A nurse practitioner, or NP, is a licensed health care provider capable of evaluation and management of many illnesses and injuries. Initially, their health care career started as that of a registered nurse, or RN. With additional two or more years of education and advanced clinical training, these providers act as physician extenders in many areas of medicine, including family practice, pediatrics and neonatology, cardiology and women’s health.

Nurse practitioners can perform procedures and office exams, as well as write prescriptions. Their services are recognized and reimbursed by insurance companies for the care they provide to patients. At East Flagstaff Family Medicine, our nurse practitioners work closely with our physicians in reviewing cases, diagnoses and treatments. Given the increasing difficulty in Flagstaff to access primary care and across the country, nurse practitioners are welcome assets in our challenge to continually provide timely, appropriate and professional care.

Our nurse practitioners can, many times, spend more time with our patients with certain problems. This serves well in their role of managing chronic illness where education and understanding are vital to patients controlling their illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. As well, our providers act together as a team to provide your health care. Given this relationship, we are all here, physicians and nurse practitioners alike, to work collaboratively in providing care to all of our patients.

Your Flagstaff Family Doctors and Nurses!

D.O.'s bring something extra to medicine:

As part of their medical school curriculum, osteopathic physicians receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system, your body's interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of its body mass. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an injury or illness in one part of your body can affect another.

Many D.O.'s use osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) with other traditional medical procedures to diagnose and treat injury and illness. This makes them a favorite among Olympic athletes, sports teams, and personal fitness enthusiasts who focus on diet, exercise and manipulation. Many of our professional sports teams including the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Rattlers use D.O.'s as team doctors.

There are approximately 1,400 licensed osteopathic physicians in Arizona and more than 40,000 in the U.S. today. More than half of all D.O.'s practice in primary care areas, such as family practice, pediatrics and internal medicine. Many D.O.'s fill a critical need for family doctors by practicing in small towns and rural areas.

How do M.D.'s and D.O.'s compare in qualifications?

Both D.O.s, and M.D.s are complete physicians who:

• are able to prescribe medication;
• are licensed to diagnose, treat, and perform surgery;
• have undergraduate degrees, graduated from medical school and have post-graduate training;
• are licensed by the state;
• may pursue a specialty (two or more years of further education & training);
• belong to the same health plans; and
• are equally accepted by the military.

Distinctive Features of Osteopathic Medical Education:

• In addition to the standard medical school curriculum, approximately 200 additional hours of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine are included;
• Additional training in anatomy is often combined with the osteopathic manipulative medicine training to help the students understand structure / function relationships;
• Doctor / patient relationship skills training that includes an emphasis on interviewing and communication skills.

Your Flagstaff Family Doctors!