Lisa A. Profetto, MSN, APRN

I view patient care as a team approach: the patient is the quarterback, and I am the coach. The patient is the captain of the team and the one who ultimately makes the decisions on the field.

As the coach, I measure success by improvements in a patient’s symptoms and a patient’s confidence in their ability to take care of themselves. I will be honest with my patients so they clearly understand their situation and the steps I am recommending.

I am only part of the team. No individual patient operates in a bubble. Primary care is family-centered care, both in family medicine and pediatrics. The whole family should be involved in decisions, whether the patient is a child, an adult, or a senior citizen.