Academic HealthCare Partnerships: Opportunities for the Future

The School of Nursing Health Centers, located within the Housing Authority Properties, provide clinical educational opportunities through service, research and scholarship for graduate students in preparation for advanced nursing practice within a global community. As part of the School of Nursing’s commitment to serve the greater community, the Health Centers use the talents of the nurse practitioner faculty and students to provide primary preventive healthcare services that are holistic and culturally sensitive to an underserved population. In many ways the services are similar to other nurse managed centers. The uniqueness is the public-private-academic partnership that was established through the nurse practitioner faculty members. Financing for these services must be obtained through philanthropic measures. In 2009, much needed funding was obtained through a partnership from the Well•Spring Retirement Community. The addition of the partnership created an advisory board with members from a cross section of the community. Diverging ideas from members from profit sectors require education in recognizing the benefits of offering free care as opposed to sliding scale care. Increased funding also allows faculty members to maintain clinical practice while instructing nurse practitioner students. This unique public-private partnership has allowed the ability to partner with the largest acute care health center in the county that has applied for a HRSA Access Point Grant. Meetings are currently underway that will allow the Health Centers-Housing Authority-Well Spring to apply for Access Point Expansion Funding within two years. Without the initial partnership, the School of Nursing Health Centers was not large enough to qualify for HRSA funding.  The Housing Authority Director has stated “the addition of Well•Spring to our partnership with the University enhances the health of housing authority residents and improves their quality of life.”