Nurse managed health centers: Responding to community need

The 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University is a comprehensive, nurse-managed health center run by the College of Nursing and Health Professions in collaboration with the Family Practice and Counseling Network. Its vision is to decrease health disparities by providing transdisciplinary clinical services and health promotion programs in partnership with the local community. Like many inner-city areas, North Philadelphia lacked health care providers, leaving the many low-income residents with unmet physical and mental health needs. These residents are often exposed to violence, crime, and other traumatic events that can have a negative impact on physical and mental health. As a result, the center created a model of care and an array of services based on the community's needs. The center not only provides access to clinical services but also offers a range of health promotion and chronic disease management programs, physical fitness programs, nutrition services, and integrative and complementary therapies. Key elements of the model include: 1) transdisciplinary care teams, 2) integration of primary care and behavioral health, 3) open access scheduling 4) a trauma-informed model of care, and 5) a no wrong-door policy. In addition to an overview of the center's key elements, lessons learned and future plans, a discussion of the considerations for replication elsewhere will be discussed.