NPI registry status
Active
2026 NPPES data Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist NPI 1306139365 APN
Verify on CMS → Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN
Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist in Wartburg, Tennessee.
This profile is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES), which lists more than 7 million U.S. healthcare providers - including 508 in Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, and covers specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare Part D prescribing data when reported. According to CMS, every field reflects the provider's official federal registration, see our methodology.
Federal data, no proprietary rating.
We show these CMS records as-is - no composite score, no star rating, no editorial opinion layered on top.
Prescribing volume
195
Medicare Part D claims · 68 beneficiaries · Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist avg: 773
Generic prescribing
91%
generic claims · 9% brand-name · higher generic rates reduce patient out-of-pocket costs
Source: CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File, 2023
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.
What the federal data shows
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN filed 195 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist in Wartburg, Tennessee, prescribing 91% generic.
- 195
- Part D claims, 2023
- 91%
- generic prescribing
Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records (NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments) - no proprietary rating or editorial opinion is applied.
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber
Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023, across all CMS prescribers nationally
195 35th percentile higher than 35% of 1,370,886 prescribers
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more prescribers. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2023
What does the federal data show about Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN?
Quality data not reportedPrimary specialty
Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
Medicare Part D claims
195 75% vs specialty avg
Specialty distribution in Tennessee
How Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist compares to other specialties among Tennessee providers
Board certification
Not published by CMS
CMS does not publish a per-provider board-certification field in NPPES. PlainDoctor does not have a reliable per-specialty certification rate to show for Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist. Verify directly:
How MIPS and board certification work
The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.
Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN appears in the CMS NPPES registry as an Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist provider holding APN credentials at 1236 KNOXVILLE HWY, Wartburg, TN, 37887, with a listed phone of (423) 346-5566. NPI 1306139365 was issued on 05/25/2011.
Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 195 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 68 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $7K in drug spend, split 9% brand-name and 91% generic by claim count, with an opioid prescribing rate of 10.3%.
Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist is a narrow specialty nationwide, with 508 enrolled providers across 47 states and an average of 773 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline.
Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist, always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.
Practice Address
Provider Details
| NPI | 1306139365 |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist |
| Credentials | APN |
| Gender | Female |
| NPI Issued | 05/25/2011 |
Brand vs generic prescribing mix · Generic-heavy
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN - brand share 9.0%
Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist average
9% brand-name claims vs 91% generic, on 195 2023 Medicare Part D claims.
The federal Medicare Part D Generic Dispensing Rate national benchmark sits near 90% generic / 10% brand for primary-care prescribers, per CMS Office of the Actuary 2024 estimates. Higher brand share is common in specialty prescribing where generic equivalents are not available.
Medicare Part D Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.
195
Total Claims
$7K
Total Drug Cost
68
Medicare Beneficiaries
Prescribing Breakdown
- 30-Day Fills
- 198
- Total Day Supply
- 3,714
- Brand vs Generic
- 9% brand / 91% generic
- Brand Drug Cost
- $1K
- Generic Drug Cost
- $6K
- Opioid Claims
- 20 (10.3% rate)
- Antibiotic Claims
- 28
Patient Demographics
- Average Patient Age
- 71.5 years
- Avg HCC Risk Score
- 2.83
- Gender Split
- 38% female / 62% male
- Age Distribution
- <65: 15, 65-74: 28, 75-84: 14, 85+: 11
Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)
Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.
What Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN prescribes most
Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023
- Gentamicin Sulfate
Gentamicin Sulfate
59 claims
- Gabapentin
Gabapentin
25 claims
- Tramadol Hcl 20
Tramadol Hcl
20 claims
- Temazepam 17
Temazepam
17 claims
- Duloxetine Hcl 12
Duloxetine Hcl
12 claims
| Drug | Claims |
|---|---|
| Gentamicin Sulfate | 59 |
| Gabapentin | 25 |
| Tramadol Hcl | 20 |
| Temazepam | 17 |
| Duloxetine Hcl | 12 |
* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.
More Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist in TN →
All providers in Tennessee →
Compare specialties →
Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Overview
How Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN fits within the Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist landscape nationally.
508
Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Providers in US
47
States with Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
773
Avg Claims per Provider
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's 195 claims are below the specialty average of 773.
Nearby Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Providers in Tennessee
Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Tennessee, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as Upchurch Howard.
Dr. Betty Evans
RN
Memphis, TN
Dr. Martha Felty
APN, CCNS
Roan Mountain, TN
Dr. Jennifer Harper
MSN, ACNP-BC, AOCNP
Savannah, TN
Dr. Susan Harris
APN
Lebanon, TN
Dr. Melynda Meeks
NP
Nashville, TN
Compare Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist nationally: see state-by-state distribution →
Before you book an appointment
Use this federal record as your verification checklist, not as a recommendation.
- Confirm the NPI record is current in the official CMS registry, providers update their own NPPES details, and moves can lag. Verify this NPI
- Check the active license and any disciplinary history with the Tennessee medical board, federal registration is not a license check. Credential verification guide
- Weigh a second option: compare this provider with a nearby Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist peer on Medicare volume and prescribing patterns. Compare providers
Medicare Part D and MIPS figures describe practice patterns in federal programs only, they are not quality ratings, and PlainDoctor does not rate, rank, or recommend providers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's specialty? ▼
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN specializes in Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist and practices in Wartburg, Tennessee. Credentials: APN.
How much does Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN prescribe under Medicare Part D? ▼
In 2023, Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN wrote 195 Medicare Part D claims totaling $7K in drug costs for 68 beneficiaries.
Where is Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN located? ▼
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN is located at 1236 KNOXVILLE HWY, Wartburg, TN, 37887. Phone: (423) 346-5566.
What is Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's NPI number? ▼
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1306139365, issued on 05/25/2011.
Does Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN prescribe more brand-name or generic drugs? ▼
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's prescribing is 9% brand-name and 91% generic drugs by claim count, with $1K in brand drug costs.
Does Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN prescribe opioids? ▼
Yes, Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN had 20 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 10.3%.
How many Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist providers are there in the US? ▼
There are 508 Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist providers across 47 states in the US. The average Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist provider writes 773 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN prescribe most often? ▼
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's most frequently prescribed drugs include Gentamicin Sulfate, Gabapentin, Tramadol Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN accept Medicare? ▼
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN appears in CMS Medicare data with 195 Part D claims and 68 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's credentials? ▼
Deborah Upchurch Howard, APN's NPI is 1306139365 with credentials APN. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.
Data Sources
View source datasets and methodology notes
- Provider Directory
- CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
- Specialty Classification
- NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
- Prescribing Data
- CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
- Limitations
- Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.
See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.
Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology
Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.
Every figure on PlainDoctor is rendered directly from the federal CMS NPPES registry, Medicare Part D, MIPS, and Open Payments records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.