Project Team
Kathleen Delaney, Project Director
Funding Source
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Consortium with Heartland International Health Centers
T14HP33133
Award Period
7/1/19 - 6/30/22
Background
HRSA’s National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects the demand for primary care physicians will increase by 17 percent resulting in a shortage of 23,640 physicians. Expanding the role of advance practice registered nurses, specifically NPs in primary care can help address this gap. This is especially true of those who are working at the top of the scope of licensure. Providing care for underserved populations involves complexities and can be challenging for a new NP transitioning to practice in a rural and underserved setting. Residency programs that incorporate didactic training and preceptors provide an advantageous transition to practice and strengthen clinical knowledge and skills. Furthermore research suggests that those who participate in residency programs are more likely to remain in practice for underserved populations. The clinical focus of this NP residency program also responds to HRSA’s priority focus area of combatting the opiod crisis and mental health.
Purpose
The purpose of the partnership is to develop an academic practice partnership via a community consortium, to expand existing NP residency programs that prepare new NPs for primary care practice in community settings that benefit underserved populations. Consortium partners are Heartland Health Centers, Howard Brown Health and Rush College of Nursing/Rush University Medical Center. This program will focus on integrated behavioral health IBH/MH/SUO. This goal will be accomplished through the following activities: 1. Build a community-based consortium to refine the education and expand inter-professional training of NP residents in IBH/MH/SUO services to a range of underserved populations 2. Enhance and expand NP residency programs that train family nurse practitioners (FNPs) and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) to provide effective and efficient IBH/MH/SUO use services to underserved individuals 3. Develop an innovative curriculum co-designed by partners to teach foundational IBH/MH/SUO competencies that includes telehealth skills 4. Organize NP resident/community group partnerships to synergize practice improvements around population health 5. Mobilize NP resident’s readiness to practice and build avenues for seeking employment with underserved.