Nancy T. Maulick, MHS, PA-C, Named Valley Preferred’s Director of Advanced Practice Clinicians (APCs)

Since earning her PA credential 22 years ago, Nancy Maulick has gained an even stronger appreciation for learning. A staunch believer in family practice, she encourages really getting to know a patient, so that when a provider enters an exam room, he or she is capable of seeing the whole picture. “Each approach will be different,” she says, “but by being familiar and comfortable with my patients, I am better equipped to know what will work for each person.”

Many may already know Maulick, who has been serving as Regional Practice Lead of Lehigh Valley Physicians Group West (the Macungie, Trexlertown, Blandon, Kutztown, Moselem Springs, and Hamburg LVPG offices), and Practice Lead at the Blandon and Moselem Springs LVPG offices. She has recently advanced to the role of Director overseeing all Advanced Practice Clinicians (APCs).

As a member of the APC Executive Council for LVHN for two years working on tasks to promote the well-being and value of APCs in the network itself, and within the family medicine department of LVPG, Maulick has been in preparation for this position for some time. Besides recruitment of APCs and helping to orient them to the Valley Preferred organization, she is also in charge of assisting APCs in improving their knowledge. A big part of her new role centers on quality metrics. This is also a key area in her responsibilities at Blandon and Moselem Springs.

“I emphasize the importance of staff management in the pursuit of higher quality,” says Maulick. She explains that these activities can range from finding ways to improve scheduling and making sure the staff is following the standard workflow so excess workload doesn’t go to the provider, to encouraging communication so that everyone pulls together as a team. This goes hand-in-hand with her work on quality metrics. “We focus on one or two metrics at a time, and ensure the computer is capturing the correct information,” she says. “As an example, using one code for cholesterol is not the right code for everyone. I provide education about accurate diagnoses and specific coding.”As Maulick juggles multiple roles including patient care, she relies on EMR and efficiency of the staff to keep herself focused. “I make sure I know every short cut possible in the Epic system, and I ensure the staff is well trained, so they know how to maintain an even workflow, and keep me on time,” she says.

Creating more efficiency inside the office, she notes, is a key factor in relieving administrative burdens and aiding physician/provider well-being. “You’re a stronger provider when the things around you are taken care of; when the schedule is organized, the staff is ready, and you’re not having to pick up the pieces,” she says. “Clinicians can’t do it alone; they need the whole team. That’s where management becomes essential.”

Maulick has a Master of Health Science from George Washington University, Washington, DC, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Clark University in Worcester, MA. She holds a PA State of Medicine License, a PA State of Osteopathic Medicine License, is NCCPA certified, and is a National Certified Health Coach. She is a preceptor for University of South Florida medical students and DeSales University physician assistant students. Also a licensed practitioner in Colorado, Maulick has been a course director and instructor in the University of Colorado Health Science Physician Assistant Program.

Maulick produced two publications this past year for the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Medical Conference in Phoenix AZ. One poster was on positivity; the other, management of hypertension and improving quality metrics.

LVPG Family Medicine in Blandon was featured as a Practice of the Month by LVHN. Read the story here: http://daily.lvhn.org/lvpg/lvpg-practice-of-the-month-lvpg-family-medicine-blandon