There I was, near death, with no one to help me. OK, so I exaggerate a wee bit. But a new system at The Everett Clinic didn’t snap to my rescue last week. The doctor was in, but to me, she was out.

For many patients, seeing a nurse practitioner has become a routine part of primary care, in which these “NPs” often perform the same tasks that patients have relied on doctors for. But NPs in ...

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Most voters (52%) also think the quality of health care would improve if routine medical care was handled by nurse practitioners and doctors were able to focus more on challenging health care issues.

CHICAGO — Elizabeth Hug had a choice: wait months to see a doctor to treat her fibromyalgia or visit a nurse practitioner in the same office immediately. She decided sooner was better than later. She ...