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
BACKGROUND
Jose R. Rafols, OTD, MHSA, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist with more than 28 years of experience in clinical orthopedics and 22 years of experience in upper extremity rehabilitation and hand-injuries. Dr. Rafols has also worked in diabetic foot and wound care, neurological injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), burns, geriatrics, and adult rehabilitation. He is president and owner of Therapeutic Home-Bound Services Corporation (THS-Corp), which provides tailored and personalized private occupational therapy and rehabilitation services to the South Florida area.
Dr. Rafols retired at the rank of Major in 2012 in the United States Army Specialty Corps and served with distinction for more than 28 years of combined active and reserve duty in the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Army Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component (RC). He served on active duty and as the officer in charge at Darnell Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood, TX, and Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Ft. Gordon, Georgia, as well as, numerous smaller fixed outpatient facilities. Dr. Rafols completed a 12-month combat deployment with the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd & 4th Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) to Paktika, Paktia, and Khost Providence located in Eastern Afghanistan. There he worked to set up and provide clinical rehabilitation for soldiers with post-blast injuries, ranging from mild- traumatic brain injury (TBI) to poly-trauma.
Dr. Rafols has formally presented at numerous international, national, regional and local conferences. In addition, he is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Florida Occupational Therapy Association, Association of Caribbean Occupational Therapists, Reserve Officers Association, and American Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS); and writes for publications such as NEWS-Line for Occupational Therapists and COTAs and OT Practice. Dr. Rafols’ interests include growing tropical fruit in a small farm located in the Redlands of southwest Miami-Dade County and partnering with NGOs to empower underserved countries with clinical education and hands-on intervention.
