COLLEGE STATION, Texas — National APP Week is a week dedicated to recognizing the hard work of healthcare workers.
“An APP is an advanced practice professional and that includes here in family medicine, that includes physicians assistants and nurse practitioners and we are just there to be an extension of the physician and help them out,” described Lauren Douglas, PA-C, a physician assistant at Baylor Scott & White-College Station.
Lauren is Dr. English’s APP, and together, they have created a teamwork dynamic to help as many patients as possible.
“We get a chance to talk about our patients and what she's seeing if she has questions I can hear that in the background and give her some advice, or we can get together and go over the details of a case so it works out really well.” Dr. English explained.
One patient shared her insight on how this team has worked for her.
“As College Station has grown, there's so many more patients to be seen. Sometimes there's a wait to get in, and sometimes you have something it may not be major but sometimes, in my case, one time I figured it wasn’t something too serious but it was actually pretty painful,” described patient, Susan Dennis.
When Dr. English isn't available to see her, she knows who to turn to.
“So I went to see Lauren, and it was very helpful and my problem was resolved right away. So it's wonderful to know that when it's something that needs many years of expertise, I’ll be able to get in,” said Dennis.
Both physicians have developed a relationship with patients that will last a lifetime.
Dennis illustrated the care, “He always comes in with a smile on his face and is easy going and I find that Lauren is very much the same way. When you're worried about something, dealing with somebody who's upbeat and has a sense of humor is very helpful.”
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