Advanced practice providers are becoming a larger part of cardiology teams at VCU Health Pauley Heart Center in Richmond, Va.
Twenty-one years ago, in 2005, just two APPs worked in the center’s cardiac surgery intensive care unit, according to an April 1 system news release. Now, APPs are supporting general cardiology, heart failure and electrophysiology, as well as cardio‑oncology, cardio‑obstetrics and adult congenital heart disease specialists. In early 2025, VCU Health hired Paula Brooks, DNP, as the health system’s first associate vice president of advanced practice providers to oversee the growing workforce.
In the heart center’s outpatient clinic, the APP team has grown rapidly, from four in 2020 to 27 now, with more roles in the pipeline. The additional providers have allowed Pauley’s cardiology clinic to grow by 60% in six years.
APPs work closely with physicians to provide care, with physicians focused on more complex cases and APPs managing routine and moderate-complexity care. APPs are also training to perform cardioversions and loop recorder implantations, which previously required a physician, according to the release.
“As APPs become increasingly integral members of VCU Health teams, our value extends far beyond improving access,” Dr. Brooks said in the release. “We are essential to sustaining the quality, safety and continuity of care that our patients deserve.”
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