Erica D. Kowalski, MSN, BSN, APRN

I grew up in this community, in nearby Winchester. There are providers here who I knew as a child, who I now work with. I've been a nurse here for almost a decade and recently started as a nurse practitioner. It’s rewarding to see the same patients over and over and see how they improve and change over time.

I always knew that I wanted to be a nurse, even as a young child. My mother is a nurse, and I would go with her to nursing homes and interact with patients. When I became a nurse, I realized that I wanted to have more hands-on experience and more interactions with patients as a nurse practitioner. My background was in orthopedic surgery, but I changed to primary care where I could follow up with patients and be in more contact with them.

I try to be empathetic with patients and let them know that I care. It's important to me to use my own personal experiences and share that with patients, so that they know that we share things in common. I'm a people pleaser. I try to go above and beyond because it makes patients feel like you're still thinking about them, and you do care. I make sure that patients know they have been heard. If patients feel that I have listened to them, that’s a positive outcome.