New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a three-year, $1.2 million dollar grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support the implementation of an “Elder Care Program” (ECP), through NYUCN’s nurse practitioner (NP) managed NYUCN Nursing Faculty Practice located at the NYU College of Dentistry (NYUCD).

NYUCN Receives $1.2M HRSA Grant for Elder Care Program
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com

The Program will Provide Much Needed Healthcare to over 4000 Seniors in Lower-Manhattan

New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a three-year, $1.2 million dollar grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support the implementation of an “Elder Care Program” (ECP), through  the NYUCN Faculty Practice with its home base located at the NYU College of Dentistry (NYUCD).   The ECP will open up four sites servicing over 4000 seniors: one of them in the Baruch Houses, a lower-Manhattan naturally occurring retirement community (NORC), and three in senior centers, in partnership with The Caring Community, the oldest and largest not-for-profit service organization in Greenwich Village and Lower Manhattan dedicated to improving the quality of life for older adults.

“The ECP is an innovative, replicable model of community-based primary care coordination that expands access to primary care for a population of culturally diverse, vulnerable and underserved older adults,” said Judith Haber, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN, Interim Dean, NYUCN.  “ECP is an extension and enhancement of the NYUCN Nursing Faculty Practice (NYUCN NFP) which, since its inception four years ago, has had a special emphasis on expanding access to primary care for older adults.”

All NORC residents and senior center participants are 65 years and older.   The ECPwill include accessible provision of primary care services and care coordination on-site, including an Older Adult House Calls Program (OAHCP), a Diabetes Self-Management Education/Training Program (DSME/T), an oral health/dental screening and referral program, and outreach and linkages to community resources for vulnerable and underserved older adults, with a special emphasis on increasing access to primary care.  The ECP will also provide service learning opportunities to undergraduate and graduate  nursing students and dental students.

“The ECP program will improve access to primary health care to a medically vulnerable and underserved older adult population through community-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate on-site primary care services,” said Leslie-Faith Morritt Taub, ANP-C, GNP-BC, CDE, C. BSM, DNSc, FAANP, clinical associate professor and NYUCN ECP Project Director.  “Additionally, students will be able to develop competencies related to primary care and community health nursing of older adults, thus preparing them  for post degree careers in communities where, over the next 30 years, there will be an increasingly high percentage of older adults.” 

Specific objectives of the NYUCN Nursing Faculty Practice ECP program include:

·         Increase access to high quality, culturally competent, coordinated, on-site primary care services for community dwelling older adults through implementation of the NYUCN NFP nurse managed ECP model of primary care coordination, for 20-100% of medically underserved and vulnerable older adults at a NORC and three senior centers in Greenwich Village and Lower (Healthy People 2020 Goal: increase quality and years of a healthy life; Healthy people 2010 Goal; Reduce health disparities).

·         Increase undergraduate and graduate nursing student clinical experiences by ~25% annually that develop competencies related to primary care and community health nursing of older adults.

·         Achieve ECP financial self-sustainability through development of public and private revenue sources including reimbursement, grants, sponsorships, and in-kind support.

The ECP model of NP managed primary care coordination includes a three-fold approach:

1) Assessment - health history and physical exam, health practices, and health care needs as well as prioritizing health care needs to be addressed; 

2) Implementation - provision of primary care services based on outstanding health needs and priorities that are addressed through primary care clinical services and health education “on-site” at the Baruch Houses NORC and at the three Caring Community Senior Centers; implementation also includes the primary care House Calls Program (HCP) that will be implemented when NORC tenants and Senior Center members are homebound and identified or referred for a primary care House Call by the ECP NP, VNSNY or the Friendly Calls Program; and,

3) Coordination - the process of linking the identified need(s) of the older adult and/or family members with appropriate community partners (eg. VNSNY, NYUCD, NYULMC) and community resources (eg. Medicare/Medicaid, Meals-on-Wheels, HEAP, food stamps, Access-a-ride, etc) coordinated by community partners and/or social worker at each site.

The ECP program is particularly timely since meeting the health care needs of underserved and high risk groups has taken an increased emphasis as part of the discussion on health care reform and thedramatic expansion of the proportion of older adults in our population, which is greatly impacted by the shortage of providers in the face of an increased need for access to primary care (IOM, 2009; IOM, 2010; AAMC, 2009).  Moreover, educating the nursing workforce, that is the next generation of health professionals to provide competent community-based care to older adults, especially those who are vulnerable and underserved, is a professional imperative.

About the New York University College of Nursing 
NYU College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Master of Arts and Post-Master’s Certificate Programs; a Doctor of Philosophy in Research Theory and Development, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.  For more information, visit www.nyu.edu/nursing.

Press Contact

Christopher James
Christopher James
(212) 998-6876