A collaborative physician provides patient care through a partnership with nurses and physician assistants. As a collaborative physician, you oversee the care provided by the nurse practitioners (NP) or physician’s assistant (PA) at a healthcare facility. NPs and PAs diagnose, treat, and monitor patients on a daily basis. The role of the collaborative physician is to review the patient’s medical records on a regular schedule to ensure the patients receive the care and treatment they need. The review may occur weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on state and federal requirements. The collaborative physician may also need to come on-site occasionally to see patients who have conditions outside of the scope of the NP or PA. Many healthcare facilities who utilize NPs and PAs need to have a collaborative on staff to comply with state and federal guidelines.