Challenges of establishing a nursing center in rural eastern Oregon

The success of the center, in fact its very existence, is the result of cooperation among many persons and agencies. Financial gifts, loans and grants have given the clinic a three-year time period to learn valuable lessons on how to organize for self-sufficiency. Staff have learned how to market to increase patient visit and have obtained Federal Rural Health Clinic status which will increase revenues substantially. Nurse Practitioners are learning appropriate visit coding and hold regular brainstorming meetings to develop creative business opportunities to assure financial stability. As a result of these experiences, the NP faculty have been able to design learning experiences for the nurse practitioner students which introduce them to entrepreneurial realities. Challenges are being met by the NPs in this rural practice which require vigor, creativity, and vigilance. Once the center reaches the level of self-sufficiency, it is the intent of the community to build a facility which can support a significant increase in patient load and still have room for other social and health services to operate within the facility. Bridges to the medical community are being strengthened through better communication and more community involvement. Educating the public and the medical community about the role of nurse practitioners and the broad base of nursing centers is a continual challenge for both faculty and students at the School of Nursing.