Health care is changing.
In response to that change, and to health care reform initiatives nationwide, Mennonite College of Nursing Dean Judy Neubrander is looking to the future.
Dean Neubrander has positioned the university to lead nursing education and research efforts towards emerging health care delivery models. Health care reform through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has radically changed the focus of health services, shifting away from reactive illness driven care and towards a model that is proactive, comprehensive, and focuses on disease management and health promotion services.
In common language, health care delivery is moving away from physician-centric care and toward a preventative, patient-centric team approach.
The value of nurses leading and coordinating care amongst the primary care team is an essential component of effective preventative care. And, the skills and knowledge of the primary care RN tasked with leading an integrated care team for disease management and prevention requires a specialized skill-set not currently fostered within the traditional nursing program curriculum.
An unmet need in nursing education
Dean Neubrander recognized the critical need for MCN to develop nurses who were prepared to lead and coordinate the integrated care team to improve population health in our community. And just like that, the Change Agents to the Underserved: Service Education (CAUSE) project was born.
In 2018, Dean Neubrander authored, submitted, and received a $2.8 million Health Resources and Service Administration grant for Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing to launch the CAUSE project. The project aims to bolster MCN’s curriculum, allowing not only nursing students but also working RNs to practice primary care nursing and meet these rapidly emerging health care demands.
Progress through partnership
Through clinical partnerships with three Bloomington medical clinics—Chestnut Family Health Center, Community Health Care Clinic, and McLean County Health Department—the CAUSE project aims to increase RN education for primary care practice. The partnership between MCN and these clinics will provide rich clinical experiences for current RNs and nursing students, allowing them to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to provide integrated and coordinated team-based patient centric primary care services, aligned with health care reform initiatives.
Chestnut’s new Family Integrated Health Center will open spring of 2019.
Highlighting our partners: Chestnut Family Health Center
Beginning Fall 2019, Chestnut Family Health Center will facilitate clinical experiences for Mennonite College of Nursing students. Through those experiences—designed collaboratively by MCN and Chestnut Family Health Center staff—students will learn how to lead and coordinate primary care teams serving complex and medically underserved patients—patients who oftentimes need more personalized and comprehensive care services to achieve improved health outcomes.
Students will learn in Chestnut’s new, 32,000 square foot family integrated health center, that plans to open in Spring 2019.
Chestnut Health Systems Chief Executive Officer Dr. David A. Sharar said, “The move and remodeling represent a dramatic expansion, so that community members in the most medically-underserved areas of the Twin Cities will have expanded access to integrated primary medical and behavioral health services offered at the newly remodeled facility on Chestnut street”.
The renovated multi-story center will include primary care services for pediatrics and adults, pharmacy, laboratory, integrated short-term behavioral health, social work, wellness, dental, and dietary services—all centered around unique patient care needs.
A unique opportunity for two RNs
The CAUSE project grant will allow Chestnut to hire two registered nurses to function as Care Coordinator RNs in the expanded Family Health Center. The partnership with Mennonite College of Nursing will offer a unique opportunity for these two RNs to precept nursing students learning how to practice within an integrated team-based care model with primary care and behavioral health providers, social service specialists, pharmacists, dieticians, wellness coaches, and dentists within the new health center. Additionally, the two CAUSE RNs will attend the Primary Care RN Education Program delivered by MCN Assistant Professor, Susie Watkins RN, Ph.D.
The two CAUSE RNs will work alongside all the Chestnut Family Health Center primary care team members as RN Care Coordinators and preceptors for MCN nursing students. If you are interested in applying for the unique opportunity to serve patients and MCN nursing students as a CAUSE Grant RN, please visit CFHC.
The Centralized Care Team Center—aka the “Command Center”—is where the team will huddle each day.
Meet the CAUSE – Chestnut Family Health Center team
(Pictured Left to Right) Susie Watkins; ISU CAUSE Project Director Tammy Osborn; Nurse Coordinator, Chestnut Family Health Center Judy Neubrander; Dean, ISU Mennonite College of Nursing Dietra D. Kulicke; Executive Director, Chestnut Family Health Center Kileigh Guido; ISU Undergraduate Academic Advisor Pamela S. Kouri; Chestnut Family Health Center Integrated Health Care Coordinator Michelle L. Woodburn; ISU CAUSE Project Coordinator (Team Members Not Pictured) Tory Lynch-Dahmm; Quality Improvement Manager, Chestnut Health Center Sarah Patten; ISU Instructional Experience Coordinator
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