Dr. Kandula and Kelsey Hopping, PA-C share how ADVENT's team-based approach allows them to serve patients by truly listening and understanding their patients' sinus and sleep concerns.
[Tiffany] And welcome back. Well, have you ever had a long awaited doctor's appointment turn to disappointment when the doctor goes in and out like a flash. Been waiting for this for so long? Well, in today's Sleep Well, Breathe Well series with ADVENT, we're going to talk about their team-based approach to understanding a patient's sinus and sleep concerns. Joining me now is ADVENT founder and CEO, it's Dr Madan Kandula, along with Kelsey Hopping, she is a physician's assistant. Good morning to both of you.
[Dr. Kandula] Good morning. Good morning.
[Tiffany] Thanks for joining me. OK, I want to start with you, doctor, because I think so many people wait so long for an appointment and to have that feeling of being rushed. How does ADVENT's approach really kind of help you feel like you're being heard, you're not being rushed through that appointment?
[Dr. Kandula] I mean, simply, we don't rush you. I mean, this is all that we do and the conditions that we treat, whether you have nose problems or you're snoring or have sleep apnea, that's all we do. And so 100% of our focus is there. And I'd say as importantly is we have a team that really comes together to treat our patients. And so in that team-based approach, we have physician assistants, nurse practitioners, surgeons who are all working together. We're not in silos. We are all part of the team that is working for you. And so when we see individual patients, we try our might to put all of our effort and energy into that single patient in front of us. And you know, if somebody is new to ADVENT, then really we need to understand what's going on. What have you tried? What are your goals and how are we going to get you there? Typically, our physician assistants and nurse practitioners are the ones who are at that initial visit, taking the time that's necessary to get the information that's needed. So when we use a team based approach, you have a variety of individuals that are really rising to the highest level of their abilities, which means that you're going to get the best care possible.
[Tiffany] It's so true, I mean, I can attest to it, I've been there, I've witnessed how you run things that way. And so Kelsey, I want to hear from you as a physician's assistant. Like Dr. Kandula said. How does that team-based approach work for you in that position?
[Kelsey] Yeah, so we have advanced training beyond our graduate degrees, and this is gained alongside the physicians so that we are practicing in a style that's very similar to them and we are providing consistent and coordinated care all along the way. This also frees up the physicians to really focus on and meet the high demands of the sinus and sleep issues that we treat. ADVENT really does have a great balance of autonomy and collaboration for their physician assistants and their nurse practitioners.
[Tiffany] Well, and Kelsey, I want to stick with you here for a second because I think that's a great point. As a physician's assistant, then what can someone expect at a first appointment with you?
[Kelsey] Sure. During a first visit, our goal is really to take our time, listen to your issues and make sure that we understand your goals. After that, we'll do a thorough evaluation of
The Breathing Triangle®. This can include a nasal endoscopy where we take a look inside your nose with the little camera. After that, we'll discuss maybe some prescriptions if needed, and also might recommend a sinus CT to take a look behind the scenes of your nose and sinuses. The physician assistants and nurse practitioners will be with you along your entire journey at ADVENT, including assisting with procedures as well as providing follow up care and anything else you need along the way.
[Tiffany] And I love that. I've done that little scope thingy with the light on the end that we were looking at there, and I know that breathing triangle is so important. So Dr. Kandula, when Kelsey talks about kind of freeing up the time for the physician, obviously that's you, to come in and really meet with somebody. But it sounds like she mentioned, the physician assistant's role is very similar to something that you guys would do as well. Is that correct?
[Dr. Kandula] Yeah. I mean, our physician assistants and surgeons work together. And so what that allows us to do is, you know, our surgeons can sit down, and if there's a sort of a complex medical decision that needs to be made, we can sit down. We have the time that's necessary to take with you to go through that because we have our physician assistants sort of taking care of other areas of that care. And so whether it's a procedure or whether it's really just a down to earth discussion about this is what's going on. This is what we think we could do for it. It allows our surgeons to sort of be present in the moment. In health care, in this day and age, I'd say that's a rarity. So I think if you really think about this last time you've been to the doctor's office, most encounters are people who are five minutes late and looking to get out of the room as fast as possible. At ADVENT, it's really sitting down, looking at you, understanding what's going on and delivering the results that you deserve.
[Tiffany] I love that you say five minutes late because in lots of offices, it's a lot longer than that. You're waiting, you know? And that's why it's so unique that that's not something that happens with you guys, that that's not the experience you have. You do feel heard. You do feel understood. You do have all that time. You know, one on one, like you mentioned. So, Kelsey, when somebody comes in to see a physician's assistant on that first appointment or even before that, what's a clue that they probably need to schedule an appointment at ADVENT? What should they be thinking about for a reason they need to come in?
[Kelsey] Sure. Common reasons that people come see us include congestion, stuffy nose, sinus pressure, headaches. Other signs that you're breathing triangle isn't working properly include snoring, fatigue, lack of energy. If you're not sure if you have a problem, it's a good idea just to come in and get it checked out. We'll sit down with you, listen to your issues, kind of come up with a game plan and help you breathe and sleep better.
[Tiffany] We all want to breathe and sleep better. Dr. Kandula and Kelsey, thank you so much for joining me.
[Dr. Kandula] Thank you. Thanks for having us.
[Tiffany] Great to see you guys. Here's what you got to do: go to ADVENTknows.com. You can schedule online in just 60 seconds, so make it so easy. Most insurances are accepted. There's no referral that's required. That's unique. It's wonderful. There's five southeastern Wisconsin locations. There's Wauwatosa, Mequon, Oconomowoc, Oak Creek, Pleasant Prairie. They also have those offices in Appleton and in Illinois, as you see on your screen.