Now is the time to celebrate nurse practitioners

As the healthcare provider shortage continues to top the national agenda, it is important that the public be aware that there are more than 171,000 nurse practitioners in the United States who provide high-quality, cost-effect, comprehensive, patient-centered care to patients across the country.

Nurse practitioners are licensed, expert clinicians with advanced education – most have master’s degrees and many have doctorate degrees – and extensive clinical preparation. They provide primary care, including prescribing of medications; acute care; and specialty healthcare referrals.  

With 32 combined years of experience at Libby Clinic, the four nurse practitioners on staff are happy to provide medical care, by appointment, to our community as well as to a very special population, our veterans.

Since October 2013, the providers at Libby Clinic have been pleased to provide primary care as a contractor with the Spokane Department of Veterans Administration Medical Center.

National Nurse Practitioners Week, Nov.  10 to 16, is a time to celebrate these exceptional healthcare providers.

(Myresa Boulware is office manager at Libby Clinic.)