BILH Primary Care Equips Providers with the Support and Tools Needed for Success
Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care (BILHPC) works hard to support providers who are advancing their roles from Nurse or Medical Assistant to Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant within their current practice or region to make the transition as smooth as possible.
“Our onboarding program helps foster a sense of community and connection,” said Shannon Healy, Director of Advanced Practitioners at BILHPC. “Our goal is to form a culture rich with community and connection and one where our Advanced Practitioners feel immense support provided by Seasoned Advanced Practitioners who were once in their shoes.”
Preexisting Relationships Create a Culture of Trust and Growth
“Role advancement has many advantages. Nurse practitioners and Physician Assistants who are already embedded in their practices have an understanding of the electronic health records system, a good grasp of office resources, and most importantly, great rapport with their patients and colleagues.” Said Shannon Healy “We love to hire from within, it’s a win all around for the practice, the patients, the Practitioner and our team at BILHPC.”
“It was really nice being able to transition from the [Registered Nurse] team to the [Nurse Practitioner] team,” said Allie Collignon, a Nurse Practitioner at Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care – Brookline Family Medicine. “I already had most of my resources and I was very familiar working with all the Doctors. I felt very comfortable with the team I had there and that made the transition so smooth.”
Elizabeth Thidemann, a Physician Assistant at Belmont Medical Associates in Cambridge, agreed. Having already worked in her practice before, she felt comfortable approaching other Practitioners when she needed help.
“I do feel comfortable going up to other providers in person or sending them a message,” she said, especially when she needed help completing otherwise routine tasks like scheduling or note-taking dictation.
For many of those advancing to new positions, having the trust of their colleagues means getting the space to grow into their roles at their own pace.
“I had people watching from a respectful distance, which gave me the oversight I needed to know I wasn’t going to miss something,” said Kathryn Liziewski, a Nurse Practitioner at Beth Israel Lahey Primary Care Lexington. “It’s really built up my confidence over time.”
Workplace Support Turns into Career Confidence
Once hired, all new Advanced Practitioners are paired with a Lead Advanced Practitioner within their region who craft an onboarding program unique to the individual. “Our amazing Regional Lead APs meet with the newly hired NP or PA on a regular basis for about a year, offering as much support as needed to help them transition into their new role.”
They can provide shadowing opportunities, work through processing challenges, and otherwise offer support and guidance when needed.
For Elizabeth Thidemann, just knowing she had the support of her team behind her was enough to dispel much of her new-job anxiety.
“Knowing that I could easily talk to my mentor made a huge difference as a new grad,” she said. “I knew I wouldn’t be alone and wouldn’t be responsible for making a huge decision until I was ready.”
Allie Collignon agreed. One of her concerns was that her inexperience could lead to costly mistakes. Having someone there to double-check her work helped her get her feet under her.
“I know I always have resources and that if I don’t know what something is, I can easily send it back to the primary care provider or just ask someone,” she said. “That positive reinforcement is really helpful.”
In the end, BILHPC’s onboarding and mentorship program is part of a broader support structure that helps providers advancing to new roles within the system acclimate to their positions so they can achieve their highest potential and deliver great quality care to their patients.
