Celebrating Nurse Practitioner Week:
As a Nurse Practitioner (NP), both in my professional role and within the community, I am often approached to provide medical insight — sometimes about unusual rashes in unexpected places, other times about a broad range of health concerns. Many people have that medically minded family member or friend they reach out to when something “just doesn’t look right.” Others are fortunate to have a trusted primary care provider nearby for timely assessments.
How wonderful it is to have such convenient access to medical knowledge and care! Unfortunately, that level of access is not the reality for everyone. Northern Michigan, in particular, faces a significant healthcare workforce shortage. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the majority of counties in Northern Michigan are designated shortage areas. This shortage raises an important question: how can we address this gap in care?
