10 Reasons to Celebrate 10 Years of NPG in Washington Heights
Here are 10 highlights from ColumbiaDoctors Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Group’s first decade of providing excellent nurse practitioner-led primary care in the community.
1. Opening its Doors
ColumbiaDoctors Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Group (NPG) opened its 516 West 168th Street location on September 14, 2016. Since then, the practice has onboarded 24 NPs, including 14 Columbia Nursing alums.
2. Beginnings as CAPNA
NPG’s roots extend back two more decades, to Columbia Nursing’s original faculty practice, Columbia Advanced Practice Nurse Associates (CAPNA). Opening in 1997 in midtown Manhattan, CAPNA was one of the first nurse practitioner (NP)-led faculty practices in the country, and validated the cost, quality, and competence benefits of advanced practice nurses. CAPNA was eventually rebranded as the ColumbiaDoctors Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Group.
3. Clinical Opportunities for Students
NPG has been providing clinical placements for Columbia Nursing students in Washington Heights since the opening of the practice. The program has grown to include the Adult-Gerontology, Family, Psychiatric Mental Health, and Midwifery Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, as well as Master’s Direct Entry Program students. Columbia School of Social Work students can also rotate through NPG for their clinicals.
4. Accessible Mental Health Care
Mental health services, an essential element of primary care, are available at the NPG. This ensures that individuals with anxiety and depression get the necessary follow up, such as referral to a specialist, medication management, and evidence-based counseling, which greatly improves the likelihood that treatment will be successful.
5. Care for the LGBTQ Community
Health equity for sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals has been a main focus of the NPG since its beginnings. Early Health Resources and Services Administration grants to the practice focused on improving care for aging LGBTQ patients. The Nurse Practitioner Group was also the first location in upper Manhattan to offer the full range of primary care services to SGM individuals, and all NPs in the practice are trained and experienced in providing these services.
6. On the Front Lines
In 2020, to offset patient intake at nearby hospitals during the early stages of the COVID pandemic, the Nurse Practitioner Group pivoted to become a cough and fever clinic. The practice also participated in two COVID-related clinical studies early in the pandemic, while continuing to provide primary care to existing patients via telehealth. Group clinicians were able to monitor vital signs remotely in patients as needed, using internet-connected devices such as blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters at home.
7. Advancing Advanced Practice
Launched in 2024 as the Division of Nursing Practice, the Division of Nursing & Advanced Clinical Practice is a collaboration among Columbia Nursing, CUIMC, and ColumbiaDoctors that fosters nursing and advanced clinical practice careers in service to excellent patient care. The division hosts annual Excellence Awards celebrations to honor outstanding nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician associates at CUIMC.
8. Bilingual/Culturally Sensitive Care
Culturally sensitive care builds trust, improves communication, and leads to better health outcomes. All of NPG’s nurses and NPs are prepared to provide culturally sensitive care that respects and values patients’ background, language, and traditions.
9. Rapid Access
The employee rapid access program was developed for employees, since they can neglect getting care due to taking care of others. ColumbiaDoctors is now implementing a similar program across clinical specialities to improve access to care. The NPG team wrote an abstract and created a poster based on this program, which was presented at the 2025 Quality in Care Symposium.
10. Patient Centered Medical Home Certification
The patient centered medical home (PCMH) is a care delivery model in which a primary care provider coordinates treatment to provide high-quality, evidence-based care when and where patients need it, in a manner they can understand. NPG received its initial PCMH certification in 2019 and is recertified annually.
