Community-Based Nursing Centers: Challenges and Opportunities in Implementation and Sustainability

Abstract

The development and sustainability of a nursing center within the chaotic health care system of the last decade has required skill, experience, commitment, and the willingness to be flexible and responsive to the changing environment. The University of Maryland School of Nursing has been successful over the last several years in the development of Open Gates Health Center, a storefront clinic in inner-city Baltimore. Valuable lessons are shared that can support the development of new centers and the enhancement of existing ones. As nursing centers mature into the mainstream health care delivery system, they must maintain the capacity to preserve their fundamental commitment to meeting community needs. To better position themselves, nursing centers must demonstrate that they provide comprehensive quality health care in an efficient and effective manner. Moreover, nurse practitioners must work to be on the panels of both medical assistance and commercial health maintenance organizations to secure reimbursement for their services.