Community partnership primary care case study: Abbottsford Community Health Center

Welfare reform and the movement of Medicaid to managed care have set the stage for great risk and potential reward for low-income communities and their health care providers. Nurse practitioners are responding to current opportunities by opening up nurse practitioner-directed practices to offer a range of care to targeted high-risk patients and communities. Nursing practices and the communities they serve will be greatly strengthened by democratic collaboration and partnership. The beginnings of Abbottsford Community Health Center are described as an example of community partnership primary care.