by Brooke Chaplan

As the population ages, accessible healthcare becomes more and more important. Accessible means both physically available and financially affordable. Following are 4 medical professionals that make healthcare more accessible to everyone.

Nurse Practitioners (View Nurse Practitioner Jobs)

Nurse Practitioners (NP) are able to take on many of the same duties as regular physicians such as diagnose, treat, prescribe medications, order and read lab work, etc. Some states allow NPs to practice on their own while other states require that they work in tandem with a doctor. NPs make healthcare more accessible by providing an extremely high level of care without having to invest years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in higher education. Nurse practitioner programs are comprehensive and a Masters degree in Nursing is required to become an NP.

Medical Information Technicians (View Medical Information Technician Jobs)

Medical Information Technicians (MIT) are in charge of the medical records for health care facilities. As the entire medical field becomes more digitalized, the demand for educated MITs that can stay abreast of the rapidly changing electronic world increases. MITs make healthcare more accessible by providing instant access to healthcare records, streamlining the diagnosis process and ensuring that patient records are instantly available.

Physician Assistant (View Physician Assistant Jobs)

A Physician Assistant (PA) is similar to a nurse practitioner in that they both can diagnose injuries, examine patients, and prescribe treatment. A PA always practices medicine under the supervision of a physician. Some NP also work as a PA because the training for both positions is similar. Both NPs and PAs free up the physician, and together the 3 of them can see more patients and spend more time with each patient they see. In addition, this is helping to bring the cost of healthcare down.

Emergency Medical Technician (View Emergency Medical Technician Jobs)

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the first responders and provide medical care in emergency rooms, ambulances, the scene of an accident, and other fast-paced medical environments. EMTs make healthcare accessible by being mobile (the EMT generally comes to you when you are incapacitated) and being able to provide top quality care without having a physician involved. The education requirements are much shorter than with actually NPs or PAs.

The medical field is growing by leaps and bounds, and is projected to continue to grow well into the future. Working in the medical field has huge potential for anyone who is interested in making a good income and helping people in the process. The educational requirements are different for each field of healthcare.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.