The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Nursing has received a $2.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant is intended to support the ‘Clinical-Academic Partnerships: Breaking Down Barriers to Care’ program, which benefits students in the Family Nurse Practitioner-Lifespan concentration. The HRSA is a federal agency that aims to improve health care access for uninsured, isolated, and vulnerable individuals.
The grant’s purpose is to train advanced practice nurses to serve rural and underserved communities in the Chattanooga region. A significant part of the grant is the funding for traineeships, providing students with approximately $8,500 each semester. Dr. Amber Roaché, the grant’s principal investigator and coordinator of the UTC Nurse Practitioner concentration, stated that the recipients are committed to caring for the uninsured and underinsured.
The grant will enable students to reduce their work hours and increase their volunteer time in underserved communities. For instance, some plan to provide in-home care for bedbound patients who cannot visit a clinic. Others aim to help parents in rural areas ensure their children receive necessary medical care, addressing the issue of families having to travel long distances for hospital visits.