Located in downtown Phoenix, ASU's College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation is in the heart of a major city that welcomes university involvement in the community, and, reciprocally, the involvement of the community in the university.
The College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation is socially embedded in the community through its five nurse-managed health centers and established service programs for the homeless and other vulnerable populations. The nurse managed health centers serve the needs of the communities where they are located and provide primary care and preventative health services across the lifespan - from infancy through old age.
In 2005, a nursing team in the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation was awarded ASU's Presidential Medal for Social Embeddedness for its partnership with Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) to provide healthcare to homeless men and women in downtown Phoenix. The clinical service to the shelter, established by two faculty members in the college, gives approximately 400 homeless men and women free nursing care and also provides clinical rotations for approximately 50 nursing students each semester.
Additional nurse-managed programs include bimonthly immunization programs for children, health promotion services for pregnant women who are at risk for poor birth outcomes, and community outreach programs at health fairs and schools.
All of the nurse managed health centers and additional programs give nursing students valuable experience in community healthcare, while providing services to the public, including the underserved and uninsured, and also educating ASU nursing students.
