SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 941
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
recognize Central Health, CommUnityCare, and The University of
Texas at Austin School of Nursing for their valuable efforts to
address the shortage of primary health care providers through the
creation of a family nurse practitioner residency program; and
WHEREAS, Texas is experiencing an acute shortage of
primary care providers, especially in community health care
settings; federally qualified health centers such as
CommUnityCare, which has 20 health center sites in Travis County,
participate in residency programs to train physicians, but nurse
practitioners, who are also critically important providers of
primary care, have traditionally not had the benefit of
postgraduate residency training programs; and
WHEREAS, Community Health Center, Incorporated, a
federally qualified health center in Connecticut, developed the
first United States residency program to train family nurse
practitioners so that they are better prepared as new primary
care providers to handle the many challenges presented by
patients who seek care at federally qualified health centers; and
WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Austin School of
Nursing is the major center of nursing education and scholarship
in Texas and is ranked among the top 20 nursing master's degree
programs in the nation, with an enrollment of almost 700
students; and
WHEREAS, CommUnityCare provides comprehensive primary
care services and served as a medical home to almost 59,000
individuals during Fiscal Year 2010; and
WHEREAS, The Travis County Healthcare District, which does
business as Central Health, is a hospital district created in
2004 and is responsible for providing or arranging for the
provision of health care to eligible residents of the district,
with the mission of creating access to health care for those who
need it most; and
WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Austin School of
Nursing, CommUnityCare, and Central Health have collaborated to
create a residency program for family nurse practitioners that is
among the first such programs in the United States and under
which the residents will receive training while providing health
care services to CommUnityCare patients so that the residents can
continue to work toward their goal of becoming highly trained and
skilled primary care providers; and
WHEREAS, CommUnityCare will administer the residency
program and provide preceptors who will serve as teachers and
mentors for the residents; The University of Texas at Austin
School of Nursing will help recruit students for the program; and
Central Health will provide funding for the program; and
WHEREAS, Members of the first class of residents will begin
their one-year training program in the fall of 2011 and will each
make a commitment to continue practicing in community health care
settings after the conclusion of their residencies, resulting in
additional primary care capacity in our communities; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
Legislature, hereby commend CommUnityCare, The University of
Texas at Austin School of Nursing, and Central Health for
creating a family nurse practitioner residency program that is
among the first in the nation and is designed to help alleviate
the critical shortage of primary care providers in this state and
extend to the program's preceptors, staff, and residents sincere
best wishes for success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
CommUnityCare, The University of Texas at Austin School of
Nursing, and Central Health as an expression of high regard from
the Texas Senate.
Watson
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 9, 2011.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate