2010 Third National DNP Conference, San Diego

Breakout session T3 Details, Thursday, September 30, 2010, 1:45PM
Riviera Room

Carolyn Rutledge, PhD, FNP-BC
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Rural Practice

through DNP Led Interdisciplinary Teams

Goal of Presentation:
There is a healthcare shortage that is impacting the outcomes of health in the US and most significantly in Rural America. Strategies that have been proposed to address this problem include interdisciplinary teams. In fact, the DNP AACN Essentials have focused on the importance of both interdisciplinary teams and leadership skills. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how DNP providers in rural areas can truly impact the health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations through the development and implementations of DNP led interdisciplinary teams.

Objectives:
1. To describe three DNP led teams that focus on the improvement of care in rural America
2. To illustrate the leadership skills utilized by the DNP providers in implementing interdisciplinary teams to address the healthcare needs at their rural sites
3. To describe the outcomes of the three interdisciplinary programs

Speaker’s Background:
Carolyn M. Rutledge, PhD, FNP-DC is well-qualified to present at the conference based on her professional as well as her clinical expertise. Dr. Rutledge is the Co-Director of the DNP program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She was involved in the development of the program, including getting the program approved through the university and state. She was also active in the program receiving “no concerns” when reviewed by the AACN site reviewers in February of 2010. Dr. Rutledge is in charge of the Capstone Project and the Practicum experiences of the DNP students. She holds a PhD in Health Services Research with a focus on Industrial/ Organizational Psychology and Team Building. She serves on faculty at Eastern Virginia Medical School where she has bee instrumental in developing, implementing, and evaluating a number of interdisciplinary programs including a Diabetes Management program, a weight loss program, and a Geriatric Assessment Clinic. She has maintained a patient panel of high-risk indigent patients at Ghent Family Practice (Residency) since 1998. Dr. Rutledge has been funded almost continuously since 1988 on HRSA program Grants where she has focused on the development of interdisciplinary programs needed to improve the health and well-being of underserved populations. Dr. Rutledge has the vision as well as the experience required to enlighten DNP providers on the impact they can make in healthcare.

Janet Van Gelder, RN, MSN, NEA, BC, DNP Student
Tahoe Forest Health System, Truckee, CA
The Development of a Rural Center of Excellence Model
and the Impact of Continuing Education on Rural Healthcare Providers Practice

Goal of Presentation:
DNP Leadership through Policy Change The IOM Committee on the Future of Rural Health Care (2004) identified key areas that will need to be addressed to improve the quality of health care in rural communities. Rural communities must utilize a systematic approach to improve healthcare service that include establishing quality improvement infrastructure; focusing on healthcare professional recruitment, retention, education and training; financial support; and investing in information and communication technology (IOM, 2004). The purpose of this presentation is to review the Rural Center of Excellence model and discuss the impact of increased access to continuing education on physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and registered nurse practice.

Objectives:
1. Discuss the evidence based practice Rural Center of Excellence model
2. Outline specific evidence based criteria for achieving excellence in clinical care, education, and research in a rural setting
3. Evaluate the impact of continuing education on physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and registered nurse practice;
4. Review satisfaction with the continuing education program;
5. Assess the effectiveness of videoconference on participant learning.

Speaker’s Background:
Janet Van Gelder is a DNP(c) from Touro University, Nevada, and is scheduled to complete her degree in October 2010. Her practice based dissertation is ‘The Development of a Rural Center of Excellence Model and the Impact of Continuing Education on Healthcare Providers Practice.’ Janet received her Master’s of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 1987 as a Critical Care and Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist. As a graduate student, Janet was a Research Assistant on multiple Nursing Research studies and published in Nursing Research (1991). She received her Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing Degree from Fitchburg State College, Massachusetts in 1982. Janet ‘s R.N. career has been in California where she has worked as a clinician at Tri-City Medical Center in Vista, UCSF, and San Francisco General Hospital. She was the Trauma Program Director at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and the Director of Ambulatory Care Services at San Ramon Regional Medical Center in San Ramon. The last fifteen years have been at Tahoe Forest Health System in Truckee as the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, interim Chief Executive Officer, Director of Incline Village Community Hospital, Director of Outpatient Services, and the Medical Surgical Services Manager. She is currently the Health System Educator and Rural Center of Excellence Director. Janet has a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley and has her Nurse Executive Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is active in a multitude of professional organizations and a community volunteer.