NPower Healthcare: APRNs & APPs Improving Access to Quality Healthcare

From Combat Medic to Clinic Owner: A Nurse Practitioner's DPC Revolution

NPower Healthcare's Deb Tedesco sits down with Dr. John Rothwell, DNP, APRN, to explore his path from military medic to owner of a successful direct primary care clinic. They discuss the DPC membership model, DNP leadership, and how nurse practitioners can build relationship-driven, accessible care.
Rothwell also shares his community work with Matthew's Hope, lessons from rugby and service, and practical advice for NPs pursuing practice ownership and sustainable entrepreneurship.

When Insurance Says No: The Fight for Care in Immokalee

NPower host, Deb Tedesco interviews nurse practitioner Natalie Tyler about ThriveWell Medical Center in Immokalee, Florida,  an NP-led clinic serving a medically underserved community that faces widespread insurance credentialing denials and closed panels, causing delayed care and travel burdens for patients.

Lost Provider, Broken Trust: How Insurance Decisions Hurt Children

In this episode of NPower Healthcare, a Florida mother, Vanessa Mahai, shares how an insurance company’s termination of her sons’ nurse practitioner, Elizabeth Barger, abruptly cut off trusted, ongoing care for her children,  one with ADHD and anxiety and the other recently diagnosed with autism.
The conversation highlights the emotional and medical consequences of losing a dedicated provider, the importance of continuity of care, and calls on listeners to advocate for families and nurse practitioners affected by insurance decisions.

Meeting Patients Where They Are: Mental Health Care in Rural Florida

In this episode NPower Healthcare's Deb Tedesco talks with Maddie Kelly, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who brings in‑home psychiatric and primary care to rural, homebound, and assisted living patients in Florida.
They discuss the real harm caused by insurer network terminations, the need for consistent access and medication management, and how Senate Bill 138 and NP autonomy could help protect vulnerable communities.

From Layoff to Leadership: One NP's Fight to Restore Care in Apopka

Join NPower Healthcare host Deb Tedesco to hear about access to healthcare in Apopka, Florida. After a mass layoff left nearly 10,000 patients without primary care, Kristen Roberts, APRN, launched a telehealth practice and then Family First Health to keep her community covered. The episode follows her rapid reinvention from being laid off to opening an autonomous NP clinic and advocating for patients.
Kristen describes the barriers NPs face like insurer exclusion, low reimbursement, and costly collaboration requirements, and outlines priorities for change while urging fellow NPs to organize and persist. A story of resilience, leadership, and practical advocacy for equitable access to primary care.

Ghost Networks & Real Patients:How Credentialing Barriers Harm Healthcare Access

NPower Healthcare host, Deb Tedesco interviews Brandi Rhody, APRN, about pervasive insurance credentialing delays that block patient access to care at her new Florida practice.
The episode covers denied applications, automated rejections, patient-led breakthroughs, insurer contradictions, and the legal and emotional toll on autonomous providers.
Brandy calls for enforceable credentialing timelines, accurate network listings, and fair treatment for autonomous nurse practitioners to ensure timely, affordable healthcare for patients.

Serving Those Who Served: Dr. Alicia Gill Rossiter on Veteran‑Informed Nursing

Welcome to NPower Healthcare with Deb Tedesco and Dr. Alicia Gill Rossiter. This episode explores Dr. Rossiter’s military-to-academic journey, the V‑Care Veteran-to‑BSN pathway, veteran-informed clinical care, barriers veterans face entering nursing, and practical steps nurse practitioners can take to better serve military-connected patients.

When Trust Is Terminated by Insurance Companies

In this episode of NPower Healthcare, nurse practitioner and clinic owner Heather Taylor shares her experience of being terminated from a Medicare Advantage network by Humana, and the devastating impact that decision has on patients who rely on long-term, trusted relationships with their provider.
Heather discusses the discrimination she faced in appeals, the choices patients are forced into, and calls for policymakers and insurers to ensure nurse practitioners receive fair treatment and patients maintain continuity of care.

Undermined Care: An NP’s Battle Against Florida’s Healthcare Roadblocks

Deb Tedesco speaks with Laura Eaton, a nurse practitioner and independent clinic owner in Oakland Park, Florida, about the regulatory, credentialing, and insurance barriers she faced while opening and operating a primary care practice serving seniors, uninsured patients, and the LGBTQ+ community.Laura recounts credentialing vendor fraud, repeated denials from state agencies, loss of Medicare enrollment, exclusion from Medicare Advantage and major insurer networks, and the financial strain of providing cash-pay and pro bono care. She calls for enforcement of nondiscrimination, payment parity, and policy reforms to improve access to care.

Autonomy Undermined: The Hidden Cost of Insurance Decisions in Rural Florida

In this episode of NPower Healthcare, host Deb Tedesco talks with nurse practitioner Monica Barfield about the sudden termination of Monica's contract with WellCare and the devastating impact on many of her patients in rural Port St. Joe, Florida. Monica shares personal stories of patients, the challenges of rural access to care, and how insurance practices can undermine nurse practitioner autonomy and continuity of care.