During a stay at Deborah Heart and Lung Center, patients encounter numerous healthcare professionals who are part of the care team. Each staff member plays a unique role in the care of Deborah’s patients, and has undergone training specific to his or her position. While healthcare professionals at Deborah will wear a badge to help patients identify them by name, this “cheat sheet” will help patients understand each member’s role on the care team.

Attending Physicians
An Attending Physician is responsible for a patient’s care. This physician can be a Cardiologist, who specializes in heart care; a Pulmonologist, who specializes in lung care; a Surgeon, who specializes in surgery; or a Hospitalist, who specializes in internal medicine and the care of hospitalized patients. These physicians all participate in the care of patients while hospitalized at Deborah.

Fellows
Fellows are physicians who have graduated from medical school and have performed an internship and residency in internal medicine, and have decided to pursue training in a specific area of medicine. Deborah offers fellowship training in cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, interventional cardiology and electrophysiology.

Consulting Physicians
Often an Attending Physician will seek a second opinion from another physician, often a specialist in an area other than his or her own, regarding a patient’s care. This physician will be brought on to the care team as a consulting physician to offer opinions and help guide the patient’s care.

Physician Assistants
Physician Assistants are licensed, practicing members of the medical staff that work under the supervision of an Attending Physician, and can perform a wide variety of patient care responsibilities, including prescribing medication. In many cases, once the Attending Physician determines a diagnosis and creates a treatment plan, the Physician Assistant monitors the patient at follow-up visits, provides patient education, and is available to address patient concerns.

Nursing Staff
Deborah’s nursing staff is made up of Registered Nurses, Nursing Assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses, Advanced Practice Nurses, and Patient Care Techs. Registered Nurses are licensed and certified to perform all nursing duties, and have the support of Licensed Practical Nurses and Nursing Assistants in carrying out some of those duties. Patient Care Techs perform specific technical duties, such as drawing blood for testing. Advanced Practice Nurses have undergone training beyond RN certification and often specialize in a specific field or condition.

Case Managers
Patients encounter Ccase Managers at Deborah Heart and Lung Center when additional resources are necessary beyond discharge from Deborah. Case Managers help locate rehabilitative or nursing home care, arrange for transportation, arrange in-home care, and more.

Ancillary Staff or Allied Health Professionals
At Deborah, a number of employees work in specific departments, such as clinical labs, echocardiography, nuclear imaging, respiratory therapy, or radiology. These staff members perform technical duties in those departments, such as drawing blood, performing imaging tests like nuclear stress tests, echocardiograms or ultrasounds, giving breathing treatments, or taking
x-rays. Many of these employees have gone through specialized
education programs and earned technical certifications in their respective areas.

A number of medical personnel make up each patient’s care team, each playing a unique, important role; however, it can be difficult to remember “who’s who” when encountering several staff members during a visit to Deborah. We hope this explanatory article can help, and always remember that we encourage patients to inquire if they have questions for members of their care team.