I’ll see them, do their physical and then, at a later date, they might see the physician and establish with them. But, at the same time, sometimes the patient will end up liking me and choose me as their primary.
Melanie: So, what’s the difference between you and a nurse practitioner?
Raekeisha: Really, the difference is essentially just training. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who go on to extend their training and PAs are, of course, as I’ve said before, healthcare providers who are trained more on a medical model. So, it’s really just the difference in the training but we’re both highly qualified medical practitioners who are here to create access and who really care about our patients and want the best for our patients and both do an incredible job at what we do.
Melanie: In terms of patient satisfaction, what do you want people to know? If you ever feel frustrated with people not quite understanding your profession. What is it you really want them to know about what you do, Raekeisha?
Raekeisha: I think if I had to give them one thing, I think I would want them to know that we’re proven to give and deliver high quality care; that most patients that see us are very satisfied with the care that we give. We’re cost effective. We play a very critical role in team-based medicine and that we are transforming healthcare. With the inception of the Affordable Care Act and an ever aging population, PAs and NPs are moving to the forefront of medicine. With the increase in access of care, and as I’ve said before, the decrease in demand on the system, us being able to provide preventative care, educating patients and helping to decrease the disparities in healthcare and improving coordination of care, we really can help patients really utilize and move through the system more efficiently and help a number of people who didn’t have access to healthcare.
Melanie: Beautifully put. Why should patients come to Summit Medical Group for their care?
Raekeisha: Well, Summit Medical Group is a great place. We all care about our patients. We want the best for our patients and I can honestly and truthfully say that every provider here at Summit Medical Group loves medicine. We love what we do and the patient is always number one.
Melanie: Thank you so much, Raekeisha, for being with us today. It’s really great information. You’re listening to SMG Radio. For more information, you can go to summitmedicalgroup.com. That’s summitmedicalgroup.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
What Role Do PAs and NPs Play in Healthcare?
Melanie Cole (Host): When you go to the doctor’s office, some of the people caring for you might include a nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant. Both are highly skilled clinical experts who have played an increasingly central role in healthcare. My guest today is Raekeisha Dean. She’s a clinical physician assistant at Summit Medical Group. Welcome to the show, Raekeisha. Tell us, what is a physician assistant?
Raekeisha Dean (Guest): So, physician assistants are licensed healthcare providers who practice medicine under the delegation of a physician or DO or a MD.
Melanie: So, what type of training would be required to be a physician assistant?
Raekeisha: Physician assistants typically go through 4 years of college and then we are further trained through a specialized PA program which, typically, is 27-36 months after college.
Melanie: So then, what are you specifically trained to do? Let’s talk about the role of a physician assistant. When someone comes to the doctor’s office, whether it’s for a well visit or for an illness visit, what would you do different than a doctor would do?
Raekeisha: PAs, just like nurse practitioners, are trained to practice medicine. We care for patients in the same way that physicians do. We are basically there to practice medicine. We educate patients; we care for them; we are there to create access and to decrease healthcare disparities and improve coordination of care; to help decrease healthcare spending and alleviate some of the strain on the healthcare system.
Melanie: See, there’s what I think is one of the more amazing parts of what you do-- is to help decrease that strain on the healthcare system. Do you think that some people are hesitant to see you, they want to see the doctor? What reason would that be?
Raekeisha: I think in the beginning, some patients who are not familiar with us and our level of training are a little bit hesitant to see PAs and NPs but once they meet us, they become comfortable with the level of care we are able to provide and they are more than confident to see us. I’ve been practicing for over 10 years and I’ve had patients who actually prefer to see me and they love seeing me because they are more than confident at the level of care that I’m able to provide as a PA. PAs and NPs are proven to deliver high quality care and we actually enjoy high patient satisfaction. We’re cost effective and we play a critical role in team-based medicine.
Melanie: Are you able to spend more time, Raekeisha, with a patient than, say, the doctors whose schedules get so packed that their windows of time for each patient can be very short.
Raekeisha: In some cases, I do have a little bit more flexibility in my schedule where I can take a little bit of extra time to sit and educate a patient about their disease process; maybe take a little bit more time for that patient who maybe needs a little bit more hand holding or maybe needs a little bit more education about their disease process or needs a little bit more time spent just walking them through the channels of medicine or just educating them about a particular disease process and a course they are going to have to take regarding their particular health issue.
Melanie: Do PAs do rotations just like doctors do? So, you spend some time in family medicine, maybe general surgery or obstetrics and gynecology. Do you do various rotations to pick one of that to focus on?
Raekeisha: Both PAs and Nurse Practitioners do clinical rotations in family medicine; we do them in surgery; we do them in internal medicine, depending on your training and your interest. You’re required to do all of those different areas of training and we learn pharmacology. We learn anatomy and physiology just as physicians do.
Melanie: So now, as far as your role, can you write orders if you’re a surgical PA in the recovery room? Or, talk with family? Can you write prescriptions? What can you do that will help patients steer those waters?
Raekeisha: We definitely can do all of those things. Our practice is actually mandated by the state and so we are definitely able to write orders. We can write prescriptions. Basically, what you’re allowed to do is delegated by, for nurse practitioners it’s by the state nursing board, and for PAs it’s by the state medical board.
Melanie: So now, we’ve talked a little bit about what you can do for the patients and their families. What do you do to help the doctors to streamline that process as well?
Raekeisha: Well, one of the things that I do that is an intangible service that I feel is just helping to create access in the office. Sometimes my docs in the office are very busy and they’re not able to see all of their patients. I create a lot of access so that patients who may call and may not be able to see their doc for maybe 3 or 4 days, they can come in and see me for maybe a headache or a bellyache or even something as simple as a sore throat. They might be able to see me the same day or even get an appointment the next day versus waiting 2 or 3 days to see the physician.
Melanie: I think that’s an amazing addition to the whole healthcare system. What about some duties and responsibilities you might have where it comes to social with the families, helping them deal with the after effects of surgery or a heart attack? How can you help in that way?
Raekeisha: In some ways, if the doctor is not available, I can take phone calls and just answer questions that the family may have when maybe the doctor’s not available or he’s in with another patient. I can answer the family’s questions. We have patient portals here and sometimes the doc might be on vacation or just not able to always answer questions. I might have a little bit more availability, so sometimes I’m there to just pick up the slack where they’re not available and I’ll pick up some of their portal messages and answer questions so that patients don’t always have to wait as long to get an answer to a much needed question. A lot of times the patients are very grateful for that extra access.
Melanie: I would think they were. What about new patients, Raekeisha? Or, sports physicals, that sort of thing that sometimes you can’t afford the time to wait for an appointment for your doctor but you really need to get in or you want to see a new office and see if it’s a good fit for you. What’s your role there?
Raekeisha: A lot of patients will come in and sometimes they might have an intention of establishing with one of our physician here in the office who work alongside me but maybe they might not have the availability for several weeks. They’ll come in and they’ll make their appointment with me and I’ll see them, do their physical and then, at a later date, they might see the physician and establish with them. But, at the same time, sometimes the patient will end up liking me and choose me as their primary.
Melanie: So, what’s the difference between you and a nurse practitioner?
Raekeisha: Really, the difference is essentially just training. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who go on to extend their training and PAs are, of course, as I’ve said before, healthcare providers who are trained more on a medical model. So, it’s really just the difference in the training but we’re both highly qualified medical practitioners who are here to create access and who really care about our patients and want the best for our patients and both do an incredible job at what we do.
Melanie: In terms of patient satisfaction, what do you want people to know? If you ever feel frustrated with people not quite understanding your profession. What is it you really want them to know about what you do, Raekeisha?
Raekeisha: I think if I had to give them one thing, I think I would want them to know that we’re proven to give and deliver high quality care; that most patients that see us are very satisfied with the care that we give. We’re cost effective. We play a very critical role in team-based medicine and that we are transforming healthcare. With the inception of the Affordable Care Act and an ever aging population, PAs and NPs are moving to the forefront of medicine. With the increase in access of care, and as I’ve said before, the decrease in demand on the system, us being able to provide preventative care, educating patients and helping to decrease the disparities in healthcare and improving coordination of care, we really can help patients really utilize and move through the system more efficiently and help a number of people who didn’t have access to healthcare.
Melanie: Beautifully put. Why should patients come to Summit Medical Group for their care?
Raekeisha: Well, Summit Medical Group is a great place. We all care about our patients. We want the best for our patients and I can honestly and truthfully say that every provider here at Summit Medical Group loves medicine. We love what we do and the patient is always number one.
Melanie: Thank you so much, Raekeisha, for being with us today. It’s really great information. You’re listening to SMG Radio. For more information, you can go to summitmedicalgroup.com. That’s summitmedicalgroup.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.