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Our Health Care TeamWho is the CVMC Health Care Team?
At Central Vermont Medical Center we employ and/or assist the practices of a wide array of health care providers. Some of these professionals work from their own offices. Others are employed either in the hospital building itself or in one of nine CVMC Medical Group Practices owned and managed by CVMC. In the course of your lifetime, you may expect to receive health care from doctors as well as other qualified and licensed professionals such as nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others.
Doctors
There are two kinds of doctors in the US and both can be found at CVMC. It is your primary care doctor/provider who oversees your total health care program.
The two types of doctors are MDs and DOs (osteopathic physician). Both DOs and MDs are fully qualified physicians licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication in all 50 states. You should also know that:
- Both complete four years of basic medical education.
- After medical school, both can choose to practice in a specialty area of medicine — such as psychiatry, surgery or obstetrics — after completing a residency program which requires an additional two to six years of training.
- Both must pass comparable state licensing examinations.
- Both practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities.
Physician Assistants:
A Physician Assistant (PA) is a health care professional with advanced master-level training, licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs are trained in intensive education programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Physician Assistants take a national certification examination, upon graduation, developed by the National Commission on the Certification of PAs in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners.
These professionals can:
- Conduct physical exams
- Diagnose and treat illnesses
- Order and interpret lab and x-ray tests
- Write prescriptions
- Consult with specialists
- Counsel on preventative health care.
Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
Within the hospital setting, much direct patient care is provided by nurses. These may be Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Nursing Assistants (NAs). Nurses represent the backbone of health care. These caring professionals provide a great deal of the direct, continuous care that patients receive while in the hospital.
Nurses also work within physician offices. Many offices also employ Nurse Practitioners as well as Physicians Assistants whose range of practice is broader.
Registered Nurses
Registered Nurses (RNs) are health care professionals that are registered and licensed to practice nursing. They have completed nursing school and passed an exam administered by a State Board of Nurse Examiners. Registered nurses are responsible for carrying out the physician's instructions. They supervise practical nurses and other auxiliary personnel who perform routine care and treatment of patients.
Licensed Practical Nurses
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) work under the direction of a doctor or registered nurse. Most LPNs provide basic bedside care to patients. They take vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration.
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners are registered professional nurses prepared for advanced practice through formal education programs including clinical experience. These supportive members of the healthcare team assist patients with decisions and actions in staying well and coping with illness. They are experts who provide primary health care to individuals, families, and groups across the life span. Nurse practitioners practice under the rules and regulations of the Nurse Practice Act of the state in which they work. These professionals can:
- Deliver high-quality, cost-effective, primary health care to people of all ages, newborns through aged.
- Assess health status by taking health histories and performing physical examinations.
- Order and interpret tests
- Identify patients' health problems, risk factors and strengths.
- Diagnose and manage common acute minor illnesses and injuries and stable chronic illnesses, collaborating with other members of the health care team
- Prescribing medications.
Certified Nurse Midwives:
For centuries, women have helped other women bring their babies into the world. They have been known as midwives, a term meaning "with women." Today, the certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is a licensed health care practitioner educated in two disciplines of nursing and women's health. CVMC midwives provide care including:
- Complete prenatal and delivery services
- Annual exams and pap smears
- Prenatal education
- Prenatal risk assessment and counseling
- Postpartum care
- Referral to community resources
Others:
There are many, many other trained and certified professionals you may encounter during your stay or visit at CVMC. These include social workers, technicians, technologists counselors and others. Always feel free to ask your caregiver to tell you about his or her training and experience. We're all here to help.
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