Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Roles in Heart and Lung Transplantation-Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Roles in Heart and Lung Transplantation

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar segment featured advanced practice providers (APPs) from four heart and lung transplant programs—Inova Fairfax, Vanderbilt, Mayo Clinic, and Norton Thoracic—discussing their roles, program structures, and experiences. Each program highlighted their transplant volumes, team structures including inpatient/outpatient APP staffing, physician collaboration, and approaches to patient management. Vanderbilt shared their record-setting transplant numbers and a growing adolescent program, emphasizing multidisciplinary rounding and evolving APP scopes. Inova Fairfax detailed their APP reporting structure, patient ratios, and a forthcoming advanced cardiopulmonary transplant APP fellowship. Mayo Clinic described a combined heart and lung inpatient APP team with 24/7 coverage, outpatient focus on early post-transplant care, and distinct LVAD and cardiothoracic APP groups. Norton Thoracic focused on lung transplant APPs, call structure, and a bridge APP role to improve inpatient-outpatient transitions. The discussion also covered innovative APP fellowship programs at Norton Thoracic and Inova Fairfax, emphasizing strong administrative support and workforce development. Teams addressed challenges with transplant patient readmissions, generally retaining patients lifelong unless specific conditions arise, though expanding programs are exploring new models. Staffing ratios average one APP per 6-8 patients, with weekend and night coverage adaptations and shared roles among cardiothoracic and transplant APP teams. Physicians and APPs collaborate variably, often co-managing patients. Overall, the forum underscored the evolving, vital role of APPs in advanced heart and lung transplant care and the importance of continued education and program growth.

Asset Caption

This session provides a multi-center overview of the roles and practice models of advanced practice providers (APPs)—including nurse practitioners and physician assistants—in heart and lung transplantation programs.

Keywords

Advanced Practice Providers

Heart and Lung Transplant

Transplant Programs

APP Fellowship

Patient Management

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Transplant Patient Care