East Tennessee State University and its College of Nursing are committed to partnerships with the region’s communities that improve the quality of life for our citizens. The mission of the College of Nursing is to “”facilitate the health of the community through teaching, scholarship, professional leadership, and innovative practice.”" One setting in which the College fulfills its mission and demonstrates good citizenship by faculty and students is the Johnson City Downtown Clinic.
The Downtown Clinic started in 1990 as a partnership with the City of Johnson City and the local Salvation Army organization to provide primary health care to the homeless. The clinic was originally housed in one room in the Salvation Army, and had enough funds to be open for primary care visits on two days each week. From the beginning, nursing students were involved in the care of patients, and outreach efforts at local soup kitchens and in homeless camps. Approximately 1500 primary care visits were provided during that first year of service.
In the intervening years, the Johnson City Downtown Clinic has become an important force in providing care to vulnerable populations, and has only increased its commitment to partnering with local organizations to offer services. Students and faculty across the university are involved in assuring the success of the venture through volunteer projects, clinical placements, preceptored learning experiences, and community activism. Clinic staff serve on the Advisory Boards of the local women’s shelter, the Homeless Advisory Committee, and the Washington County Health Council. Graduate and undergraduate students from nursing, medicine, public and allied health, nutrition, social work, and others have benefited from clinical placement in the setting, and have given back to the community through their clinical assignments. Volunteers from the health professions, both those on the ETSU faculty and those in the community, have offered their time and expertise to assure specialty services. Many community agencies and organizations, such as the Johnson City Medical Center, Frontier Mental Health, civic clubs, and churches have joined together with the university and college to offer services and financial support to the clinic.
In 1999, more than 8,500 primary care visits were provided to homeless and lower income residents of northeast Tennessee. Outreach efforts to migrants, the local public housing authority, soup kitchens, and homeless camps continued. The dedication of ETSU’s students, faculty, and staff, in partnership with local citizens, agencies, and organizations, make access to primary health care possible for those who are in need.
Contact: Office of Practice and Research at http://www.etsu.edu/etsucon/office_of_practice_and_research.htm
