INPUT: An academic-practice partnership to an underserved rural community

The INPUT project is a model partnership that changed the way health care was offered to the underserved in rural Western North Carolina. Grant funding provided a full-time Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) to a free clinic and created clinical placements for FNP students. Students had opportunities to learn about unique aspects of care for vulnerable, underserved populations to encourage them to consider working in rural communities. The clinic saw an increase in patient visits and offered more continuity in follow-up care. This academic-practice partnership represents a successful example of how working together can benefit the collaborators and community.