LEWISTON, Maine (Sept. 19, 2024) During the last week of September, Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) will join the rest of the nation in honoring its advanced practice providers (APPs).
An APP is a health care provider who is not a physician but performs medical procedures typically performed by a physician, having undergone extensive medical education and training. Among their ranks are nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and certified anesthesiologist assistants.
“As we expand healthcare access in the communities we serve, advanced practice providers are playing an increasingly critical role,” said Steve Littleson, president and CEO, Central Maine Healthcare. “The skill set these healthcare professionals provide enables our patients to receive quality and timely care, and at the same time allows our physicians to concentrate on more complex cases. I believe APPs will play an increasingly important role in our healthcare system in the years to come.”
With the U.S. experiencing a physician shortage, our APPs have become even more critical to our ability to successfully care for our patients.
“I chose to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist because I wanted to expand my clinical knowledge,” said Tina Moring, lead certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC). “I was already committed to our patients, but I wanted to do more. Being a CRNA allows me to serve our community, to meet more of the needs of our patients, and I get to do what I love, every day.”
“I was previously working as an athletic trainer with a semi-pro basketball team,” said Angela Michalka, a physician assistant (PA) at CMH Orthopedics. “Though I was an important part of the team, I wanted to be able to do more and provide more advanced care for the players instead of having to hand them off when they had a more significant injury. As a PA I am now able to provide advanced comprehensive care for my patients and I hope I am able to help keep them active and doing the things they enjoy.”
