Joey Wahler (Host): September 25th, 2023 marks the start of National APP Week, recognizing advanced practice providers. So, we're discussing those valuable medical professionals and that event. Our guests. Claire Kuriakose, she's Chief Advanced Practice Officer at Stanford Health Care; and Tamra Langley, she is Director of APP Professional Development and Education at the University of Kentucky.

Host: This is UK HealthCast, a podcast from UK HealthCare. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. Claire and Tamra, thanks so much for joining us. First for you, Tamra, what exactly, for those that don't know, are advanced practice providers? We come across them all the time in the medical world. And what are their degree qualifications to become so?

Tamra Langley: So, there are several different areas of advanced practice. And if you look at just the CMS guidelines, the Center of Medicare Services, there are six different areas and degrees. So, we have nurse practitioners, physician assistants or physician associates, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and anesthesia assistants. Their degree qualifications are either to be a master's prepared or a doctorally prepared provider in either of those professions.

Host: Okay. So for you, Claire, when we hear those different positions, that covers a lot of ground. Basically, we're talking about those that support doctors. And what role, generally speaking, do you think APPs play as a result in the healthcare world?

Claire Kuriakose: Sure. So, advanced practice providers, as Tamra mentioned, they play a significant role in health care. They're licensed, board-certified professionals, and they can evaluate, diagnose. prescribe, create treatment plans for patients collaboratively with their physician colleagues and independently, depending on the states that are employing them.

I think we've all witnessed how rapidly healthcare as an industry has continued to evolve and organizations are looking for creative ways to improve patient access, enhance outcomes and really APPs are a critical part of that strategy. Leveraging all healthcare professionals in a team-based care model is really the key to success. And APPs are a valuable member of that care team. They're often that glue that keeps the team together to ultimately provide the best care for our patients.

Host: And to pick up on that, oftentimes, especially nowadays when it seems like so many doctor's offices are quite difficult to get an appointment at in the first place, it's APPs that can sort of take center stage and wind up doing a lot of the work, right?

Claire Kuriakose: Well, I think APPs have the ability to close that gap when it comes to access and provide that high quality care for our patients, timely, efficient, and quality care for patients.

Host: And when you talk about them being the backbone, APPs often being the backbone of a medical practice or a medical facility, people see examples of that all the time when they're patients, don't they?

Claire Kuriakose: That's right. APPs, we historically had been this invisible workforce. But I think as healthcare has just transformed in the last decade or so, the APPs have been really coming to the forefront. Organizations are recognizing the importance and the value that they're contributing to each team and the patients that they're serving.

Host: So Tamra, switching gears a little bit, certainly data shows that there's been, and it seems will, for the near future, at least, continue to be a shortage of doctors in America. And so, how about the current job market for APPs and what's expected there in the future as well?

Tamra Langley: Right. So, we're looking at over a 2% population of our healthcare workforce quits every month, and that is massive. So as we're looking forward to the future, you go to what the research says, it's what we do in our practice all the time. And the US Department of Labor Statistics is expecting a 40% increase for nurse practitioner growth in the next 10 years and 26% growth for PAs over the next 10 years. So, it's really a massive opportunity. It also speaks to the need for patient access and actually for those that are considering healthcare professions to come and join our ranks that we are going to have the opportunities and we have the need.

Host: And we often hear about specialists when it comes to doctors, of course, Tamra. But many APPs have areas of specialty as well, don't they?

Tamra Langley: They're in every specialty, whether it is in critical care, and that can be subdivided into surgical critical care, neurocritical care, medical critical care, into every aspect of primary care. There are very few, if any, honestly, areas of specialty where you won't find an APP working.

Host: Absolutely. So Claire, back to you now for a moment, and let's talk about this upcoming APP Week and a little bit about the history and the details behind it. First, when and why did APP Week start in the first place?

Claire Kuriakose: Yeah, happy to do that. So, the first National APP Week was spearheaded by Stanford Health Care in 2021. So, our goal at that time was essentially just to bring organizations together to celebrate and recognize the advanced practice providers, all of them together. We knew many organizations celebrated APPs collectively, although they still recognize them individually on their respective national week. So for an example, you know, during National NP week, APPs were recognized; NPs were recognized during National PA week, PAs are recognized, and that still continues to happen. And the sentiment of National APP week is to preserve that. But it was an idea to bring the APPs together during one week so we can celebrate together. But unfortunately, we found that although organizations were doing that, there really was no standard. Everyone was choosing, you know, whatever random week that worked best for their facility.

So, the concept behind National APP Week was simply to coordinate the week that we all celebrate APPs so we can bring awareness to the role and make more of a meaningful impact nationally. The first year, our theme was APPs United, and it symbolized the strength in bringing together these unique individual professions as a collective unit and how together we can be more effective and elevating and really shining the value and incredible contributions of each individual APP role. The first year, I think we had close to 100 organizations participate, and it was just so wonderful to continuously see the growth over the last three years.

Host: And so, you just talked about what goes on in terms of shining a spotlight, so to speak, on all of you as a group. How about a couple of ways in which you all benefit yourselves from partaking in this? I would think just the camaraderie alone would be something that you get a lot out of, yeah?

Claire Kuriakose: Exactly. I think it's an opportunity for APPs to come together and recognize the similarities, but also their unique contributions. And one of the things that we started with National APP Week is bringing together the respective national presidents of each individual profession and creating a platform for them to be on stage together and discuss their issues and how they can work together and collaborate and really advancing each of the professions.

Host: Gotcha. So, let's talk about some of the details about this year's event. Tamra, back to you here, and you and yours at the University of Kentucky are the host organization for this year's APP Week. So, tell us a little bit about what's happening in particular for those that are partaking or thinking of doing so.

Tamra Langley: Yeah. So, UK Healthcare is so excited and honored to get to be the host this year for National APP Week. I think one of the most fun things that we're going to get to do that we haven't gotten to do over the last couple of years is the opportunity to allow organizations to watch this virtually via Zoom, obviously, that we're going to be broadcasting this. But one of the things that we're going to be doing is offering it live and in person for our own advanced practice providers. And given the pandemic, this is the first time in 3 years that we've been able to join together as a group and not sit with masks on. So, I know there'll be organizations that are planning to do that as well.

We have really an exciting week planned. We have two national keynote speakers. One will be the kickoff on Monday. And then, we're going to have another keynote address on Friday as a national organization as well. And then, we have some surprises throughout the week planned of special speakers, sending us messages for all of advanced practice. And then, we were going to continue the tradition as well of having all of the national presidents speak in a unified platform to all of the professions and answer the questions that are posed from all of advanced practice from around the country. So, they get to submit their own questions and we get to pose them to the presidents and have them answer them.

Host: So, people from all walks of the profession, it sounds like, and very interactive as well. So, still primarily virtual though, yes?

Tamra Langley: It is virtual. It's just going to be hard to bring all of these organizations together into one place. Now, that would be something that many people have talked about through the executive committee and the planning, was wouldn't it be fun if one day there was an opportunity to have this as a virtual and live that really would more mirror how we work? Our national organizations are great places to go for conferences. But the way we work is really celebrated in National APP Week. We work as teams of all professions coming together, and I can't imagine what a massive undertaking it would be to plan something like that, but it would be fun to attend.

Host: I'm sure it would be. So finally, Tamra, for those listening that want to register for APP Week, how can they do so?

Tamra Langley: So, you can go to our website nationalappweek.com and register your organization.

Claire Kuriakose: And there's no cost. Just to be clear, it's a free, you know, please join. The more, the merrier.

Host: Excellent point. Claire, appreciate that, to bring us to a close. And so, folks, we trust you're now more familiar with advanced practice providers and National APP Week, starting on September 25th as we mentioned. Claire and Tamra, sounds like it'll be a great time had by all and a super opportunity once again to let everyone involved come together and let those outside the profession have a better idea of the valuable work that you're doing on a daily basis. A pleasure. Thanks so much again.

Tamra Langley: Thanks for having us.

Claire Kuriakose: Yeah. Thank you for having us, Joey.

Host: Absolutely. And for more information, you can visit ukhealthcare.com. Again, that's ukhealthcare.com. Now, if you found this podcast helpful, please do share it on your social media. And thanks again for listening to UK HealthCast, a podcast from UK HealthCare. Hoping your health is good health. I'm Joey Wahler.