It’s hard to imagine a more action-packed career than trauma nursing. But before Chantelle “Tilly” Rowe became an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and a Manager at a Level I trauma center in Roanoke, Virginia, she was pursuing a truly electrifying job.
“My plan was to be an atmospheric scientist—also known as a ‘storm chaser’—and a paramedic,” Rowe says. “My original bachelor’s degree is in Math, with an emphasis in Numerical Analysis. I wanted to do paramedic rescue after storms hit, and then conduct data analysis later.”
What changed? “I was working in the Emergency Department as a paramedic, and I loved it,” she explains. “It made me realize that ED and trauma nursing was what I really wanted to do.”
Rowe enrolled in a BS-to-BSN program; after graduation, she started working as a nurse in the same ED where she’d been a paramedic. At that point, she was still in her native Utah (though she did spend six weeks on a medical mission with the US Navy in Indonesia and the Philippines). But soon, she started thinking about becoming a trauma Nurse Practitioner, and applied and was accepted to the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
“While I was in grad school, I worked in shock trauma in the multi-trauma ICU,” Rowe says. “That was an amazing experience.” She wanted to stay at a Level I trauma center after graduation, so she moved to Roanoke, Virginia in 2015.
“I absolutely loved it,” she says. “Our practice started out with three trauma Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) and three ICU APPs, but we expanded to add emergency general surgery, as well as more APPs.”
A Successful Leadership Track Record
In Roanoke, Rowe began taking on the leadership roles that would prepare her to eventually become TFP’s Advanced Practice Provider Director. “I took over as Team Lead and was able to expand our practice even more by hiring additional APPs,” she says. “Eventually, I became a Manager, making me one of only five APP Managers at our company, ever. Before I was appointed, a lot of the APPs felt like there wasn’t a leader they could reach out to who could address their concerns. That’s why I really focused on listening to their issues, giving them a voice, and understanding their role as providers.”
Rowe also prioritized removing barriers to safe and timely discharge and adding even more APPs to the service line. “We created an APP position that was completely focused on throughput,” she explains. “I also added another full-time position to our emergency general surgery service, which meant that in eight years, our group went from six to 20 APPs.”
One of her most ambitious projects was developing a new APP orientation program and manual. Another was teaming up with a physician to create an outpatient clinic for patients who had undergone emergency surgery, but whose large wounds, fistulas, and drains were too complex for their primary care providers to manage and needed a bridging service until they were stabilized.
“Thanks to the clinic, we were able to make sure they had the labs and fluids they needed, and to get them referred and transferred to the right clinics when they had recovered,” Rowe explains.
A New Opportunity to Empower APPs
When Rowe and her family decided to relocate to Philadelphia—looking for a larger city with more cultural and travel opportunities—she immediately zeroed in on Temple Health for our world-class trauma services and especially our focus on serving our community.
“I’ve always wanted to care for the people who need it most: that’s why I was so interested in doing paramedic rescue after storms,” Rowe explains. “I had worked with medically underserved populations in Roanoke, and I wanted to continue that mission.”
While Rowe had such a successful track record as a leader in Roanoke, she originally intended to work as a trauma APP at Temple Health. “I love trauma, and I thought I could do a lot of good,” she says. “But then I saw the opening for the Advanced Practice Provider Director role. I applied for it, and when I started interviewing, I learned about our APPs’ needs, and I thought about what I’d been able to build and accomplish in my last job.”
“I saw a lot of opportunities to empower our APPs: to allow them to practice at the top of their licenses, to help with scheduling, to address their concerns as providers, and to give them their own voice,” Rowe continues. “Not only will this benefit APPs, but it will also have a positive impact on our patients.”
Top Priorities for Highest-Level Care
While Rowe has only been at Temple Health for a few months, she already has a clear vision for APPs at TFP: to utilize them to the top of their licensure to expand healthcare access for our community. She also has a number of overarching goals and initiatives.
“Clinical integration and standardization are at the top of my list, as is ensuring APPs have a defined scope of practice that’s both adhered to and maximized,” Rowe explains. “Focusing on quality metrics and wait time reduction is another goal, as is operational efficiency. That means making sure our appointment slots are open and utilized appropriately. I also want to streamline document workflows so we can maximize billing while minimizing workload and ensuring patients are getting the care they need.”
“Another one of my goals involves standardized competencies for all the providers at each practice to ensure proper training and, in turn, the most up-to-date care,” Rowe continues. “I’m also focused on workforce development and retention, starting with modifying our onboarding program to meet TFP’s needs. I also want to establish training tracks for continuing education, including a focus for sub-specialties. Setting up a mentorship peer network, creating a leadership structure between the APPs, and developing a pathway for the APPs to become leaders are other priorities.”
It's an ambitious list, but one that reflects both our APPs’ needs and Rowe’s capabilities as a leader. As she settles into her new role, she’s looking forward to getting to know the Advanced Practice Providers and working together to advance their mission of providing the highest quality patient care.
“I’m here to listen, and to help your ideas be heard,” Rowe says. “I want to be a voice for you.”