This presentation will focus on the policy and regulatory barriers nurse-managed health centers (NMHCs) face as an emerging safety-net healthcare network, primarily in the U.S.  However, regulatory and legislative barriers also exist in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada.  NMHCs have emerged as a critical safety-net in America’s health care delivery system. They represent a growing movement of health centers, usually run by Schools of Nursing or independent non-profit organizations and have become known for reducing health disparities by providing accessible, quality, comprehensive, primary health care to underserved populations.  The National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC) has been at the forefront of a grassroots movement to strengthen the capacity, growth, and development of nurse-managed health centers through policy advocacy at state, federal, and international levels.  Data from one US study and results of an international study of policies and regulations that affect NMHCs will be presented.  Data from the US study, conducted with 122 health care insurance companies, will describe their reimbursement policies for NHMCs and nurse practitioners.  The International study describes NMHC developments in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada and the regulatory and policy barriers those centers are facing.

See more of Nurse-Managed Health Centers: A Growing Movement to Serve the Healthcare Needs of Vulnerable and Underserved Communities
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)