Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are advanced healthcare practitioners with similar responsibilities, such as diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications. However, their training and paths toward certification differ in significant ways. This blog post unpacks the key differences between NPs and PAs to help you determine which career path best aligns with your goals. What Is a Nurse Practitioner? A nurse practitioner (NP) is a licensed clinician who provides comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages. An NP can work in virtually any healthcare setting, diagnosing patient conditions and prescribing medications. As of October 2022, nurse practitioners have full practice authority in 27 states, meaning that they can practice Read more
Vivian A. Sanchez
Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer
Vivian A. Sanchez brings extensive higher education and business experience to her role as Chancellor. Having worked in public research universities in the United States and private institutions in nine countries, Ms. Sanchez brings comprehensive global insights to higher education for both campus-based and digital learning. She joined the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences family in 2015 as a member of the Board of Directors, has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2016, and in May 2022 was also named Chancellor.
In her previous roles as President and Senior Administrator in higher education organizations, Chancellor Sanchez guided institutions to achieving national recognition, obtaining critical accreditations, attracting world-class faculty and implementing innovative technology solutions for academic instruction and student support. Through affiliations with top-ranked universities and her strong industry connections, she has provided students with unique experiences designed to best prepare them for successful careers.
As a renowned leader in higher education, Chancellor Sanchez was named in 2022 Commissioner on the WASC Senior Colleges and University Commission, one of the nation’s leading institutional accreditors dedicated to aiding organizations in reaching academic excellence through the highest standards of quality and effectiveness.
Prior to joining the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, Ms. Sanchez served as Chief Executive Officer of a global network of both specialized and comprehensive universities that included schools of medicine, dentistry and health sciences, which ranked among the largest and most well-reputed in their regions. She also held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Administration at one of the five largest public research universities in the United States, where she played a pivotal role in founding a new college of medicine and strengthening health science programs. Chancellor Sanchez has held numerous higher education Board of Director positions and served as advisor to both public and private universities.
Ms. Sanchez earned a Master in Business Administration at Harvard Business School, receiving the Dean’s Award for Extraordinary Contribution, and her Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
