Addressing the Primary Care Crisis by Integrating Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)

The primary care physician (PCP) shortage is reaching crisis proportions — and is poised to continue being an industry-wide concern, as more than a third of currently active physicians are likely to retire within the next decade. With fewer new doctors entering the field and more experienced ones leaving, practices face growing challenges in maintaining timely access to high-quality care for their patients.

Advanced practice providers (APPs) such as physician assistants (PAs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) offer an opportunity to increase the number of clinicians who can support patient care by playing key roles in improving practice efficiencies and care quality. They can also be powerful “force multipliers.”

Since practices tend to build more flexibility into APPs’ s