The focus of the Nurse Managed Clinics (NMC) is health promotion and disease prevention for vulnerable populations residing in rural and inner city communities in south Louisiana. The NMC consists of a fully equipped stationary clinic located in the School of Nursing building and a mobile health unit (Jag Mobile) that are used by faculty and students to assist vulnerable populations to meet primary health care needs. Professional nursing services are offered by master's prepared faculty, nursing students in the BSN program and registered nurses enrolled in the Family Health Nursing Graduate Program as well as nurse practitioners and RN's enrolled in the Nursing Practitioner Program.

History

To date, the Jag Mobile has provided community-based primary health care services to over 2,300 medically underserved citizens. They include senior citizens, homeless individuals and families, refugees, battered women, and others. Over 540 children from Head Start centers have received health care services. Sites for the mobile health services include homeless shelters and soup kitchens, churches, day care centers, low-income housing developments, and community centers located in rural parishes and inner-city neighborhoods.

Health promotion and disease prevention services offered include health assessments, health screening (vision, hearing, height, weight, glucose, hemoglobin, blood pressure, etc.) and childhood immunizations. Areas of health teaching cover topics such as nutrition, dental health, aging, safety, breast-self examination, childhood immunizations, hypertension and diabetes teaching.

Nursing students from Southern University and other area nursing programs utilize the Jag Mobile for community-based clinical experiences. These include nursing students enrolled in baccalaureate, masters, and nurse practitioner programs. Additionally, students from Southern University’s Food and Nutrition and Speech and Hearing disciplines complete rotations on the mobile health unit. SUSON’s clinic received approval from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing to use the Nurse Managed Family Health Care Centers as clinical facilities to train nursing students.

The Jag Mobile has been highlighted by the local media as an exemplary program. Numerous articles have been written that point out the important role the clinic plays in assisting the state meet the health care needs of its vulnerable and medically undeserved citizens.

Funding

The Nurse Managed Clinics are funded, in part, by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Health Demonstration Grant and the USDA, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES-USDA), special grant number 95-ER-HS-10483.

Mobile Health Clinic

The mobile unit is a fully equipped, 40 foot clinic with two expandable rooms. It contains a lab, patient processing areas, pharmacy area, nurses station, two exam rooms designed to accommodate pediatric and adult mix populations, handicap accessible bathroom, waiting/reception area, and a conference/teaching room with television and VCR.

Geographical Mapping Strategies

Geographical mapping strategies were put in place to identify "pockets" within communities requiring specific health related interventions and services. By utilizing these mapping strategies, target populations are identified by zip-code (urban and rural) areas based on health data such as infant mortality rates, low birth rates, rates of unimmunized children, teenage pregnancy rates, prenatal care, etc.

Immunization Outreach Initiative

SUSON was approved by the Louisiana Department Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health Immunization Section, as an official partner in Louisiana’s immunization initiative. Immunization outreach programs and services are implemented from the stationary (in-house clinic) and the mobile health unit.

KIDMED Clinic And EPSDT Program

The SUSON clinics are certified KIDMED Centers that provide the Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT). Over 500 Head Start Children are scheduled to receive services through our clinics. The screening component of this service includes medical, vision, hearing, and dental screening services.

MEDICAID Enrollment Center

SUSON is certified by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing/Medicaid Application Center Unit as a Medicaid Enrollment Center. The ability of the Nurse Managed Center to function as a Medicaid Application Center enhances our ability to provide needed primary health care services to under served indigent populations, including referral and follow-up services.

WIC PROGRAM

WIC is a Special Supplement Food Program for Women, Infants and Children funded by the funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  The program is designed to be an adjunct to health care.  It is intended to encourage patients to access preventive health care and to provide supplemental food and nutrition education to those at nutritional risk.  WIC target low income women and preschool aged children, who have a medical or diet related nutritional risk, during periods of critical growth to improve overall nutrition and health status.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

1. Develop a culturally sensitive nursing intervention program to address the general health promotion and   disease prevention health care requirements for medically undeserved rural and inner city populations.

2. Establish collaborative, interdisciplinary teams, using the expertise of SUSON faculty, health education specialist, and other health related programs in the University and community to address the identified health promotion and disease prevention needs of the population being served.

3. Establish networking and collaborative relationships with other area nursing programs.

4. Increase the number of culturally sensitive health care providers who possess skills essential to effectively meet the health care needs of the rural and inner city undeserved.

5. Design an outcome evaluation program and examines the effectiveness and efficiency of the program in accomplishing the objectives.

For further information contact:
Edith Knighton, RN, MSN
Clinical Administrator
Nurse Managed Clinics
Southern University School of Nursing
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
Phone: (225) 771-3324 or (225) 771-2661
FAX: (225) 771-2349
Email: edithknighton@suson.subr.edu

Last updated on February, 2003