Good Samaritan Nurse-Managed Center
Approximately 16% of Kentuckians are uninsured and un- or underserved by the healthcare system.
Responding to that need, The Good Samaritan Nursing Center was formally organized by the College of Nursing in 1998. The Center established a community-oriented nursing practice arrangement with the goals of providing primary health care to medically un- and underserved populations, preparing nurses for leadership roles in settings serving these populations, and expanding the education of nurses for community-oriented primary health care delivery. The Nursing Center is partially funded by the Good Samaritan Foundation of Lexington, Kentucky.
With a focus on promoting health in underserved populations, the Nursing Center provides nursing staff for existing community-based clinics in Fayette and surrounding counties, serving children, adults, and families. In addition, the Center serves four elementary school-based clinics, one middle school clinic, and two clinics for the homeless and people with substance abuse problems.
Clinics are strategically placed where low income populations can be served. For many clients this is the only health care they receive. Clinics provide primary care, preventive care, as well as acute, chronic, episodic and urgent health care. Referral to community providers or access to reduced cost medications is available when needed.
Center clinics provide primary preventive health care including immunizations, health screenings, and health fairs. An average of 5,275 clients are served, with approximately 20,000 total visits annually, along with 25,000 to 30,000 health education and promotion encounters with children and adults. A comprehensive health education curriculum developed in collaboration with the education committee of the Kentucky Health Care Access Foundation is offered in four elementary schools.
The Good Samaritan Foundation of Lexington, Kentucky established the first endowed chair in community health nursing at the UK College of Nursing. Marcia Stanhope was the recipient. She founded the Good Samaritan Nursing Center and currently serves as its director.
More nurses in community and school health
27 B.S.N. graduates have participated in the nurse intern program at the Center. Seventy-four percent of the interns are now working in community or school health settings. Considering that only about 19 percent of all nurses nationwide choose to work in community or school health, the program has been extremely successful in attracting nurses to these settings.
Eleven nurse practitioner fellows have also participated with the Good Samaritan Nursing Center clinics. Eighty-two percent of these fellows are currently working in settings that are contributing to increased access to health care for those otherwise underserved.
Stanhope says that the greatest success of the Center has been achieving the goal of introducing and providing more nurses and nurse practitioners to serve vulnerable groups in the community, who otherwise have limited access to health care.
Community partnerships are key
"None of this would have been possible without community partners," says Stanhope. In addition to the Good Samaritan Foundation, partnerships with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, the school system, and community healthcare providers have made the program's overwhelming success possible.
Activities and Outcomes to Date
Working in Fayette, Montgomery, Menifee, Powell, and Bath County, the Nurse-Managed Care Center collaborates with the Good Samaritan Foundation, Fayette County Health Department Cardinal Valley Elementary School, J.R. Ewan Elementary School, Ashland Elementary School, Booker T. Washington Primary School, Baby Health, Nathaniel Mission, Winburn Middle School, the Post Clinic Board in Mt. Sterling, the Hope Center for Men, and the Hope Center for Women. The Center continues to meet the primary healthcare needs of vulnerable populations otherwise underserved and continues to increase the numbers of nurse practitioners interested in serving these populations as well as the number of new RN graduates working in public health.
The Fayette County Public Schools reports that KIRIS scores have increased and retention has improved at the four elementary schools served. 2006 provided services to clients via 19,564 visits as well as health education services to 1,658 students through 7,646 contacts. 50% of nurse practitioner graduates who worked for the Nurse-Managed Care Center are now working with vulnerable populations.
The Center was one of 26 nationally recognized and one of five given special recognition at the annual conference of the American Academy of Nursing for its innovative program developed by nurses who find solutions to existing client problems.