An experimental program in East Baltimore is testing a simple idea: instead of asking people to come to a clinic, bring free basic primary care to them. Neighborhood Nursing sets up in churches, apartment complexes, and homes, pairing registered nurses with community health workers who check blood pressure and blood sugar while also helping patients with rent, utilities, and food. In about three years, the program has served thousands of patients, according to reporting from ABC affiliate news sources covering the effort.
The numbers behind it are sobering. Nearly a third of Americans, more than 100 million people, do not have a primary care provider, per the National Association of Community Health Centers, and physician shortages are projected to get worse. The program is led by Sarah Szanton, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, in partnership with three other Maryland universities, and it borrows from Costa Rica, where every resident is assigned a nurse. That model has been linked to a 13% drop in all-cause mortality.
For communities like ours along the Gulf Coast, with large retiree and snowbird populations and working families who can’t easily take time off for appointments, the appeal is easy to see. Funding remains the big question, since the pilot runs largely on philanthropic donations and expansion would need buy-in from lawmakers, providers, and insurers. Would a nurse visiting your neighborhood change how you think about routine care? Let us know in the comments.
