The largest NP and PA network in the U.S. joins forces with NHLBI and others to raise awareness of new treatments and therapies in pulmonary care

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – May 5, 2021 – POCN, the largest NP and PA network in the U.S., and Learn More Breathe BetterSM, a program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, are collaborating to provide advanced practice providers (APPs), including NPs and PAs in both primary and pulmonary care, with information on updates to the national guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of asthma.

As part of this partnership, POCN is now a member of the Breathe Better Network, a partnership of organizations coordinated by Learn More Breathe Better that raises awareness about lung health nationwide. The Breathe Better Network comprises a variety of organizations, including state and federal agencies, nonprofits, civic groups, professional associations, health systems, and research organizations, with the common goal of advancing lung health.

The Breathe Better Network aims to drive outreach efforts to increase awareness of lung health, with a special emphasis on COPD and asthma, as serious, yet manageable and treatable conditions. In line with POCN’s mission, it is assisting to educate about the updated asthma guidelines which are commonly referenced by APPs. The guidelines, updated for the first time since 2007, include important information on many newly available asthma treatments and
therapies.

POCN’s role in the partnership is to identify NPs and PAs nationally who treat patients with asthma and COPD for awareness of these new guidelines. Further, POCN offers breadth in reach to the APP community with platforms such as POCN+ (the first comprehensive streaming educational delivery platform exclusively for APPs). POCN’s partnership with the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers (APAPP) will bring further awareness around the
guidelines through its network of APPs involved in asthma, respiratory, and pulmonary care.

“We released the 2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines last December as a tool for healthcare providers, caregivers, and people with asthma to use together to make decisions about asthma care,” said James Kiley, PhD, director of NHLBI’s Division of Lung Diseases. “Now, we want to ensure providers and patients have the information they need to put these guidelines into practice. As part of our Breathe Better Network, POCN can help us share this information with nurse practitioners and physician assistants nationwide.”

“While the annual rate of emerging NP and PA graduates is growing, the number of physicians is shrinking. APPs have the ability to bridge this gap, and by ensuring that the latest guidelines and techniques are well understood by this group of providers, we can ensure that excellent patient outcomes remain the highest priority,” said Corinne Young, president and founder at APAPP.

APPs are integral members of the provider landscape, especially considering the ever-growing physician shortage. As the responsibilities and duties of NPs and PAs continue to grow and evolve, their understanding of new treatments and therapies outlined in its new guidelines is crucial to the overall treatment of pulmonary patients. POCN’s involvement with the Breathe Better Network will increase the understanding of these proven medical guidelines and interventions while encouraging communication between clinicians and patients about their lung
health.

“We are witnessing increasing numbers of NPs and PAs filling the gap in pulmonary care, making this partnership a natural fit to spread awareness of these new asthma guidelines,” said Richard Zwickel, founder and CEO of POCN. “POCN is committed to advancing the abilities of APPs, by providing the most updated knowledge on treatments and therapies available to asthma patients to ensure exceptional patient care.

To learn more about POCN, visit www.pocn.com.

About POCN
POCN is the largest and most informed network of 400,000 NPs and PAs. The organization is trusted by government organizations, medical associations, providers, pharma and life sciences companies to help advocate for NP/PA clinical decision-making resources. POCN achieves this by helping healthcare organizations make more informed decisions to improve patient outcomes. Often, treatment data does not accurately attribute treatment decision-making correctly to a NP or PA. POCN has a proprietary data mining approach which allows the organization to uncover ‘true’ treatment prescribers. As the role of NPs and PAs continues to evolve and expand in the healthcare landscape, POCN is dedicated to helping organizations such as the Breathe Better Network, APP associations and industry partners in identifying and bringing awareness to APPs for therapeutic updates and clinical education programs. For more information, visit www.POCN.com/partner-with-us