SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amerigroup Washington, one of the state’s primary coordinators of Medicaid health insurance benefits, has provided $500,000 to the University of Washington (UW) School of Nursing to create the Amerigroup: Reinforcing the Safety Net Fund. This funding allows UW’s School of Nursing to offer enhanced learning opportunities that prepare students to fill workforce gaps in communities and settings with specialized needs. These include medically underserved communities, settings that serve patients with complex needs and healthcare practices that serve as safety net providers. The training includes direct clinical experiences that help students build the skills needed to provide equitable and compassionate care to patients dealing with significant disparities.
“Building a stronger, more experienced healthcare workforce is going to help us address disparities and ensure higher quality care is accessible to many of our most underserved and vulnerable residents in our state,” said Anthony E. Woods, President of Amerigroup Washington. “The Amerigroup: Reinforcing the Safety Net Fund, and our collaboration with the University of Washington School of Nursing is expected to close healthcare workforce gaps in communities where there is tremendous need, and have a positive, meaningful impact on lives.”
This effort comes in the midst of a national shortage of healthcare workers that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. Across the state of Washington, it is estimated that there will be a shortage of 7,000 nurses by 2025. According to the Health Resources & Services Administration, there are only five states that are worse off. To offset gaps, UW School of Nursing launched a pilot during the height of the pandemic to engage graduate nursing students and offer them supervised opportunities to serve diverse, medically complex populations, so they could gain unique insights and expertise. The Amerigroup: Reinforcing the Safety Net Fund has allowed the school to expand and build on the success of that initial pilot program.
“Our pilot program, which was brought about by necessity, taught us that combining direct care and clinical education in partnership with a community organization was an effective care-delivery method,” said Azita Emami, UW School of Nursing Executive Dean. “By leveraging existing community partnerships like the one we’ve built with Amerigroup Washington, we will provide additional funding to support nursing students’ real-world experience in the healthcare field, and the school can expand this model to serve people living in community housing, with the potential of creating better health outcomes for thousands of underserved and vulnerable individuals.”
UW’s pilot program and Amerigroup’s expansion of this program is already making an impact through a partnership with Compass Housing Alliance, a provider of supportive and emergency housing programs. Amerigroup funding has enabled UW School of Nursing to appoint a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to supervise Doctor of Nursing Practice students as they offer on-site access to mental health care for residents at Compass’s housing facilities. This not only provides needed services to vulnerable people, but it also offers the students opportunities to gain expertise in serving people with complex needs – including individuals who have experienced disparities that have left them with a deep-seated distrust of the healthcare system.
"More and more of the people we house and serve at Compass are aging and have complex medical needs, and as a society, we have a compassionate responsibility to care for our most vulnerable and isolated neighbors,” said Teena Ellison, Compass Director of Housing Services. “The collaborative rapport building approach we’re taking with this partnership creates a safety net of housing case management, psychiatric, and medical care on site, which increases our resident’s willingness to access medical and behavioral health services. We believe that this approach is critical in changing how we house and care for people.”
UW’s School of Nursing will continue to apply Amerigroup supports toward the development, implementation and expansion of graduate clinical education opportunities in underserved patient care sites that serve as community safety nets. Graduate nursing students from varied backgrounds, with a commitment to serve will have hands-on opportunities to learn about the diverse needs of underserved communities. Additionally, the school will then work with primary care providers to ensure placement for graduates in settings that have historically lacked consistent access to primary and mental healthcare. To learn more about this program and opportunities, contact Alex Abplanalp, UW School of Nursing, Assistant Dean of Marketing & Communications, at 206-351-6058 or ann08@uw.edu.
ABOUT AMERIGROUP WASHINGTON
Amerigroup Washington helps improve health care access and quality for approximately 236,000 Washington residents by developing innovative care management programs and services. Members are assured care that is not only accessible, but also accountable, comprehensive, integrated and person-centered. Amerigroup Washington provides ongoing community relations and outreach to encourage members to become active participants in improving and managing their health. Through access to health education programs, our members are empowered to choose and sustain a healthy lifestyle. For more information visit www.myamerigroup.com/wa/home.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING
The University of Washington School of Nursing is consistently a top-ranked nursing school. The UW School of Nursing is a national and international leader in improving the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. The school addresses society’s most pressing challenges in health care through innovative teaching, award winning research and community service. For more information, visit www.nursing.uw.edu.
