Community Care

Illustration by Leigh Wells


There’s no shortage of need regarding health care in America today. Whether it’s finding a provider, having health insurance, preventing premature birth or helping someone with hypertension manage their disease, health issues are extensive and in the news.

From its founding more than 100 years ago, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) has had a commitment to improving the health of individuals, families and communities. It does that by educating students, contributing knowledge to the profession and serving through  many methods, disciplines and communities.

This issue of Vanderbilt Nurse spotlights only a handful of programs, classes and ways that the School of Nursing works to address the health challenges of many. We have chosen to highlight four programs tackling the top four health care needs of the Middle Tennessee communities surrounding Nashville. Those needs, as determined by stakeholders across the region, are: access to care/coordination of care; mental and emotional health/substance abuse; social determinants; and wellness and disease prevention.

By the very nature of their profession, nurses serve and provide care. It’s inherent in the work they do and the people they are. So it comes as no surprise that the people of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing are actively involved in care and service throughout Middle Tennessee and beyond. What might be surprising is the breadth and depth of that care, where it is given and how it produces results.

Discover VUSN’s innovative solutions to community needs:

Providers in demand
Solutions related to mental and emotional health/substance abuse

Covered
Providing access to care/coordination of care

Asthma and absenteeism
A successful effort to counterbalance social determinants

Frailty? Tai Chi? Constipation?
Wellness and disease prevention activities

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