An Academic-Practice Model to Improve the Health of Underserved Neighborhoods

Abstract

The Interprofessional Care Access Network is an innovative model for academic-practice partnership providing care coordination for vulnerable and underserved clients and populations in identified neighborhoods. Interprofessional student teams, including health professions students from nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry, collaborate with community service organizations and primary care clinics to address social determinants of health identified as barriers to achieving health care outcomes and Triple Aim goals. Teams are supervised by a nursing faculty in residence and address issues such as housing, health insurance, food security, and lack of primary care. Two case studies demonstrate the potential impact of the project.