ASU partners with Scottsdale Healthcare to expand primary care workforce
The College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University is partnering with Scottsdale Healthcare on a statewide collaboration of graduate nursing education programs to increase the primary care workforce in Arizona. Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative will focus on training advanced practice nurses.
Scottsdale Healthcare is one of five U.S. hospitals selected to participate in a four-year, $200 million initiative to help meet the rising need for primary care practitioners. Arizona has significantly fewer physicians, residents, and advanced practice nurses per capita than the national average, according to Arizona Health Futures, which reports a shortfall of approximately 2,500 of these health care providers.
In Arizona, the Graduate Nurse Education Demonstration Project will be used to support clinical training of more than 400 nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. Training will be provided at Scottsdale Healthcare hospitals in partnership with the nursing schools at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Grand Canyon University, as well as community-based care organizations representing more than 30 health care settings across the state.
Project funds additional ASU advanced practice nursing students
ASU’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program will be able to educate 72 additional nurse practitioners and hire clinical instructors over the life of the four-year project. The first group of 24 students has been enrolled for fall semester.
The college’s two NP Healthcare clinics in Phoenix also will participate to provide students interprofessional education experiences.
Opportunity to address unmet health needs
"Associate Dean Evelyn Cesarotti deserves credit for bringing this opportunity to ASU to partner with Scottsdale Healthcare to address growing unmet health needs in America. Nurses with advanced education provide primary care, care coordination, streamline transitions in care and promote health and safety -- critical issues in the nation. This demonstration project provides support for clinical partners for students to gain interprofessional patient care experiences. One of the most exciting aspects is our collaboration with other clinical and educational organizations across Arizona to meet these important goals," said Dean Teri Pipe.
ASU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, launched in January 2008, has grown to one of the five largest programs in the U.S. with approximately 200 students enrolled. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited the program in 2011 through 2016. The program also has added an Innovation Leadership track to its existing six advanced practice specialties. The new track will launch fall 2012 and is accepting applications at GPO@asu.edu.
More information on the demonstration project, operated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, can be found at: http://innovations.cms.gov/initiatives/GNE/.