We are excited to come together this week with advanced practice providers (APPs) across our system (and the nation) to highlight the vital role APPs serve in delivering high-quality care! National APP Week, celebrated the fourth week of September, is an opportunity to recognize the hard work of these professionals and raise awareness of the unique role in providing increased access and enhancing care.
This year’s National APP Week theme, Together Towards Tomorrow, is especially fitting as we focus on celebrating Tomorrow, Together as a system. Though each of us plays a unique role in achieving the organization’s overall goals, we continuously leverage our partnerships to learn from each other and grow stronger through networking and collaboration. We are One Amazing Team!
From nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists to licensed social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists – APPs are elevating health care by ensuring that Texas Children’s delivers high-quality, evidence-based care to our patients and their families.
What do APPs do?
APPs are trusted medical professionals with advanced education and training at the post-graduate and doctoral level. These providers work hand-in-hand with physicians to create a seamless environment of care, making more appointments available for patients. They also support a team-based approach. The growth in the number of APPs across the organization and our various service lines is a strong reflection of their significant contributions and continued impact.
APPs work in many areas of health care with locations throughout our institution including our primary care clinics, acute and critical care units, emergency medicine and subspecialty and perioperative services with over 600 advanced practice providers delivering care across our system – serving not only in the hospital setting, but also in our community locations that include the Centers for Women and Children, Subspecialty Care Clinics, TCP, Urgent Care and Austin.
The APP role during the pandemic
The essential nature of our APPs has been even more apparent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has required frontline team members to be nimble to care for our patients and their families amid an uncertain and rapidly changing health care environment.
Texas Children’s versatile APPs aided vaccine clinics, filled roles in numerous departments, participated in COVID-19 testing and worked together to coordinate care. Every time they were asked to step up to a new challenge, much like those in other team-centric departments, these providers responded in remarkable fashion – paving the way for many initiatives adopted during the pandemic to stay in place long-term.
Join the celebration!
There is no doubt Texas Children’s APPs have proven through their dedicated service over the years that they are adaptable, flexible and collaborative members of our One Amazing Team! We want to thank our APPs for their countless positive contributions and sacrifices to ensure the patients and families of Texas Children’s have equitable access to high-quality and compassionate health care. We will be hosting special events and activities throughout the week. Look for photos from the celebrations on the @texaschildrenspeople Instagram page.
