Thursday, May 9, 2024
5/9/2024
Since 1998, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) has provided training and technical assistance (T/TA) to support nurse-managed health clinics (NMHCs) deliver high quality and cost-effective services. NMHCs embody the intersection of primary care and public health nursing, historically serving vulnerable and underserved communities to address the social determinants of health. These safety net health clinics play a vital role in the provision of primary and behavioral health services as well as substance use disorder programming. As NNCC continues to support NMHCs and address the gaps in guidance specific to NMHCs and non-clinical and community-facing NMHC staff, it remains critical to routinely reassess preparedness, adapt guidance, and deliver content tailored to these audiences. NMHCs across the country serve patient populations at high risk of adverse outcomes related to emerging and reemerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Gaps in national knowledge dissemination networks leave many nurses feeling underprepared to address the needs of the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Infectious disease prevention and control guidance often overlook the critical skills nurses possess and the integral role they play in health care delivery, thus leaving their needs unmet. Additionally, nurses have varying degrees of familiarity with CDC infectious disease prevention and control guidance and the practical, actionable resources available to NMHCs. NNCC will address all five strategies described in the “Improving Clinical and Public Health Outcomes through National Partnerships to Prevent and Control Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Disease Threats” CDC-RFA-CK20-2003 opportunity. NNCC will reach a national network of nursing professionals working at the intersection of primary care and public health. NNCC’s well-established distribution and dissemination networks occupy a unique niche in the healthcare system, reaching registered nurses and advanced practice nurses working in NMHCs, and non-clinical and community-facing NMHC staff (e.g., front desk workers and custodial staff, as well as home visitors and community health educators based out of NMHCs). NNCC will create training content; design training curricula and offer individualized T/TA with clearly defined learning objectives and goals with the support of subject matter expert organizations. In partnership with these organizations, NNCC will develop and expand networks for information sharing, problem solving and sharing of promising practices. Finally, NNCC will evaluate infectious disease prevention and control resources as they are used in NMHCs. NNCC will engage NMHC’s in CDC best practices to support infectious disease prevention and control through bi-weekly webinars, bi-monthly virtual learning collaboratives and quarterly Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) forums designed for information sharing. NNCC will establish a NMHC Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee (IPCAC) as well as IPCAC subcommittees; representing clinical, non-clinical, community service and patient needs. Through guidance from the IPCAC and the IPCAC subcommittee, NNCC will develop a package of actionable best practice resources to facilitate implementation of CDC guidance, including checklists, infographics, brochures, and templates. These resources will be distributed through webinar forums and to learning collaborative and ECHO participants, as well as via NNCC’s existing dissemination channels, reaching thousands of frontline healthcare providers nationwide annually. Through these efforts, NNCC will help minimize disparities in health care and improve clinical outcomes among patients who are at increased risk for emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
