Ann M. Iglesias, A.P.N./C.N.P. Nurse Practitioner/Hospital-Based Physician Extender in Internal Medicine at Dreyer Medical Clinic
	Shruti D. Parekh, M.S., P.A.-C Physician Assistant in Internal Medicine at Dreyer Medical Clinic - West Aurora

You call to schedule an appointment with your doctor and the representative on the phone informs you that your doctor’s availability does not match yours. On the bright side, they offer you an appointment with your doctors’ Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant that fits into your schedule perfectly. The appointment is tempting, but you wonder, “What is a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant?”

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are professional registered nurses with additional nursing education and advanced training in specialty areas. NPs deliver high quality, primary health care to people of all ages – newborns through advanced ages. They perform physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests and x-rays, and prescribe medications as needed. NPs diagnose and manage acute illnesses and injuries and stable chronic diseases. They confer with physicians and other members of the health care team when necessary. In Illinois, all nurse practitioners are required to have a master’s degree, as well as pass a national certification to become a certified nurse practitioner.

Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care professionals trained and licensed to practice medicine as delegated by and with the supervision of a physician. PAs are qualified by graduation from an accredited PA program and/or by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In the health care setting, a PA can take a complete health history, perform physical exams, order diagnostic tests, prescribe most medications, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, and provide patient education and preventive health care counseling. Along with handling most routine medical problems, PAs can do more extensive procedures that fall within their specialties, such as a mole removal in dermatology. The initials P.A.-C after their surname means the PA is certified and has passed the certification exam developed jointly by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the NCCPA.

Dreyer Medical Clinic utilizes an electronic medical record (EMR) system that allows your health care providers to have access to your medical records. So, if your doctor is out of town, on medical leave, or otherwise unavailable, most of the time NPs and PAs are available to cover patients’ needs with access to their information.

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants work in a variety of medical settings including physicians’ offices, emergency rooms, nursing homes, and federally-qualified health centers. Dreyer has 4 NPs and 14 PAs serving patients in the Fox Valley specializing in allergy, dermatology, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, occupational medicine, orthopaedics, and walk-in care.

While most insurance companies cover visits performed by NPs or PAs, it is always a good idea to check with your insurance company before scheduling an appointment.