Helen Peake-Godin, RN MN, USM College of Nursing and HealthProfessions, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300, 207-780=4140, hpeake@usm.maine.edu and Peggy Akers, RN MS ANP C, Sagamore Health Center, University of So Maine College of Nursiong and Health Professions, P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300.

The concept of primary care is often equated with health care, failing to recognize that primary care can only be as effective as the community that supports its utilization. For select populations, primary care may be the first contact and ongoing source of health services. However for many vulnerable populations, primary care cannot replace the need for public health. Primary care is one of many services needed and without other services, high risk groups may not be able to access primary care or access only on an episodic basis. The Sagamore Health Center, a community-based academic/ service partnership, is a collaborative model that combines the benefits of public health with primary care. Collaborating with a hospital based ambulatory center and private primary providers (PCPs); the Center provides primary care, case finding, home visits, and community-based health promotion activities. Women, who do not or cannot visit their own providers for annual exams, will come to the Center for these services. Residents with chronic illnesses are monitored by the nurse practitioner and nursing students with reports forwarded to PCPs. After 10 years of operation, the Center has gained a reputation of respect from the community. PCPs now contact the Center asking the nurse practitioner or students to follow-up with particular clients. As testimony to the success of this partnership, nurses at the local medical center clinics approached the center with the question of how to “get a Sagamore Health Center” in other communities.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Identify the obstacles to primary care in meeting the needs of vulnerable populations.
• 2.Describe the critical steps needed to develop a successful partnership between academic sponsored public health services and traditional primary care.
• 3.Analyze the results of such a partnership in terms of clinical outcomes.
• 4.Develop similar partnership models appropriate to specific populations.

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Partnerships

Related Web page: www.usm.maine.edu/conhp

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: University of southern Maine College of Nursing and Health Professions Sagamore Health 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.