PACT APP Practice

Personalized, patient-centered care in a variety of settings

In Connecticut, advanced practice providers are state-licensed as advanced practice registered nurses, nationally certified as nurse practitioners, or certified physicians assistants. They are educated and trained to diagnose and treat acute illness and chronic conditions. They are qualified to treat medical conditions independently and they usually practice in ambulatory, acute and long-term care as primary or specialty care providers.

PACT Primary Care a partner of Hartford Healthcare includes more than 50 advanced practice providers who specialize in managing patients in medical offices, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and in the comfort of a patients’ home. These advanced practice providers also collaborate with physicians to support patients through transitions of care by providing continuity of care, reducing medical costs and avoiding unnecessary hospital readmissions. These advanced practice providers take a patient-centered team approach to patient care, focusing on patient quality of life in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities throughout Connecticut.

PACT Primary Care advanced practice providers-physician team can provide patients with the face-to-face medical attention needed for quality medical care, including chronic issues and urgent care, in the following settings:

Medical offices

In the medical office setting, PACT Primary Care’s advanced practice providers provide high-quality, patient-centered care by managing acute and chronic medical conditions and focusing on the patient as a whole person. The advanced practice provider works with the primary care physician to manage the patient’s state of health and coordinates care to create a resource for the patient to refer back to as they transition through care.

Skilled nursing facilities

In skilled nursing facilities, advanced practice providers manage acute and chronic illness in collaboration with the healthcare team. The advanced clinical assessment and intervention provided by the advanced practice provider for sub-acute rehabilitation patients helps shorten the length of stay for these patients. Long-term patients benefit from individualized health assessments focused on maintaining daily living activities and quality of life. In addition, wound care certified advanced practice providers conduct wound rounds with a holistic approach. Advanced practice providers provide education to patients, families and staff on end-stage disease process and expected outcomes at end of life. Advanced practice providers play an extensive role in helping patients, their families and facility staff through transitions with palliative care services.

Assisted living facilities

Patients residing in assisted living facilities are at higher risk for frailty, weakness and having limited mobility, making these adults more vulnerable to falls, chronic disease and disability. The role of the advanced practice provider in the assisted living facility setting is to assist patients to maintain wellness, screen for risk factors that would indicate risk of decline and intervene to maintain patients at their highest level of functioning to maintain them in the assisted living facility setting as long as possible.

Home Care

Advanced practice providers help patients who are homebound and extend the Patient-Centered Medical Home model of care to the community. (This model is a formalized approach to organizing primary care that emphasizes care coordination and communication to transform primary care into what patients want and need.) And while these advanced practice providers frequently work with PACT Primary Care’s physicians to provide continuity of care, they can also collaborate with other physicians around Connecticut.

Wound care and other services

PACT Primary Care’s advanced practice providers are trained on the physiology of wound healing, factors that inhibit or enhance wound healing, wound assessment, measuring, prevention and etiology (determining the cause of a condition). These advanced practice providers can also manage pressure, vascular, arterial and diabetic ulcers and are trained in management, selection and utilization of topical therapy. Advanced practice providers can also educate patients and family members on wound care and utilizing standards of care.

PACT Primary Care’s advanced practice provider-physician team provides the following medical services :

• Wound care
• Medication management
• Face-to-face visits for home care services to be initiated or renewed
• Sick visits to treat the patient in his or her home
• Management of chronic health conditions
• Evaluation of condition stability and goals of care
• Palliative care evaluation
• Patient-centered discussion regarding advanced directives
• Home safety assessments
• Evaluation of acute changes in condition
• Transition of care between home, hospital, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and medical office settings
• Annual physicals
• Patient and family education

PACT Primary Care’s full-time APPs are :

Donna Montesi, DNP, APRN, FAANP – Executive Director

Rebecca Herter, APRN – Clinical Manager

Alison LoRusso, APRN – Clinical Manager

Holly Penkacik, DNP, APRN – Clinical Manager: Primary Care at Home

PACT Primary Care’s part-time APPs are :

PACT Primary Care’s per diem APPs are :

PACT Primary Care’s home visit APPs are :

For more information on PACT Primary Care’s nurse practitioner services, contact Donna Montesi via E-mail: dmontesi@pactmd.com or call 203-932-6481 x 161.