In her spare time, Ms. Smithwick enjoys spending quality time with her family and exercising.

Ms. Smithwick will be seeing patients with Walk-In Care at WTMA located at 3555 Knickerbocker Rd. If you would like more information or to schedule an appointment, you may call 325-224-5511.

For a number of years Ms. Darby has been an assistant clinical professor at ASU. She founded the ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) support group in San Angelo 5 years ago in honor of her late husband, Dr. Preston Darby. In her spare time she enjoys exercising, scuba diving, gardening and visiting other countries.

Ms. Darby’s office will be located at at 3555 Knickerbocker Rd. If you would like more information or to schedule an appointment, you may call 224-5321.

In her spare time, Ms. Simpson enjoys gardening, reading, collecting antiques and traveling.

Ms. Simpson will be located at 3555 Knickerbocker Rd. If you would like more information or to schedule an appointment, you may call 325-224-5771.

The Baha system sends sound around the damaged or occluded area which in turn stimulates the cochlea through bone conduction. The Cochlear ™ Baha system works to reroute sound to the better ear in someone who has lost most of the hearing in one ear, but has normal hearing on the other side. Once the cochlea receives these sound vibrations, the sound is converted into neural signals and transferred to the brain, allowing a person to perceive sound. This system is made up of 3 main parts – a sound processor, an abutment and a small titanium implant. The titanium implant is placed behind the ear and becomes fused with bone.

Adults and children who cannot wear typical hearing aids due to ear surgery, the shape of the ear canal, or no ear canal can be benefitted by the Baha system. The Baha system is recommended for three different types of hearing loss:

1) Conductive hearing loss
2) Mixed hearing loss
3) Single sided deafness (SSD)

To determine if the Baha is right for you, contact Dr. Jonathan Hafner’s office for a demonstration. No surgery is needed just to test the Baha as you can try the system using a test band or using a Baja sound processor on a Baha Softband. To call for an appointment or to obtain more information, please call 325-224-5354.

In his free time, Dr. Johnson enjoys hunting and fishing, and spending quality time with his wife, Michele, and his two sons, Cody and Owen.

Dr. Johnson’s office will be located at 3605 Executive Drive. If you would like additional information or to schedule an appointment you may call 325-224-5721.

What are Nurse Practitioners (NPs)?

NPs are advanced practice nurses who provide high-quality healthcare services similar to those of a physician. NPs diagnose and treat a wide range of health problems. They have a unique approach and stress both care and cure. Besides clinical care, NPs focus on health promotion, disease prevention, health education and counseling. They help patients make wise health and lifestyle choices. They are truly your Partners in Health.

How long have NPs been providing health care?

NPs have a history of providing excellent health care for more than 45 years. The first NPs were educated at the University of Colorado in 1965 in a response to a shortage of primary care providers. Programs soon spread across the U.S. As of 2011, there are about 140,000 practicing NPs. Close to 9,000 new NPs are prepared each year at over 325 colleges and universities across the country.

As of September 2010, there were over 8600 Nurse Practitioners in the State of Texas. There are also over 4400 other types of Advanced Practice Nurses such as Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Anesthetists, and Nurse Midwifes serving patients throughout the State of Texas.

How are NPs educated?

NPs have graduate, advanced education and clinical training beyond their registered nurse preparation. Most have master’s degrees and many have doctorates.

Where are NPs licensed to practice and how are they licensed?

NPs are licensed in all states and the District of Columbia. They practice under the rules and regulations of the state in which they are licensed. In many states NPs practice independently. In some states, such as Texas, NPs collaborate with a physician in order to perform certain functions. NPs are nationally certified in their specialty area and are recognized as expert healthcare providers. The faith that patients have in NPs is shown by the almost 600 million visits patients in the US make to NPs each year.

Where do NPs practice?

NPs practice in rural, urban, and suburban communities. They practice in many types of settings. These include clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care sites, private physician or NP practices, nursing homes, schools, colleges, and public health departments, to name a few.

What services do NPs provide?

From treating illness to advising patients on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, NPs provide a full range of services. Patients who see NPs report an extremely high level of satisfaction with the care they receive.

Among the many services that NPs provide, they:

· Take histories and perform physical exams on patients in order to diagnose and treat acute and chronic health care problems
· Order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays
· Diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections and injuries
· Prescribe medications and other treatments
· Manage patients' overall care
· Spend time counseling patients
· Help patients learn how their actions affect their health and well-being
· Collaborate with other health care providers to provide care for their patients
· Refer patients to specialists or other health care services

How can I locate an NP?

WTMA has a variety of Nurse Practitioners and other Advanced Practice Nurses that are here to help serve the health care needs of San Angelo and surrounding communities.

Baker, Paula, MSN, RN, CPN, CPNP

Henrikson, Lynn, DNP, ACNP-BC, FNP-C, RN

Marburger, Jennifer, P.N.P.

Slaven, Jennifer, C.N.S.

Come see one of the Advance Practice Nurses at West Texas Medical Associates. Experience the Difference!

Sclerotherapy for Spider Veins

Spider veins are like varicose veins but smaller and begin as tiny capillaries and appear as blue or red squiggles. A common form of treatment for spider veins is sclerotherapy. This is an in-office procedure where veins are injected with a solution, using tiny needles, which causes them to collapse and fade from view. The procedure typically improves not only the cosmetic appearance but associated symptoms as well. A few sessions may be required to obtain maximum benefit. During sclerotherapy, a solution is injected into the spider vein. This procedure normally takes between 5 and 30 minutes, depending on how many spider veins are treated.

If you are interested in receiving more information or wish to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Gibson’s office at 325-224-5229.

In his free time, Dr. Hafner enjoys scuba diving, weight training, running, rollerblading, water skiing and traveling. He and his wife are the proud parents of one son.

Dr. Hafner’s office will be located at the 3605 Executive Drive location. To obtain further information or to schedule an appointment you may call 325-224-5211.

Past WTMA News