Melissa Merritt, RN, ARNP, is board certified in family practice by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She completed her advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) training at the University of Central Missouri. She has also completed extensive training specific to emergency care, including ER fundamentals, boot camp and procedures courses.

Melissa has been a registered nurse for more than 20 years and an advanced practice nurse for more than 10. Over the course of her career, she has had varied clinical experience in healthcare including Surgical/Burn and Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care at University of Missouri Hospital, as well as the Emergency Department at both the University of Missouri Hospital and Boone Hospital Center, all in Columbia, Missouri.

Since moving to Iowa in 2020, Melissa has been providing emergency care and hospitalist services as a traveling NP in several rural Iowa communities.

As an ARNP, Melissa Frazier provides care to patients of all ages at Rapid Care. She earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Clarkson College in 2023.

Frazier has twenty years of experience in nursing, and she has worked in emergency, gastroenterology, and perioperative care. She also volunteers for Woodbine Rescue.

Linda Newsome has worked as a Physician Assistant since 2004. She is a member of the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants, American Association of Physician Assistants, Iowa Physician Assistant Society, and the Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants.

Emily James is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner who providers care in the Cass Health Emergency Department and AMC Rapid Care. As a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner, James provides care for all ages.
James earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Purdue University Global and is board-certified by The American Nurses Credentialing Center. She received her Associates of Applied Science in Nursing from Southwestern Community College in 2015, and her bachelor’s in 2018 from Purdue University Global. Emily is also a DAISY award nominee; she received nominations in 2016, 2018, and 2019.

Holly Christensen is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner in Cass Health’s Rapid Care. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She graduated from Graceland University in 2007, earning her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner. Since that time she has served in Iowa as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the emergency departments at Manning Regional Health Center, Audubon County Hospital, and Myrtue Medical Center.

Tammy Bireline, RN, ARNP, is board certified in family practice by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Tammy has cared for patients at Cass Health for more than 20 years. Over the course of her career, she has had varied clinical experience in healthcare including Medical/Cardiac Intensive Care at Iowa Methodist Hospital, Emergency Department/Trauma Coordination at Lutheran Hospital-Des Moines and Cass Health, Cardiac Rehab, Wellness, Medical/Surgical, as well as Outpatient Clinics including chemotherapy and infusion services at Cass Health.  She completed her advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) training at Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska in 2014.  She has also completed extensive training specific to emergency care, including ER fundamentals, boot camp and procedures courses.