In September 2016, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium launched our "Adult Immunization Project" with the goal of increasing immunization rates in six federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Philadelphia that primarily serve people experiencing homelessness and residents of public housing. These health centers are managed by the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), and the project was conducted in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

The project emphasized the importance of outreach, education, and improved access to necessary vaccines for older adults who are most vulnerable to life threatening, vaccine-preventable illness. It consisted of comprehensive, in-person trainings about adult immunization standards for providers and staff at PHMC health centers, as well as the incorporation of immunization prompts and reminders in the health centers’ electronic medical record (EMR) systems. The Health Department also worked closely with health center support staff to ensure that vaccination data was uploaded to PhilaVax (formerly KidsPlus IIS), Philadelphia's immunization information system.

Nichole Dantzler, Adult Grant Coordinator at the Health Department, described the rationale behind partnering with us on this project: "As a subsidiary of PHMC with a national reach, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium is uniquely poised to execute public health interventions and maximize outcomes to achieve the greatest impact. They have established themselves as a dedicated leader in serving vulnerable and undeserved populations in the community. Previous interventions have shown success utilizing reminder-recall prompts in the health centers' EMR systems, thus we wanted to explore a similar intervention with a focus on adult immunizations."

Forty-five participants from PHMC’s six health centers attended live training sessions over the course of the project, including Patricia Hewson, CRNP, Clinical Director at PHMC Health Connection. Patricia shared that: “The training was helpful and made us evaluate what vaccines we currently offer and what should be offered during adult visits.” Participants reported increased knowledge and confidence about adult immunization administration as a result of the training.

The project emphasized the importance of outreach and improved access to necessary vaccines for older adults who are most vulnerable to life threatening, vaccine-preventable illness.

Participating Health Centers

Adult Immunization Resources

The Pennsylvania Health Insurance Navigator Program addresses the link between physical (medical) and financial health by linking regional credit counseling agencies in Pennsylvania with public health and other organizations to co-locate and integrate credit counseling and financial education services with health insurance education and enrollment services in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Pike and Wayne counties in Southeastern PA and Northeastern PA.

Today, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium (NNCC) announces Sarah Hexem Hubbard, Esq. as Executive Director. In this role, Hubbard’s responsibilities will encompass providing strategic leadership and day-to-day administrative, programmatic, operational, and fiscal management of the organization.
 
Prior to serving as Executive Director, Hubbard served as the Policy Director. During her tenure, she worked to translate direct experiences into systems change and to advocate locally and nationally as a champion for nursing and health policy.
 
"I am thrilled to continue to work with our talented staff to advance the innovative, high-quality, evidence-informed programs that enable us to strengthen community health in Philadelphia and across the nation," said Hubbard. "My love for nursing stems from its principles and promise, its humanitarian generosity of spirit combined with keen intellect. I am honored to work alongside nursing stakeholders committed to healthcare transformation.”
 
Under her leadership, the National Nurse-Led Consortium will explore innovative approaches to support nurse-led care and demonstrate that leadership in nursing is diverse and impactful. NNCC is a subsidiary of Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a non-profit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. As Executive Director, Hubbard will report to the NNCC Board of Directors and PHMC’s new Chief Program Officer, Pam Mattel.
 
Hubbard received her Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College and her law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law. In 2018, she received the Honorary Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, and she currently teaches undergraduate and graduate policy courses at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Hubbard will continue to serve as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Action Coalition, a statewide coalition endorsed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and AARP, dedicated to advancing a Culture of Health throughout the Commonwealth.

Below is the agenda for the Nurse-Led Care Conference 2018 (October 16-18, 2018).

Pre-Conference Workshops (October 16, 2018)

Main Conference Day 1 (October 17, 2018)

Keynote

Plenary 1

Breakout Sessions 1

Plenary 2

Breakout Sessions 2

Breakout Sessions 3

Networking Reception

Main Conference Day 2 (October 18, 2018)

Opening Remarks

Plenary 3

Breakout Sessions 4

Optional Lunch & Networking