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Community Nursing Care for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

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College of Nursing faculty member with a patient

St. Leonard’s Ministries (SLM) empowers formerly incarcerated men and women to lead whole and productive lives. With the support of holistic services including mental health care, substance use treatments and case management programs, SLM participants work to improve critical areas of their lives and achieve successful reentry to society. Beginning in 2018, SLM and Rush College of Nursing Faculty Practice partnered to create an onsite primary care health center because high quality, reliable and trusted health care is a critical need for formerly incarcerated individuals. Typically individuals struggle with navigating health care systems and the reality of their chronic health issues. Our goal is to provide excellent primary care services and help bridge the healthcare gap as individuals achieve reentry. Recently an SLM resident was hospitalized after undergoing heart surgery. Upon hospital discharge he did not have any place to go other than back to prison. However, because of amazing support and care from the SLM staff and the Rush Faculty Practice clinician, he was able to return safely and comfortably to SLM.