---

The theme and purpose of the Symposium is demonstration of educational strategies that will: 1) Increase access to culturally competent care for underserved populations, 2) Culturally Competent Education of Diverse and Culturally Competent Nurse Anesthetists, and 3) Marketing strategies that increase the number of diverse certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in the healthcare work force. CRNAs are vital to the delivery of anesthesia care in rural and underserved areas of NJ, PA, and DE. There are an estimated 19,655 live births/year and 172,663 anesthesia cases/year at the partner clinical sites in the TNAP project. Without anesthesia coverage in these rural and underserved areas there is an inability to provide surgical and obstetrical services needed. The health promotion and disease prevention goals set forth in Healthy People 2010 focuses on increasing quality and years of healthy life (Goal-1) and eliminating health disparities (Goal 2). Community partnerships with clinical education sites in NJ, PA, and DE through the TNAP project are effective tools for improving health and increasing access to a diverse, culturally competent, and sensitive workforce of CRNAs in these medically underserved and diverse communities. Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) and its partners will expand and enhance access to quality health care by increasing the number and enhancing the preparation of CRNAs working in medically underserved and diverse communities. This research and education project also addresses National Goal I, II, III, & IV which addresses assuring the quality of health care, eliminating health disparities, eliminating barriers to health care and improving public health and health care systems. The main objectives of this project include healthy people 2010 objectives: 1) access to quality health care for underserved populations 2) education of a diverse and culturally competent CRNAs, and 3) eliminating health disparities by reducing barriers to access to specialists .