patients benefit from Essentia Health’s TEAM APPROACH to care

At Essentia

Facing a national shortage of physicians, Essentia Health is adding nurse practitioners and physician assistants to health care teams led by physicians. The goal is to better serve patients, says Dr. Lara Lunde, who leads Essentia’s Family Medicine Department in Fargo-Moorhead.

Health care teams can offer more appointments than one provider at a clinic as well as quicker and more convenient access to physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Clinics can be staffed in more communities to bring care closer to home and those clinics can be open with longer hours.

“In the past, people would only go to see their doctor when they were sick,” explains Lunde, who sees patients at Essentia Health’s clinics in Moorhead and Ada, Minnesota. “Now patients are more involved in their health, and we’re partnering with them. There are lots of preventative visits or well-being visits and that matches the training of our nurse practitioners and physician assistants.”

While physicians lead the team, the medical professionals all collaborate on caring for patients. The three professions can do much of the same routine work, such as physical exams, diagnoses and treatments. All three professions can order tests and lab work or prescribe medications.

Patients benefit when several providers get to know them and their medical histories. “Patients can get care when they need it, with someone they know and someone who knows them,” Lunde says. “We also can get them to the appropriate person for the appropriate level of care they need.”

Essentia Health uses the team approach so each patient sees the provider best suited to his or her health issues. Physicians can focus on patients with more complex medical conditions because they can entrust follow-up care to a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, Lunde explains. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants also have the time and the training to offer patient education and promote healthy lifestyles, she says.

Team members meet regularly to discuss their patients’ diagnoses and treatments so everyone stays up to date, Lunde says. They also consult with one another as needed during appointments.

Each team member brings a unique perspective to patient care along with the strengths of his or her training and experience. “The more brains the better,” Lunde says with a smile. “I have three kids and I’m glad we have a whole team who knows my kids.”

While patients are familiar with the education and training required for physicians, they often don’t know about nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have earned master’s or doctoral degrees in nursing. They must complete clinical training and pass a national certifying examination.

Physician assistants earn bachelor’s degrees before taking three to four years of specialized training in a master’s degree program that’s similar to attending medical school. They must complete clinical training in a medical specialty and pass a national certifying examination.

“As a health care team, we have the same goals in caring for our patients,” Lunde says. “The patient and the family are always at the center of our care.”

To Schedule An Appointment

with a provider on a family medicine care team at any Essentia Health clinic in Fargo-Moorhead, call 701-364-8900.

Project Goals

Significantly reduce time it takes for new cancer drugs to get to market.

Reduce costs associated with drug development, testing and medical care. Treat patients more effectively with personalized care.

Discover a cure for breast and prostate cancer.