About UPMC's Office of Advanced Practice Providers

The Office of Advanced Practice Providers (OAPP) takes a multi-pronged approach in advancing UPMC's advanced practice providers throughout the system.

What We Do for Advanced Practice Providers

The OAPP:

• Works closely with human resources to help craft recruitment programs and support outreach activities to various educational institutions and at professional gatherings.
• Oversees the development of novel educational strategies for new APPs, as well as professional training and leadership-building opportunities for currently practicing UPMC APPs.
• Maintains relationships with the various nurse practitioner and physician assistant academic programs throughout the United States to help facilitate student clinical education in UPMC facilities and practices.
• Develops collaborative practice models and performs research into innovative and progressive health care delivery systems.
• Provides operational support to the various practice settings, and is the central resource in answering important questions about:
• Scope of practice
• Regulations
• Billing
• Compliance
• APP staffing and utilization strategies

Recognizing how important it is to keep our talent within the UPMC system, the OAPP will be supporting the creation of various multidisciplinary retention strategies.

Who We Are — Leadership at the OAPP

• Ben Reynolds, PA-C, is the Chief Advanced Practice Officer of the UPMC Office of Advanced Practice Providers. Reynolds is a practicing physician assistant who works in trauma and general surgery.​
• Kerry Soso serves as the office's student educational experience coordinator, assisting in advanced practice provider student preceptorship placements and student shadowing experiences.