Health care
Health care
BY HALEY MCLEOD
BY BEN THOMPSON
Navigating urgent, primary, ER care
Austin hospital offers cellular therapy
Who’s providing the care?
The takeaway
No matter the facility, patients might be seen by either a medical doctor or a nurse practitioner—so what’s the difference? • MD (medical doctor): physicians who complete medical school and residency, can perform surgery, and prescribe medication • NP (nurse practitioner): registered nurses with advanced degrees who can diagnose, treat and prescribe More NP programs are becoming doctoral- level, meaning they involve more advanced education, said Amy Papermaster, a nurse practitioner at Women’s Health. In Texas, NPs must also collaborate with a physician. Papermaster said patients won’t notice much difference between seeing a nurse practitioner and a physician. Nurse practitioners can diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications, and manage a wide range of conditions.
St. David’s cellular therapy offerings have expanded since first becoming available in the Austin area in 2014 with only one treatment type. While it’s not an academic center, Ramakrishnan said physicians still do a lot of research and work with professionals across the national therapy network. The program has now served more than 1,000 people. “When I got here in 2014, they told me we were going to do about six procedures for the first year. I think we did 27. People have just been flocking here,” he said. “We’re grateful that, again, we’re able to provide these services to the community, and we get a lot of positive feedback from the community regarding that.”
A sore throat on a Saturday night may leave one wondering, “Should I wait for my doctor, visit urgent care or head to the emergency room?” Amid seasonal illnesses, local experts share tips for choosing the right level of care. “Knowing where to turn during a medical emergency is extremely important for the community, because it [leads] to the best possible outcome and also ensures that they receive the best value for the care provided,” said Laura Hochwalt, vice president of emergency services at St. David’s HealthCare. Hochwalt said doctors are present not only at primary care offices but also at urgent care centers and in emergency room departments.
For over a decade, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center has offered the city’s only selection of cellular therapies for various blood cancers. Through the Sarah Cannon Transplant & Cellular Therapy Network, hundreds of patients have had local access to three different types of transplant treatments. “Imagine having to drive to another city where the service is available. That’s a big burden,” Program Director Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan said. “They have these diseases, they’re horrible, they have to drive to their appointment, they have to spend all this time, they often need a caregiver. It really upends their life. To keep them home in their bed around their support network, I think it’s huge for the patients.”
Knowing where to go
St. David’s South Austin facility provides three specific cellular cancer treatments. Treatment types Autologous transplant Patients’ own stems cells are harvested while they’re treated with high-dose chemotherapy before cells are reintroduced to patients. This treats cancers like multiple myeloma and Hodgkins lymphoma. Allogeneic transplant Patients are evaluated for a transplant over several months, and a cell donor is selected and then treated with chemo or radiation before cells are transfused. This treats cancers like leukemia. CAR T-cell therapy Immune cells from the patient or a donor are extracted and genetically modified. Patients receive treatment like chemo before the cells are infused to target cancers. This treats cancers like lymphoma.
Patients should see a primary care provider for nonurgent health concerns and routine medical care. Primary care office Urgent care is for after-hours care meant for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Urgent care center Emergency rooms are for life-threatening situations, such as traumatic injuries, fractures, burns and stroke-like symptoms. Emergency room
SOURCES: ST. DAVID’S HEALTHCARE, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: ST. DAVID’S HEALTHCARE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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