In 2001, Philadelphia welcomed multiple Nurse-Family Partnership sites, laying the foundation for NNCC to become Philadelphia's largest provider of maternal-child health home visiting services.
As the Regional Nursing Centers Consortium (RNCC) grew, Pennsylvania was looking for ways to improve health outcomes for families. One promising model was Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), which began in the 1970s and partnered nurses with first-time parents facing social and economic barriers. NFP Nurses visit families throughout pregnancy and until their child turns two. Randomized controlled trials led by Dr. David Olds demonstrated lasting benefits for mothers and children, and in 1999, three Pennsylvania sites began offering NFP services.
When additional funding became available, Kay Kinsey, one of the Independence Foundation’s four Nursing Chairs, led a grant proposal that drew on the experience of local nurse-managed clinics and their leaders. The proposal made the case that these partners were well positioned to bring NFP to Philadelphia families. The grant was awarded in 2001, and the team launched Nurse-Family Partnership services across four sites.
At the same time, RNCC’s work was reaching beyond Philadelphia. The consortium had built a network across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware while advocating for nurse-managed centers and for nurses to practice to the full extent of their training and licensure. As interest in the network grew across the country, RNCC became the National Nursing Centers Consortium (NNCC). In 2002, NNCC joined Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) as a subsidiary to help sustain its work. It continued partnering with nurse-managed clinics, nursing leaders, and communities on programs such as Healthy Homes for Child Care and Lead Safe Babies.
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act opened new opportunities to expand home visiting. Kay Kinsey again took the lead on a funding proposal, this time to extend support for NFP families who wanted to continue receiving home visits after their children turned two. That effort led to the Mabel Morris Family Home Visit Program, named after a Philadelphia public health nurse and fierce advocate. The program gave families a way to continue receiving home visiting support beyond their time with NFP.
The Affordable Care Act also opened new opportunities for more investments in nursing. Learn how those opportunities helped shape NNCC’s early workforce development programs here.
Want to be a part of NNCC’s history? Your donation to the 50/50 raffle today can impact NNCC’s programs tomorrow. Donate here.
