During the past year you may have noticed that there have been some exciting changes at VPFW including the addition of three great Advanced Practice Providers to our provider family.
What is an Advanced Practice Provider (APP)?
Advanced practice providers, also known as Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners, are trusted medical providers who work with physicians, as a team, to care for our patients. They are board certified and state licensed. They can evaluate and treat patients, order diagnostic tests, perform in-office procedures, and prescribe medications. Like physicians, an APP must undergo vigorous didactic and clinical training. With the addition of APPs, there are more appointments available for patients and care is often more cost-effective for patients. Research has shown that patients are just as satisfied receiving care from an Advanced Practice Provider as they are from a physician.
What do APP’s do here at VPFW?
- Annual exams and pap smears
- Same-day appointments and problem visits (i.e. UTI symptoms, STD checks, etc.)
- General gynecologic care for women of all ages
- Preventative medicine and health maintenance
- Birth control counseling
- Pre-pregnancy counseling
- Menopause management
- Perform minor in-office procedures (i.e. IUD insertions, biopsies)
- Order and interpret lab tests and other diagnostic services
- Prescribe medication
- Provide one on one patient education and counseling
- Perform aesthetic treatments such as ThermiVa, Botox and dermal filler injections
- Consult with physicians as needed to ensure that patients get the best care possible.
What are some benefits of seeing an APP?
- Increased availability including same-day appointments
- More time to spend with patients.
- Less likely to be called away from the office for an emergency or delivery.
- Same high-quality care for patients.
At VPFW, our APP’s enjoy taking care of patients and getting to know them on a more personal level. Building a strong patient-provider relationship is so important to us, and we are honored that our patients trust both our physicians and APP’s alike with their medical care.
“Nothing makes me happier than following up with patients whom I’ve helped along the way, whether I helped them feel better physically or helped them achieve their aesthetic goals, it’s all equally rewarding. I can honestly say that I love what I do!” – Jessica Kernodle, PA-C
“Being an APP, especially in this specialty, is so rewarding. It keeps me on my toes. I am able to learn something new every day because no two days are ever alike. Educating, advocating, and helping people is something I work hard to do in all aspects of my life. I find it so rewarding to be able to do those things every single day.” – Lauren Cook, WHNP-BC
“My passion is helping women understand their bodies physically and empower them to know their beauty, strength, and worth.” – Melissa Foster, WHNP-BC
To schedule an appointment with a VPFW provider, you can call us at 804-897-2100 or set an appointment online.