The Ohio State University College of Nursing has received a $1.5 million grant from The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to implement an interprofessional physical and mental health primary-care center in a Near East Side neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio.
The grant allows for full-time operation of a planned Ohio State College of Nursing Total Health & Wellness Center, a primary-care clinic set to open in autumn 2012. The clinic will offer an innovative nurse practitioner-led interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) that integrates mental health and primary-care services from medical, pharmacy and social work team members for high-risk populations in inner-city Columbus.
“This grant will support us to not only fund some personnel for our clinic, but also to support interprofessional collaborative practice/education and some terrific evidence-based programs to enhance health and wellness for the east Columbus community, which are so greatly needed,” said Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FNAP, FAAN, dean of The Ohio State University College of Nursing, university chief wellness officer and associate vice president for health promotion.
The center will incorporate evidence-based intervention programs, including Million Hearts education and screening and cognitive-behavioral skills building for depression and anxiety, to improve health outcomes of the underserved in the Near East Side neighborhood. Introduced in September 2011 by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Million Hearts initiative is a public-private sector effort connecting programs and policies aimed at preventing one million heart attacks and strokes in the next five years.
The first objective of the project is to develop a healthcare delivery team to achieve the core competencies for IPCP as outlined by the national Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. The second is to implement and sustain an IPCP model that incorporates Million Hearts, an NP-led TeamCare model, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for depression screening and Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment (COPE), an evidence-based program for overweight teens and adolescents who are depressed and anxious.
“This integrated model of care has outstanding potential for positive impact because a targeted focus on improving the health and wellness of individuals with chronic conditions will hopefully improve adherence to treatment, improve outcomes and lower healthcare costs,” said Margaret Graham, PhD, RN, FNP, PNP, project director and associate dean for advanced practice & clinical partnerships at the College of Nursing.
Kristie Flamm, MSN, FNP-BC, ACNP-BC, formerly an emergency room nurse practitioner at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center, has been named director of the Total Health & Wellness Center. The center will be staffed by family nurse practitioners serving as primary care providers in collaboration with physicians and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Other members of the team will include registered nurses, mental health counselors, pharmacists, dietitians and social workers.
HRSA is the primary federal agency for improving access to healthcare services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable.
For more information, please contact Kathryn L. Kelley, chief advancement officer at 614-688-1062 or kelley.81@osu.edu.
About The Ohio State University College of Nursing
The Ohio State University College of Nursing is the world’s preeminent college known for transforming health and transforming lives through innovative academic programs and research that improves outcomes and evidence-based clinical practice. We exist to revolutionize healthcare and promote the highest levels of wellness in diverse individuals and communities throughout the nation and globe. The College of Nursing is part of the largest health science campus in the nation that is comprised of seven health sciences colleges, including dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, optometry, public health and veterinary medicine. Please visit us at www.nursing.osu.edu.
