Establishing a nurse-managed center: a community approach

Documentation of need, designing and implementing services to meet the need, networking with and referral to other community providers, practice agreements, and mechanisms for reimbursement and billing are just a few issues that must be addressed when establishing a community-based health care unit. This article will discuss essentials of establishing a nurse-managed, community-based health care center, based on the author's experience in developing and managing the Outreach Health Care Unit.