Penn Highlands Emergency Department

Nurse Practitioner

A registered nurse provider with a graduate degree in nursing prepared for advanced practice involving independent and interdependent decision making and direct accountability for clinical judgment across the health care continuum or in a certified specialty. (2) A registered nurse who has completed additional training beyond basic nursing education and who provides primary health care services in accordance with state nurse practice laws or statutes. Tasks performed by nurse practitioners vary with practice requirements mandated by geographic, political, economic, and social factors. Nurse practitioner specialists include, but are not limited to, family nurse practitioners, gerontological nurse practitioners, pediatric nurse practitioners, obstetric-gynecologic nurse practitioners, and school nurse practitioners.

General Practice

Penn Highlands Emergency Department is a General Practice practice in Huntingdon, PA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in preventing, diagnosing, and treating physical and psychological conditions for patients of all ages. General Practice Doctors at Penn Highlands Emergency Department perform medical history analysis, screenings, and non-surgical procedures to address a wide range of common medical conditions. General Practice is a medical specialty focused on disease prevention and general maintenance of patients' whole health. Significant diseases and conditions treated at General Practice practices include the common cold, strep throat, bronchitis, the flu, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by General Practice practices include physical exams, diagnostic exams (like urine, stool, or blood tests), immunizations, emergency care, and specialist referrals.

Physician Assisting

A physician assistant is a person who has successfully completed an accredited education program for physician assistant, is licensed by the state and is practicing within the scope of that license. Physician assistants are formally trained to perform many of the routine, time-consuming tasks a physician can do. In some states, they may prescribe medications. They take medical histories, perform physical exams, order lab tests and x-rays, and give inoculations. Most states require that they work under the supervision of a physician.

Family Medicine

Penn Highlands Emergency Department is a Family Medicine practice in Huntingdon, PA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in family-centric healthcare. Family Medicine Doctors at Penn Highlands Emergency Department perform medical history analysis, diagnostics, and treatments for a wide variety of dysfunctions, conditions, and injuries. Family Medicine is a medical specialty devoted to the medical care of the family unit. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Family Medicine practices include cold and flu, asthma and allergies, ear and eye infections, yeast infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, hormone imbalance, nutritional imbalance, stress and depression, muscle tears and sprains, and sexually transmitted diseases. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Family Medicine practices include annual exams, immunizations, medication refills, hormone level testing, cardiovascular testing, pap smears and genital exams, specialist referrals, and patient education.

Family Medicine is the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. It is the specialty in breadth which integrates the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences. The scope of family medicine is not limited by age, sex, organ system, or disease entity.

Internal Medicine

Penn Highlands Emergency Department is an Internal Medicine practice in Huntingdon, PA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Internists specialize in puzzling medical problems and in the ongoing care of chronic illnesses. Internists also specialize in preventing disease by promoting health, and are trained to manage multisystem disease conditions that single-organ-disease specialists may not be trained to address. Internal Medicine Doctors at Penn Highlands Emergency Department perform assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment therapies for diseases and disorders in adult patients. Internal Medicine is a medical specialty focused on study, prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of short and long term multi-organ conditions. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Internal Medicine practices include cold and flu, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease. Internists generally act as personal physicians and often develop long-term relationships with their patients. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Internal Medicine practices include medical history reviews, physical exams, blood tests, scans, and other diagnostic tests, as well as specialist referrals. Internists may choose to practice only in the hospital, only in an outpatient clinic, or in both.

A physician who provides long-term, comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex illness of adolescents, adults and the elderly. Internists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, infections and diseases affecting the heart, blood, kidneys, joints and digestive, respiratory and vascular systems. They are also trained in the essentials of primary care internal medicine, which incorporates an understanding of disease prevention, wellness, substance abuse, mental health and effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs.

Emergency Medicine

Penn Highlands Emergency Department is an Emergency Medicine practice in Huntingdon, PA with healthcare providers who have special training and skill in addressing urgent illnesses and injuries in patients of all ages. Emergency Medicine Doctors at Penn Highlands Emergency Department perform in trauma centers, intensive care units, and emergency rooms. Emergency Medicine is the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions that require immediate attention. Significant diseases and conditions treated at Emergency Medicine practices include severe injuries, trauma, sepsis, burns, acute coronary syndrome, poisoning, heart attack, and stroke. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Emergency Medicine practices include CPR, ECG, projection radiography, CT scan, x-ray, blood testing, suturing, inserting chest tubs, setting bones, and admitting patients into hospitals.

An emergency physician focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospital setting by directing emergency medical technicians and in the emergency department. The emergency physician provides immediate recognition, evaluation, care, stabilization and disposition of a generally diversified population of adult and pediatric patients in response to acute illness and injury.