Conference Abstract Compendium Examples from the ... - CityMatCH

2009 CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership Conferencebirthrates and raised employment in participating families, resulting in reduced Medicaid (Tenncare) andFood Stamp usage and costs. Tenncare services were fully capitated so the savings resulted fromdifferences in eligibility, not differences in health care utilization.In part because of this evidence, federal funding for Nurse-Family Partnership may become moreavailable if the Nurse Home Visitation Program proposed in President Obama's budget is approved byCongress. Hundreds of cities across the nation already operate Nurse-Family Partnership, and some havefound ways to substantially expand services to reach more women while preserving program quality. NewYork City, for example, is now serving over 2,000 women.BARRIERSOnce appropriate financing is in place, the most important task becomes maintaining program quality andimpact. This requires efforts to recruit and retain qualified nurses, support their learning process as theydevelop mastery of this distinctive nursing practice, make sure client referral streams are productive, anduse program management data to monitor and improve program performance. With advance planning anda strong consulting relationship with Nurse-Family Partnership, all of these challenges can be metsuccessfully.LESSONS LEARNEDFinancing and implementing an evidence-based program at scale requires unique investments in programplanning, implementation, quality assurance, and advocacy for sustainability. Typical concerns such asstaffing, client engagement and retention, and political sustainability have been met successfully in manyurban contexts. We are eager to share these lessons learned and partner with urban MCH leaders to extendthe impact Nurse-Family Partnership can have with vulnerable children and young families.INFORMATION FOR REPLICATION• Implementation cost for Nurse-Family Partnership is heavily dependent on local nursing salaries. Onaverage, the program costs about $4,500 per family per year.• Local programs use a combination of city, county, state, and federal funding, including Medicaid,augmented in some cases by private foundation grants or gifts.• Key partners often include city or county health departments, hospitals, WIC clinics, schools, familyplanning clinics, state health or human service agencies and low income families.48