By Lauren Ingram, MSN, MS, APRN, FNP-C, Chief of Advanced Practice Clinicians, Access TeleCare
Advanced practice clinicians (APCs) have long been essential to the provision of timely, high-quality healthcare. Now, their influence is increasingly reflected in the ranks of hospitals and health system executive leadership. A recent Becker’s Hospital Review article highlights the growing number of healthcare organizations appointing chief advanced practice officers or similar executive leaders. While titles vary, the trend signals the growing recognition that advanced practice clinicians should have influence over the decisions that shape clinical strategy, workforce development, and care delivery.
Access TeleCare is ahead of the curve.
I became our Chief of Advanced Practice Clinicians in the summer of 2024, after nearly two decades working as an APC both remotely and on-site at a rural Texas hospital.
Why APC Leadership Belongs in the C-Suite
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other advanced practice clinicians are often discussed as a workforce shortage fix. But, that isn’t a complete picture of the vital role they have. APCs are a core component of team-based specialty care. They evaluate patients, manage treatment plans, coordinate care, educate patients and families, collaborate with physicians, and help clinical teams maintain continuity across the care journey. Their work directly affects quality, patient experience, clinical capacity, and the sustainability of healthcare programs.
Today’s hospitals and health system need leaders who understand that work firsthand.
Executive APC leadership creates a strong connection between the clinicians delivering care and the teams making strategic decisions about how that care should be organized. It helps ensure that APC perspectives are included when organizations design workflows, establish clinical standards, develop new programs, evaluate technology, and plan for future workforce needs.
The role also creates greater consistency across departments and service lines. Rather than APC practice models developing independently, a chief APC can establish a common, standardized approach to recruitment, onboarding, collaboration, professional development, quality, and performance.
Virtual Care Expands What APCs Can Make Possible
In a traditional health system, a chief advanced practice clinician may oversee APCs across multiple hospitals, clinics, and departments. At Access TeleCare, we apply that leadership across virtual care programs for multiple specialties, serving hospital partners nationwide.
This changes the geography of practice, but it does not change the fundamentals of excellent care.
Our APCs collaborate closely with Access TeleCare physicians and the onsite teams at our partner hospitals. Depending on the specialty and program, they may support patient evaluation, proactive rounding, care-plan development, clinical education, follow-up, and coordination across the patient’s stay.
Virtual practice allows their expertise to reach hospitals and communities that may not have consistent access to specialty clinicians locally. A qualified APC does not have to relocate to every community that needs support. Through telemedicine, one integrated clinical team helps hospitals extend their capabilities, strengthen local care, and serve more patients close to home.
That is particularly meaningful for rural and underserved communities. I have devoted much of my career to caring for rural populations, and I have seen how distance and workforce limitations can affect a patient’s options. Virtual care gives us a way to remove those barriers while supporting, rather than replacing, the professionals already caring for patients in the community.
Virtual Does Not Mean Disconnected
Successful virtual care depends on relationships.
Technology may create the connection, but trust, communication, and clinical collaboration determine whether the model works. That is why strong physician-APC relationships are foundational to our programs.
APCs need both the autonomy to practice at the top of their license and the support to escalate questions, discuss complex cases, and continue developing their clinical skills. At Access TeleCare, our physicians and APCs share a clear understanding of their respective responsibilities and a commitment to partnering with onsite clinicians.
When those relationships are built intentionally, virtual APCs become deeply integrated members of the care team. They are not simply appearing on a screen to complete an isolated consult. They are helping hospitals build reliable, sustainable programs.
Leadership plays an important role in creating that environment. It establishes expectations for communication, reinforces mutual respect, and ensures clinicians have the education, resources, and support they need to deliver consistent care.
Building Careers, Not Simply Filling Coverage
The rise of chief APC leadership also creates an opportunity to think more deliberately about APC career development.
Healthcare organizations cannot expect APCs to take on increasingly complex responsibilities without creating pathways for growth. Clinicians need structured onboarding, specialty-specific education, mentorship, feedback, and opportunities to lead.
Virtual practice adds another dimension. Delivering care through telemedicine requires strong clinical judgment, clear communication, comfort with technology, and the ability to build trust without being physically present. Those capabilities should be cultivated and recognized.
At Access TeleCare, we have worked to create a collaborative environment in which APCs can expand their specialty expertise and develop as clinical leaders. Our teleNeurology APC programs, for example, incorporate physician support and ongoing educational opportunities to help clinicians advance their knowledge and skills.
Investing in APC development benefits the clinician, but it also strengthens care for patients. Supported clinicians are better equipped to contribute at a high level, collaborate effectively, and deliver quality patient care.
A Leadership Trend That Should Continue
The growth of the chief advanced practice role reflects a reality hospitals and health systems can no longer overlook: APCs are not peripheral to the future of care delivery. They are shaping it.
Including APCs in executive leadership strengthens the entire organization. It brings clinical insight closer to strategic decision-making, supports more consistent care models, and creates a stronger foundation for workforce growth.
I am encouraged to see more health systems formalizing advanced practice leadership. At Access TeleCare, we have seen the transformation when APCs are trusted, supported, and included in shaping the care model.
Whether care is delivered in person or virtually, advanced practice clinicians help connect patients with the expertise they need. The next step is ensuring their leadership is just as integrated as their clinical practice.
