Advanced Practice Nurses, UCI Center Were Omitted in Health Care Profile

* The article “A Profile of Health Care” (July 18) contained two glaring oversights. Firstly, when evaluating health-care providers in Orange County, only doctors were listed. Advanced practice nurses, such as nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives, provide high-quality health care to a large number of the citizens in Orange County, regardless of insurance type, in a cost-effective manner. Scientific studies have shown that the care provided by these nurses is equivalent to and in some cases superior to physician care. To omit these providers and include only physicians in your statistics tells only part of the story.

Advanced practice nurses will continue to grow in number and importance in the health-care delivery system as they are recognized as primary care providers and one of the “gatekeepers” of the health-care system.

Secondly, under the listings of Alternative Birth/Family Birth Centers, the UCI Birthing Center in Anaheim was not included. This family-centered birthing center offers obstetrical, gynecological and newborn care to healthy women and their families. It is affiliated with the UCI Medical Center and staffed by seven certified nurse-midwives who are on the faculty of the College of Medicine, Department of OB/GYN, UC Irvine.

DEBORAH WALKER

UCI Birthing Center, Anaheim