AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner Katherine Grote is “mobile” and frequently on the move between her Annapolis-based medical practice Integrative Family NP, LLC and patients in their homes. We caught up with her on Annapolis Street at the Bean Rush Cafe where she was checking for emails from her patients.
We’d met Grote before at the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s Women In Business Winetasting at Cheers & Spirits last December. From the moment she was introduced and described the medical practice she owns as “one that makes house calls”, we were all overwhelmed with curiosity.
She’d briefly explained then that she is a Registered Nurse Practitioner who treats patients virtually online, in her office at Wellsview Cottage, or in their homes.
During a recent chat with Grote at Bean Rush Cafe, we had time to delve more deeply into what a Nurse Practitioner is and does. She began by explaining the many steps she had to complete to become an NP.
“To be a Nurse Practitioner, you first need to be a Registered Nurse. That requires that you have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing which takes four years of education,” Grote said. “The next step is getting your Master of Science Degree in Nursing. Most schools for getting your MSN require that you have at least 1,000 hours of clinical time or work experience before you’re eligible to apply.”
She said there are degrees for many kinds of nurse practitioner specialties ranging from Nurse Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, and Acute Care Nurse to Integrative Family Nurse Practitioner which is what she is.
After getting her Master of Science in Nursing degree in Family Practice, Grote went on to additional training to acquire her Holistic Integrative Specialist certification so she could marry traditional Western medicine with alternative medicine.
Thus, like most Nurse Practitioners, she has had 11 years of schooling with a heavy emphasis on clinical experience. (In contrast, family practice doctors generally spend four years working for their Bachelor’s degree and four years of medical school, plus a residency or fellowship for a similar total of about 11 years of schooling.)
Once finished with schooling, Nurse Practitioners must sit for one of two boards. Grote sat for and passed the American Association of Nurse Practitioners board becoming nationally certified. She next applied to be licensed by the State of Maryland. Lastly, she applied to the state’s Board of Nursing for CBF and DEA Prescribing licenses (the latter for controlled substances) and a National Provider Identifying number.
Like doctors, who are similarly licensed, Nurse Practitioners are fully qualified to issue prescriptions. Their lengthy, high level of training and experience compare favorably with or occasionally surpass that of doctors. Thus, Nurse Practitioners have become an extremely important part of the medical profession across the nation – especially in rural areas.
With a family practice like the one Grote established, Nurse Practitioners treat patients from all age groups – from pediatrics to geriatrics. They treat patients for a range of health problems and generally offer more affordable health care.
“Surprisingly, when I ask my patients why they prefer being seen by an NP, they frequently answer “because nurses listen to them while doctors are inclined not to”.
Far from being a “pill pusher”, Grote is holistic in her approach preferring to combine Eastern and Western medicine and to treat the whole patient instead of treating a single symptom. She loves having her own integrative family practice that is designed to treat children and adults with flexible visit options and reasonable costs.
Patients can arrange to be seen by her through telemedicine virtual appointments, in her office at Wellsview Cottage in Annapolis or through home visits. Costs are straightforward with telemedicine and/or office visits $30 for a visit under 15 minutes, $50 for a 15-29 minute visit and graduated fees for longer visits. Home visits cost an additional $100 due to travel time and expenses. Her practice does not accept health insurance but does provide a detailed billing so patients may submit it for possible reimbursement.
Grote schedules office visits on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at Wellsview Cottage which she chose because of its friendly, homey atmosphere and the fact that the facility is host to several complimentary practices ranging from Foods and Nutritional Therapy and Herbal Medicine to Acupuncture, Massage Therapy and Yoga. As the name Integrative Family NP, LLC implies, her practice considers the overall health of her patients in providing well thought out treatment plans.
Integrative Family NP, LLC is part of a growing trend. According to a study in Nurse Journal, the fastest- growing career in the U.S. is that of Nurse Practitioner. NP jobs are projected to grow 45% over the next decade. Considering the state of the U.S. economy and soaring medical costs, it’s good that Nurse Practitioners are helping lower healthcare costs by filling the primary care physician shortage gap and improving healthcare accessibility.
Independent family practices like Grote’s are an increasingly popular alternative for cost-conscious and low-income patients. Furthermore, the mere mention, during speaking engagements, that she makes house calls brings smiles to the faces of those listening to her. People old enough to remember when medical care was affordable and doctors made house calls are nostalgic about those days and wish they’d make a comeback. Younger folks say they find the idea of a Nurse Practitioner who makes house calls appealing since sitting in a doctor’s office is the last thing they want to do if they are sick.
People interested in making an appointment with Grote can reach her by email at Katherine.groteCRNP@outlook.com or by calling or texting 443-534-4793. She’s happy to set up a brief “Meet and Greet” by phone or in person at no cost.
Chamber’s Spring Shop Local Fun Festival rescheduled for this Saturday, May 11
Last week’s heavy rains forced the postponement of the Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s “Spring Shop Local Fun Festival” at Park Plaza to this Saturday, May 11 from 11 am to 3 pm. Chamber CEO Liz League and a host of local business owners are crossing their fingers while chanting “rain, rain stay away” till late in the day.
When we last checked, over 60 local businesses are expected to participate with exhibits. As always at the Shop Local Fun Festivals, there will be food, music and lots of fun for kids.
For updates, visit Facebook.
Hatton-Regester Green concert schedule announced
The Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails kicked off their season of free concerts in the gazebo at Hatton-Regester Green with the return of the popular Carribbean-influenced trio Guava Jelly on May 5.
There are three more concerts in the series beginning this Sunday, May 12 with a Mother’s Day concert featuring acoustic duo Josette & Bill. They’ll be performing popular tunes from across the decades.
On Sunday, May 19 Incidental Brass – a classical brass group will be playing a mix of show tunes and jazz with a patriotic number or two for good measure.
Lastly, on Sunday, May 26, Sparks and McCoy, a classic rock duo will appear to round out the spring series of concerts.
The concerts are brought to us through a grant from the Performing Arts through Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks. All concerts held on Sundays between 4 pm and 6 pm and are weather dependent. Attendees are invited to bring a blanket or chair. For information, call Dave Greene at 443-994-8074.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
