Donna Meyer, MSN, RN, ANEF, FAADN and Lucy Chappee, MPA, RN
The Lewis and Clark Family Health Clinic, a nurse managed center and interprofessional model, is the only primary care clinic operated by a community college in the United States, with outreach facilities to the medically underserved rural areas through a mobile health unit. Nurse practitioners and registered nurses lead and staff the clinic. The innovative uniqueness of the Clinic lies in the special way that it combines academic programs, on the one hand, and the offering of low cost primary care, preventive health care, and health education on the other.
The impact of this innovation can be assessed in the large number and variety of encounters, patient satisfaction, and patient outcomes that the clinic has experienced. The encounters have focused on: primary care, health education, and prevention. The Clinic has thus far been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2010 MetLife Innovation Award.
Objectives:
- Describe the implementation of a nurse managed clinic on a community college campus
- Discuss the opportunities and challenges with the model
- Explain the transition to an interprofessional clinic