Been to the doctor’s office lately? You may have seen an APP.

By Barbara Martin, PhD, ACNP-BC, MPH, System Senior Vice President Advanced Practice

This week and every week, CommonSpirit Health is proud to celebrate and recognize the 2,300 employees - and more than 5,000 total caregivers - who are Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) serving our patients and communities every day. 

What is an APP? Chances are, they have played a part in your health care. Certified Nurse Midwives, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants are all APPs, and recognized during National APP Week this week. Across the care continuum at CommonSpirit, our APPs work in primary care as well as most medical and surgical specialties. APPs evaluate, diagnose, develop and implement treatment plans for individuals with acute and chronic conditions. Additionally, APPs often serve in quality, patient experience and safety roles and as leaders within the care team.

Put simply, APPs allow us to provide the highest level of care possible. They are the hands and feet of our mission, carrying out our healing ministry, and choosing to live out our values of compassion, integrity, inclusion, excellence, and collaboration. And CommonSpirit is committed to supporting APPs in care delivery structures that provide the best work experience possible while providing the highest quality of care.

CommonSpirit is honored to shine a light on our APPs as part of National APP Week – thank you all for the integral role you play within our care teams.