A health care provider with less formal
education and less training than that of a medical
doctor (physician).
Midlevel providers have a more restricted scope of practice than physicians and are not accredited nor licensed by the state'
s Board of Medicine. For example, nurse practitioners (NPs) are licensed by the state's Board of Nursing.
Midlevel providers cost less to hire than physicians. Midlevels are often employed by for-profit corporations to offer
basic medical services (e.g. flu shots), such as at the CVS MinuteClinic or Walmart Care Clinic.
Examples of midlevels include: nurse practitioners (
NP/DNP), nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or physician assistants (PA).
Some states (e.g. Michigan)
now recognize dental hygienists as midlevel providers.
I am concerned that the midlevel may have misdiagnosed me. May I
please get a second
opinion from the midlevel's supervising physician, just to be safe?