Dr. Heather McCoy, Adult Nurse Practitioner.
Dr. McCoy specializes in the care of adults and adolescents with headache disorders. Her curriculum vitae is listed below. She is one of the first nurse practitioners in the United States (the first in the state of Arizona) to obtain the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She also is one of only eight nurse practitioners in the United States to earn board-certification in headache medicine alongside her MD and DO colleagues by the National Headache Foundation. She is the only Adult Nurse Practitioner in the State of Arizona in independent practice focused solely on the sub-specialty of headache disorders. Dr. McCoy also provides consultation for various pharmaceutical and professional organizations.
After 20 years of collaborative practice in neurology and neurosurgical setting, Dr. McCoy now focuses her attention on the complex needs of adults and adolescents with headache disorders. Recognizing the prevalence of headache to be such an under-diagnosed and under-treated disease, her response is to make a change in the delivery of medical care for this frustrated patient population. Dr. McCoy takes the time and makes the effort to distinguish your headaches and find the most effective treatment for you. She values both individualism and collaboration, and fully appreciates that one treatment does not fit all.
Integrative Headache Care is conceived to be an alternative to all that is discouraging in modern medicine. From the moment you walk through our door, you notice a new type of clinic envisioned by Dr. McCoy. It’s not only the calming ambiance you observe but our desire to provide individual attention via extended appointment times and direct provider access. Dr. McCoy wants in to empower you with the knowledge to maximize your health and minimize the impact of headache on your daily work and family interactions. She integrates of the best of allopathic and complimentary therapies which have been validated by scientific research as being safe and effective.
Patients leave our office with an impression of being heard and cared for.
Heather McCoy, DrNP, ANP-BC, CAQH
Curriculum Vitae
Academic Preparation
Columbia University School of Nursing New York, NY 2007
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Kennedy Fellow, 2005
Arizona State University College of Nursing Tempe, AZ 2001
Master of Science
Arizona State University College of Nursing Tempe, AZ 1994
Baccalaureate of Science, Nursing
Academic training
DrNP Residency, Columbia University, New York, NY 2006-2007
Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, Department of Neurosurgery
Residency Mentor: Brian Fitzpatrick, MD; Barrow Neurosurgical Associates, Scottsdale, AZ
Portfolio Sponsor: Diane LaPoint-Rudow, DrNP, Columbia University, New York, NY
Provided medical care in tandem with staff neurosurgeons to patients with a wide variety of neurologic diseases and injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, primary and metastatic lesions of the central nervous system, cerebrovascular disorders, infectious diseases of the central nervous system, and bony abnormalities of the spine and skull. Residency focused on appropriate care along the healthcare continuum for patients hospitalized with acute neurological dysfunction, including inpatient clinical management and subsequent disposition/transition in the post-acute setting.
Professional Certifications & Licensure
Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Headache Medicine, The National Headache Foundation, 2015 Certified Biofeedback provider, Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2015
Fundamentals of Critical Care Support Instructor, the Society for Critical Care Medicine 2012-present
Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-C), American Nurses Credentialing Center 2001-present
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Arizona State Board of Nursing 2001-present
Registered Nurse, Arizona State Board of Nursing 1994-present
Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) 1996-present
Professional & Specialty Organization Membership
The American Headache Society
The National Headache Foundation
The American Interventional Headache Society
The American Academy of Neurology
The American Association of Neuroscience Nursing
The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners
The Society for Critical Care Medicine
The Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council, Arizona Nurses’ Association
Clinical, teaching, and research interests
Management of chronic and acute headache syndromes in adults, including prescriptive and complimentary therapies, integrative medicine, biofeedback in headache management, neurocritical care, neurotrauma and rehab medicine, medical ethics, collaborative practice among nurses and physicians, and the integration of the DNP in modern medicine.
Professional Experience
Nurse Practitioner, Integrative Headache Care Scottsdale, Arizona 2015
Nurse Practitioner, Banner Health Clinic, Neurology Mesa, Arizona 2014
Nurse Practitioner, Banner Desert Medical Center, Dpt. of Neuroscience/Neurosurgery Mesa, Arizona 2010-2013
Nurse Practitioner, Town Center Medical Group Scottsdale, Arizona 2008-2009
Nurse Practitioner, Dpt of Neuroscience/Neurosurgery Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Scottsdale, Arizona 2001-2008
Registered Nurse, Dpt. of Neurologic Services, Scottsdale Healthcare-Osborn Scottsdale, Arizona 1994-2001
Professional Activities
Scottsdale Healthcare (1994-2008):
Conceived and developed the role of the specialty-specific inpatient nurse practitioner, regularly participate in growth, expansion, and development of the role system-wide.
Participated in the planning, development, and introduction of the Novalis Stereotactic radiosurgery program; developed standardized, pre-printed, evidence-based nursing orders for patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery of the head, brain, and spine.
Neuroscience Nurse Education: Provide annual organization and mentoring for staff RNs interested in obtaining the CNRN (Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse) credential; annual and ongoing throughout employment period.
Assisted in the planning, development, and institution of the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn, an 18-bed unit dedicated to the expert care of patients experiencing critical alterations in neurologic function .
Participated in the formulation of standardized order sets for patients hospitalized with neuroscience-specific diagnoses, including nursing treatment protocols, medication administration protocols, emergency order sets, etc.
Program development at Banner Desert Medical Center:
Participate in the planning, development, data collection, staff education, and outcome measurement required for Comprehensive Stroke Designation
Participated in the planning, development, and staff education needed for Neurovascular Neurosurgery program
Provide mentoring and professional guidance for RNs interested in obtaining the CNRN credential.
Participate in the planning and development of a Neuro-Intensive Care Unit
Publications & Presentations
McCoy, H.(2008). Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES): and emerging clinical radiographic entity in adult, pediatric, and obstetric critical care. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. February, 2008.
Neurologic patient case study included in DNP text project at Columbia University, published 2010.
McCoy, H. Neuropathies, Radiculopathies, and Other Neuropathic Sensations. The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses Annual Meeting. April, 2005; Atlanta Georgia.
McCoy, H. Head and Spine Trauma. 3rd Annual Scottsdale Trauma Conference. March, 2006; Scottsdale, Arizona.
McCoy, H. Reversible Posterior Encephalopathy Syndrome: acute cortical blindness in the presence of moderate hypertension. Are you turning a blind eye? The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses Annual Meeting. May, 2007; Orlando, Florida.
Innumerable presentations given to nurses and staff at various institutions on a variety of neuroscience topics.
Leisure
My interests include sport bike motorcycles and motorcycle racing (All The Gear, All The Time), non-fiction commercial interest writing, photography, gourmet cooking and travel.
Here’s to your speedy recovery!