Personalized Care & Support, Delivered with Compassion & Respect

Carmen Chen preferred — Carmen Chen – Family Nurse Practitioner, Advanced
Practice Registered Nurse

Carmen Chen grew up in a family who placed
great value on caring for family members and the elderly with respect and
compassion. As a result, from a young age, she naturally assumed an
active role in caring for her grandparents. Regular caregiving activities
included preparing meals, managing medications, providing transportation,
grocery shopping, feeding, dressing, and transferring. “Caring for
my elders was—and continues to be—woven into the fabric of my daily life,”
Chen says.

Her experience caring for her grandparents
inspired Chen to pursue a career in health care, where she has been working
with older adults for more than a decade. As a Certified Family Nurse
Practitioner at Legacy Senior Primary Care in Stafford, Texas, Chen
specializes in Medicare Annual Wellness Visits, medical intervention, patient
education, and chronic disease management for diseases like diabetes,
hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

Patients are often unaware of the care a
nurse practitioner can provide. In fact, nurse practitioners can diagnose and
treat acute and chronic health conditions, order diagnostic tests and
interpret results, manage medical care, and serve as the primary care
provider for the patient. An added benefit is that nurse practitioners often
have shorter wait times for appointments and may be able to spend more time
on patient education for preventive care and managing chronic
conditions.

“During each appointment, I take the time to
listen to my patients’ concerns, explain the disease process, review
diagnoses and treatment plans, and point out potential side effects or
serious symptoms to watch out for,” Chen says. Through these conversations,
she builds relationships with her patients, answering their questions,
considering their life situations and preferences, and collaborating with
them to create individual plans of care that promote healthy aging and
disease prevention.

“Legacy’s Fort Bend clinics provide
exceptional care for seniors,” Chen says. Not only are the clinics designed
for older patients (with wide entryways, spacious exam rooms, accessible exam
chairs, and handrails along corridors), but the clinical teams are comprised
of experts who work together to ensure every patient is living their
healthiest, fullest life. At the Stafford clinic, this team includes
Geriatrician Dr. Joanna Ira and Psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Sibley, as well as
a behavioral therapist, nutritionist, pharmacist and social
worker.

A lifelong Houstonian, Chen received her
Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Center. She
is Board-Certified by the Texas State Board of Nursing as an Advanced
Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and received her Family Nurse Practitioner
Certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. When she is
not at work, she loves spending time with family, reading, watching movies
and traveling.

Legacy Senior Primary Care specializes in
healthcare for senior adults with Medicare, Medicare Advantage and HMO/PPOS,
and offers programs to help reduce the cost of care.