Community and Nurse-Managed Health Centers: Getting Them Started and Keeping Them Going (A National Nursing Centers Consortium Guide)

This book provides a step-by-step guide to starting and sustaining a community health center, with an emphasis on nurse-managed centers. The authors share their firsthand knowledge with readers, including information on developing a mission statement, pulling together an advisory board, writing a business plan, and getting funding. The process for obtaining Federally Qualified Health Center Status (and thus federal funding) is described.

Of great value is the book's Appendix, which provides very useful examples. They include sample bylaws, a full policy and procedure manual, physician and nurse practitioner collaborative agreements, job descriptions, a contract with a local agency, and outcome and assessment guidelines.

Donna Torrisi is the founder of The Family Practice and Counseling Network in Philadelphia, which provides primary health services to public housing residents; Tine Hansen-Turton is the Executive Director of the National Nursing Centers Consortium.