The 10th anniversary of the UNMC College of Nursings two nurse-managed
community health centers is a celebration not only of improved health of
thousands and those whose lives have been saved, but also making it against
the odds. The college is celebrating 10 years of service of its Cosmopolitan-UNMC
College of Nursing Mobile Nursing Center and the Family Health Care Center.
The Mobile Nursing Center travels to various rural and urban locations
in Nebraska and western Iowa, providing disease prevention, screening,
health education, and referral and follow-up services. The Family Health
Care Center is the colleges nursing center located in the Greenberg-Early
South Omaha Neighborhood Association Building at 31st and Q Streets.
Nursing centers provide primary care services, disease prevention, health
promotion, access, and care to those who would otherwise do without.
Although theyve become an important provider of safety net health
care over the last 20 years, nursing centers receive little support from
the federal government, said Kate Fiandt, Ph.D., UNMC College of Nursing
nurse practitioner, associate professor of nursing and clinical director
of the Family Health Care Center. As a result, she said, nursing centers
are always at risk for closure. Few centers survive for a decade.
The centers have been sustained through various funding sources, including
national and state funding and in-kind services from sources such as the
college, Nebraska Health System, UNMC, Cosmopolitan International Club,
corporations and grants from sources like the Nebraska Health Care Cash
Fund.
UNMC nurse practitioners, nurses and other health care providers, as
well as students, provide services to clientele whom are unable to access
health care services due to financial, transportation, language or other
reasons.
More than 70 percent of its patients are uninsured and live in poverty.
Those services that are paid for are done so through health insurance,
Medicaid and Medicare and a sliding scale patient fees. However, no patient
is denied help due to inability to pay.
Dr. Fiandt estimates the Family Health Care Center has about 250 patient
encounters a month. Since 1997, clinic faculty have provided about 10,000
hours of clinical work, with 500 to 600 hours by students.
Though many patients pay on a sliding scale fee, she said hundreds of
thousands of dollars in care are donated, including from UNMC, grants,
fundraising, the Hope Medical Outreach Coalition of Omaha, which provides
discount pharmacy services and others.
Other services that operate as part of the center are the student-run
Student Health Alliance Reaching Indigent Needy Groups and the Responsible
Early STD Prevention, Education & Community Testing clinics.
Dr. Fiandt said there are a lot of people alive today who wouldnt be
without the help of the clinic.
A man without health insurance came to the clinic with blood pressure
so high that surely he would have ultimately died or lost function of his
kidneys, Dr. Fiandt said. Five years later, his blood pressure is within
normal limits. Now he can go about his life and be a functional citizen,
Dr. Fiandt said.
Ten years ago, the Cosmopolitan-UNMC College of Nursing Mobile Nursing
Center set off on its maiden voyage with a broad range of services, and
focus on preventing and screening for type 2 diabetes. It was a collaborative
effort between the college and the Cornbelt Diabetes Connection, Inc.,
a local federation of Cosmopolitan International, a non-profit organization
which funds diabetes projects and research.
Since 1993, the center has traveled more than 54,000 miles, with nearly
19,595 patient visits, serving those who cannot easily access basic health
screening, education, counseling and referral services due to transportation,
financial or language barriers.
Their clinic is a 1998 Coachman 36-foot custom-built motor home that
contains 325 square feet of space, including private patient consultation
areas, an exam room, areas for laboratory testing, three computer stations
with Internet and electronic mail capability, television and videocassette
recorder, and a satellite receiver capable of being used for educational
purposes.
Staff currently provide services in the Nebraska cities of Ashland,
Bellevue, Blair, Burwell, Fremont, Grand Island, Lincoln, Minden, Omaha,
Palmyra, Panama, Ravenna, Sargent, Spalding, Valparaiso, Wahoo, Weeping
Water and West Point. In Iowa they travel to Council Bluffs and Sioux City.
UNMC College of Nursing Associate Professors Kathleen Barr, Ph.D., and
Catherine Todero, Ph.D., both founders of the Mobile Nursing Center, say
their services refer patients for many conditions, including high blood
pressure and cholesterol, heart failure, suspected cancer and diabetes.
They also manage certain chronic conditions.
By removing access barriers, weve improved entry into the health care
system by bringing health services directly into the community, Dr. Barr
said. We have improved access for many underserved Nebraskans by going
to their schools, churches, businesses, senior centers and community health
events.
The Cornbelt Diabetes Connection, Inc., of Omaha, pays for the motor
home, the maintenance, its driver and health screening supplies. Jerry
Nelson, president of the Cornbelt Diabetes Connection, Inc., said the Mobile
Nursing Center has come a long way. I think its pretty remarkable that
a project like this has made it this far, Nelson said. Our club internationally
is all about diabetes and working toward the cure. This service is especially
important for those people who have diabetes but dont know it.