Angela Patterson, APRN, BC, FNP
Angela Patterson, APRN, BC, FNP
Lecturer and Adjunct Clinical Instructor, Simmons College, Boston and Nurse Practitioner, Co-owner, and Clinical Director, Atreva Health Care Inc., Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Promoting high quality, accessible community health care
Angela Patterson is a three-time graduate of Simmons; a lecturer and adjunct clinical instructor at the college; a nurse practitioner; and co-owner, administrator, and clinical director of Atreva Health Care Inc., in Jamaica Plain — deemed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a 2006 "best practice" for exceeding national benchmark statistics in all areas of quality health care control measurements tested.
She'll tell you not to be impressed by her achievements, though. "Success comes dressed in overalls," she laughs. "There's no limit to what you can do if you put your mind to it and work hard."
Patterson does indeed work hard. Her nurse practitioner-based practice is dedicated to providing high quality, effective health care that's affordable and accessible. Her patients are predominantly Latino. Most are covered by state-funded medical assistance, yet her practice is profitable and her employees have a 401K plan.
"Everyone on our staff is committed to community health and to focusing on the ‘health' in ‘health care.' As nurse practitioners, we are trained to fill the gap left by doctors who are increasingly specializing and no longer practicing general medicine. We provide genuine family wellness care. We work with our patients to keep them healthy and to teach them about how to maximize their wellness. In order to do so, we must communicate with them effectively and that often means speaking to them in their native language. Everyone on our staff speaks Spanish."
Patterson believes her students should know Spanish, too. At Simmons, she teaches Spanish for Health Care Providers. Self-taught in the language, Patterson also uses her ability to speak Spanish on the trips to Nicaragua and Guatemala that she leads annually for nursing students at Simmons.
"The students I see today are much more service-minded than my generation was," says Patterson. "They recognize the importance of service learning and the benefits that come from embracing a new culture. These trips offer students an experience that is entirely hands-on. Health care is stripped down to basic wellness recommendations, such as proper hygiene and diet. The success comes in honestly connecting with patients and helping them understand -- in whatever way works best for them — how to be and stay healthy. When that happens, I know I've done my job."