The Texas A&M University School of Nursing has received a four-year, $4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop a mobile clinic program to serve rural Texans and bolster the state’s nursing workforce.
The Texas A&M School of Nursing Mobile Care Access through Rural Engagement and Education, or TXAN Mobile CARE, is a nurse-led mobile primary care unit that will visit five rural counties in using a school-based clinic model. Patients will have access to important primary care services, including annual physicals, immunizations, screenings, substance abuse education, behavioral health and more.
The Hearne (Robertson County), Jewett Leon (Leon County), Iola (Grimes County), Brenham (Washington County), Burton (Washington County) and Roundtop/Carmine (Fayette County) school districts in the Brazos Valley were selected as mobile clinics sites and will begin receiving visits this fall. TXAN Mobile CARE will be open to all community members and delivered in a specially designed vehicle or inside the partner schools.
Students in the School of Nursing will use the program to complete clinical requirements and participate in other experiential learning activities. Project leaders plan to use the program to train more than 250 Bachelor of Science in nursing and Master of Science in nursing-family nurse practitioner students over the next four years.
“Access to primary care services has long been a problem for rural Texans,” said Cindy Weston, project director and associate dean for clinical and outreach affairs for the School of Nursing. “TXAN Mobile CARE, which expects to see at least 2,000 students in its first four years, has the dual benefit of helping close the access gap today while also preparing the next generation of nurses to serve rural areas in the future.”
While nurse led, TXAN Mobile CARE will also include Texas A&M students from psychology, public health and dentistry. Students in the doctoral psychology program will deliver behavioral health care using telehealth technology, public health students will partner with nursing students to promote culturally sensitive practices and increase wellness activation, and dental students will provide on-site oral care and education.
TXAN Mobile CARE was also designed to recruit future nurses from rural and diverse populations. Students in the districts served by the program will have opportunities to participate in health career exploration activities and events alongside School of Nursing students.
“The School of Nursing has an important obligation to our students and communities,” said Nancy Fahrenwald, dean of the School of Nursing. “Living in a rural area shouldn’t prevent anyone from receiving care, and we’re proud our students can play a role in improving health outcomes in areas that are, unfortunately, underserved.”
The School of Nursing has been awarded nearly $13 million in grants from the HRSA since 2018. The HRSA, an agency of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), funds programs that provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of award 1UK1HP46064 totaling $4M with 0% percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the US Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.