Kristen A. Brazzale, APNP

Yes. Kristen is board-certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner certification requires passing a rigorous national board examination and maintaining ongoing continuing education to retain certification. She is licensed as an Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner in Wisconsin and practices in the Neurosurgery specialty at Neuroscience Group's Neenah location.

Kristen is a neurosurgery APNP at Neuroscience Group's Neenah location, where she works with the neurosurgical team across both the outpatient clinic and the inpatient hospital setting. In the clinic, she evaluates patients, develops individualized treatment plans, and supports pre- and post-operative care. In the hospital, she provides inpatient neurosurgical support for patients admitted for brain, spine, or spinal cord conditions. She works directly alongside Dr. Philip Yazbak as part of Neuroscience Group's collaborative neurosurgical care team, and takes particular care to ensure patients leave each visit with a clear understanding of their diagnosis, their treatment options, and realistic expectations about what their care will involve.

As an Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner, Kristen works collaboratively with and under the oversight of the neurosurgeons at Neuroscience Group, specifically alongside Dr. Philip Yazbak. She is ANCC board-certified and trained to evaluate and manage patients across the neurosurgical scope, supporting both clinical and inpatient care. Neurosurgical procedures are performed by the surgeons, and complex surgical decisions are made collaboratively. For patients in the neurosurgery program, Kristen provides consistent, accessible care across the full arc of their treatment, from initial evaluation through pre-operative preparation and post-operative recovery. Her dual clinic and hospital presence means patients have a consistent care team contact point whether they are being seen for an outpatient visit or admitted to the hospital for a procedure.

Kristen helps manage the full range of conditions treated by Neuroscience Group's neurosurgical team, including brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms and vascular malformations, spine conditions requiring surgical evaluation or management, degenerative spine disease, spinal cord disorders, and other brain and nervous system conditions evaluated or treated by the neurosurgeons. As part of the team alongside Dr. Yazbak, whose subspecialty interests include brain tumors, brain aneurysms, and minimally invasive spine surgery, she supports patients managing complex and often high-stakes conditions that require ongoing evaluation, careful pre-operative planning, and thorough post-operative monitoring.

Kristen believes that open, honest communication is the foundation of good care, particularly in neurosurgery where patients are often managing serious conditions with significant implications. She takes time to speak openly with patients about their questions and concerns so they leave each visit with realistic expectations and a clear picture of what their care will involve. Her goal is to make sure no question goes unanswered before a patient leaves the clinic, and to ensure they feel prepared and informed at every stage of their treatment. Working in both the clinic and the hospital setting gives her a continuous view of each patient's care journey, which strengthens the consistency and quality of the communication she is able to provide.