Commonly Asked Questions

What is a nurse practitioner?
What is a NAMS Menopause Practitioner?
What are preventive services and which ones are recommended for my age?
Why is it important to be aware of my personal health risks?
What makes Intrinsic Coaching™ different from other types of coaching?
Where is Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance located?
How do I schedule an appointment?
What insurance plans are accepted by Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance?
What does Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance charge for services if I am uninsured?
What programs are available for free or low cost healthcare services and/or medication assistance?

What is a nurse practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with a master’s degree and advanced training in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating common health conditions. Additionally, a nurse practitioner must be nationally certified to practice in their area of advanced training (Family Practice, Women’s Health, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, etc). In the state of Washington, nurse practitioners are licensed as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), given the authority to practice independently and prescribe medications, and are required to participate in continuing educational opportunities.

To learn more about nurse practitioner’s scope of practice, review the statement written by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. To gauge the quality of care provided by nurse practitioners, read this press release from the American Nurses Association. If you would like to verify ARNP licensure, the Washington State Department of Health provides a Health Professions Quality Assurance Provider Credential Search tool free of charge.

What is a NAMS Menopause Practitioner?

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is North America's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and quality of life of women through an understanding of menopause. As such, NAMS has taken on the role of offering a measurement of competency in the field of menopause to licensed healthcare professionals. Successful completion of the examination verifies broad-based knowledge in women’s health during menopause and beyond.

To achieve the credential of NAMS Menopause Practitioner, a licensed healthcare professional must sit for and attain a passing score on a competency examination. In order to maintain this credential status, every three years a NAMS Menopause Practitioner must either submit documentation of continuing education in area of menopause or sit for re-examination.

Denise Cummings, MNSc, ARNP, FNP (owner/operator) achieved the credential status as a NAMS Menopause Practitioner in September 2005.

What are preventive services and which ones are recommended for my age?

Preventing disease as well as early detection and management of health conditions is essential for living a healthier and more productive life. Preventive services, such as screening tests, immunizations, and risk reduction counseling, are recommended based on an individual’s age, sex, personal risk factors for disease, and family history. The guideline standard for assisting clinicians in recommending appropriate preventive services comes from the US Preventive Services Task Force.

For most women, these general preventive service recommendations, serve as a useful guide. However, if you have an extensive personal medical history, family history of medical conditions, and other risk factors, also review these high risk preventive service recommendations. Also available are the recommended screenings and immunizations for men.

To help you and your family keep track of preventive services and learn more about living healthier lives, please view the following pocket guides: Good Health for Adults, Staying Healthy at 50+, and Good Health for Children. These guides are provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Policy, Federal agency for research on healthcare quality, costs, outcomes, and patient safety, and may be ordered free of charge (single copies only).

Why is it important to be aware of my personal health risks?

It is an undisputed fact that over 50% of all chronic illnesses (diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.) are associated with modifiable health risk factors and preventable. Modifiable health risk factors are those daily lifestyle behaviors and choices we have control over, including: tobacco use, lack of regular physical activity, poor nutritional choices, being overweight or obese, ineffective stress management, not managing existing high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and/or high blood pressure, not wearing seatbelts, and excessive intake of alcohol or other addictive substances.

A health risk assessment (HRA) tool translates how your modifiable health behaviors, family history, and current health status (blood pressure reading, cholesterol and blood sugar results, body mass index, etc.) determine your risk for developing chronic illnesses and identifies areas for improvement. Gaining an appreciation of your personal health risks lays the foundation on which successful action can take place to reduce the risk of developing chronic illness as you age.

What makes Intrinsic Coaching™ different from other types of coaching?

When it comes to promoting health and wellness, it is well known that giving information and advice does not promote sustainable personal commitment or health behavior change. As a matter of fact, this deficit or extrinsic approach views an individual as a passive participant in their healthcare, focuses on their shortcomings and problems, and displaces responsibility for “fixing” their problems onto healthcare and/or wellness practitioners. Conversely, an asset or intrinsic approach views individuals as active participants in their healthcare, focuses on their strengths and self-awareness as building blocks to success, and promotes personal commitment and responsibility for making sustainable health behavior changes.

Instead of offering “one size fits all” health and wellness information and advice, Intrinsic Coaching™ builds on the asset approach by:

▪ Regarding you as a capable, competent, and creative person
▪ Eliciting your best thinking and decision making regarding what is most important to you
▪ Supporting you in whatever manner you deem necessary to be successful

As a result, Intrinsic Coaching™ enhances your ongoing ability to think better about and take action on what is important to you about living a healthier life!

Where is Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance located?

Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance is conveniently located at 2813 East Main Avenue just two miles from downtown Puyallup and near the Highway 410 exit/entrance ramps. Please click here for a map and driving instructions.

How do I schedule an appointment?

Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance office hours are by appointment Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. However, to offer greater flexibility in meeting your scheduling needs, appointments may be arranged during evening hours or on a Saturday. Please be advised, Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance does not offer care for urgent or emergency illness or injury.

You may schedule an appointment by:

• Calling the office at (253) 445-8943. If you receive the recorded message, please leave a voice message. Your call will be returned as soon as possible that same day.
• Using our non-secure e-mail portal at a time convenient for you. Your e-mail will be responded to within 24 - 48 hours. We do not accept requests for healthcare advice and strongly discourage sending of confidential personal health information through this non-secure e-mail portal.

Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance understands and respects that your time is valuable. As such, we strive to give you the time necessary to address you concerns and do not subscribe to double booking appointments. Please respect our time as well by arriving for your appointment at the agreed upon time and providing 24 hour advanced notice of need to reschedule or cancel an appointment.

Click here to view Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance’s Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF version).

What insurance plans are accepted by Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance?

Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance is contracted with most of the major health care plans available in Washington State. As such, we have agreed to bill these insurance carriers for the services provided on your behalf. However, since an insurance policy is a contract between you and the carrier, it is your responsibility to understand your benefits as well as your financial responsibility for co-payments, deductibles, and non-covered services.

Please call the office to determine if we are contracted with your specific insurance carrier. If not, Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance is considered a “non-network or out-of-network provider.” Please check with your insurance carrier regarding your “non-network or out of network” benefit. If you have this benefit, insurance companies usually require that you submit a receipt from a “non-network or out-of-network provider” for reimbursement up to the limits of your coverage.

What does Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance charge for services if I am uninsured?

More and more Americans, many of whom are working full-time or are self-employed, are going without health insurance or maintaining high deductible, catastrophic health coverage for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, this may result in less people seeking preventive services for early detection of disease, an unawareness of current health risks leading to chronic illness over time, and/or difficulty managing current chronic illnesses.

Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance’s unique practice management model allows us to offer an affordable rate for our services. We also are willing to go the extra mile by taking time to educate and assist our patients in accessing free or low cost community resources and programs.

For your convenience, Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance accepts cash, debit cards, and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover) for payment of services at time of visit. Please contact us to learn more about our fees and payment policy.

What programs are available for free or low cost healthcare services and/or medication assistance?

If you are uninsured or have no medication benefit, the following may be of assistance:

• Washington Breast & Cervical Health Program is a program offering free women’s health examination (including breast exam, Pap smear and mammogram screening) to uninsured women ages 40 to 64. Additionally, if an abnormality is found, the program covers the subsequent diagnostic evaluation by either a gynecologist or breast specialist. Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance is proud to be a contracted provider with this program.
• Take Charge is a free program available to uninsured women and men for family planning issues (i.e. pap smear, birth control for one year, education, limited sexually transmitted infection evaluation, etc.).
• A majority of drug manufacturers offer a prescription assistance program to provide medications free of charge to those eligible. Each drug manufacturer has different application processes, eligibility criteria, requirements for documenting financial need, and duration of assistance. Additionally, there are other public and private sources of medication assistance. To learn more, visit Partnership for Prescription Assistance. Nurse Practitioner Wellness Alliance is willing to assist our patients in applying for applicable programs.