Thank you for the question.
You are certainly right that the number of nurse practitioners is growing across our country, and they are providing primary care services, particularly in remote and rural communities. I would say that the most important thing they do is provide comprehensive assessments and health care plans for individuals.
Where the services are constrained by the lack of other professionals, perhaps, nurse practitioners can draw on other services, such as nurses themselves. Registered nurses can provide an array of services. Generally, in a small clinic, an array of services are available. I would say that there is a considerable amount of ingenuity in our smaller communities. Also, in this era of telehealth, that is probably the greatest use of the ability to reach out to our interprofessional colleagues with the kind of care and guidance that's needed. Telehealth is exploding across the country, and nurse practitioners are certainly the ones on the leading edge.