Rachel Shapiro, PA-C, presents “APPs in Leadership.”
How to cite: Shapiro, Rachel. “APPs in Leadership.” Grand Rounds in Urology. Published July 29, 2025. Accessed Mar 2026. https://grandroundsinurology.com/apps-in-leadership/
APPs in Leadership – Summary
Diane K. Newman, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAUNA, BCB-PMD, Urology and Pelvic Floor Nurse Specialist, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Adjunct Professor of Surgery, Division of Urology, Perelman School of Medicine, Emerita, introduces Rachel Shapiro, PA-C, Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Supervisor for the Department of Urology at UC San Diego Health, San Diego, California, and Co-Editor of Grand Rounds in Urology’s APP Learning Center. In this 31-minute presentation, PA Shapiro shares her experience developing a leadership role for advanced practice providers in urology.
Through her personal career experience, PA Shapiro highlights the diverse impact APP leaders can have on improving outcomes, resource use, retention, and innovation. She identifies key supervisory domains such as recruitment, onboarding, development, practice oversight, scheduling, productivity tracking, and department-wide planning. Essential skills include conflict resolution, adapting external models, and enhancing financial sustainability through Relative Value Unit (RVU) tracking.
She emphasizes individualized onboarding, with 12-week programs adjusted per experience, and describes how tracking RVUs and visit data informs fiscal benchmarks. PA Shapiro encourages proactive interest in leadership, mentorship seeking, committee participation, and starting with small improvements. Her experience underscores the importance of APP advocacy, vision, and structured development to support clinical autonomy and institutional impact.
