Healthy People 2010 goals focus on access to care and health care equity. Yet the health of our nation is in turmoil. The escalating number of uninsured and the declining resources for public health and primary care infrastructure is on a collision course. Safety net providers, including nurse managed health centers, daily confront the needs of the uninsured and the underinsured, scramble to make ends meet, seek opportunities to stabilize the bottom line and concurrently promote accessible, neighborhood based health care services for all. This graduate public health nursing project focuses on developing a federally qualified health center (FQHC) “lookalike” application for a nationally recognized academic nurse managed center. The assessment and proposal development phases are highlighted. Timelines, regulatory criteria, and organizational roadblocks are detailed. Roadblocks include board composition, federal legislation regarding non-profit status, regulatory and legal matters as well as site placement in a medically underserved area (MUA) or in public housing. University and federal review process is pending. The review status and lessons learned will be reported. If approved at the academic and federal levels, this urban nurse managed health center will be annually reimbursed on costs/number of visits and may apply for uncompensated care funds. This project documents the need for public health nurses and primary care providers to 1) know about current funding opportunities; 2) ascertain FQHC eligibility of academic nursing centers; 3) be skilled in proposal writing; and 4) maintain the sense of balance and insight to move the project forward.
Learning Objectives: At the concluion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to: 1. Identify the steps related to obtaining the FQHC status for an academic-based nurse managed health center 2. Describe the role of the public health nurse in pursuing the FQHC status 3. Recognize the barriers of obtaining the FQHC status for an academic-based nurse managed health center
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Public Health Infrastructure
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: La Salle Neighborhood Nursing Center
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.