History
The idea of a Family Wellness Center was conceived because of the need to have a standardized training environment for nursing graduate students.
History
The need for accessible health care in Central Texas is staggering. According to the Texas Comptroller’s Office, 17.9% of the population in the Austin-San Marcos metropolitan area does not have health insurance. There is a significant lack of clinics able to meet the medical needs of these families, resulting in increased visits to the emergency room - which people use in lieu of a primary care physician. The leading medical service provider in the area, People’s Community Clinic, reports turning away approximately 200 people per week due to a lack of resources. The UT Family Wellness Center will partner with the City of Austin in order to meet the medical needs of the community.
The idea of a Family Wellness Center was conceived because of the need to have a standardized training environment for nursing graduate students. Clinical practice in a primary care setting is an integral part of this training program and culminates in students seeing patients for 16 hours a week. Currently, UT’s nursing graduate students are placed in various public and private clinical settings around the Austin area to gain valuable hands-on experience.
The Family Wellness Center allows the School of Nursing to standardize the curriculum for the clinical training component and better supervise its implementation/utilization. The long-term result will be superbly trained nurse practitioners prepared to meet the growing need for health care professionals.
