We Care manatee, Inc. and Florida State University College of Nursing partner to provide nursing services to low-income, uninsured Manatee County residents.
Contact: Victoria Kasdan. Executive Director
941-755-3952 ext. 2 / victoria@wecaremanatee.org
Bradenton, Florida, October 17, 2016—We Care Manatee, Inc. (We Care) is pleased to announce it has entered into a three-year affiliation with the Florida State University, College of Nursing to be a clinical training facility site for their Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner (DNP) program. This affiliation will help We Care provide a cost effective, private sector solution to Manatee County’s uninsured health care needs, while providing College of Nursing students with valuable real-time clinical experiences within a community-based clinic.
Since 1999, We Care has supported the needs of the County’s uninsured population by connecting eligible patients to locally-delivered care and health-related services when they need them. The College of Nursing is committed to providing practical, community-based nursing experience as an integral part of its nursing curriculum, in this case for BSN prepared RNs working toward their Nurse Practitioner designation and certification. We Care and the College of Nursing recognize the mutual benefits of this exceptional partnership. College of Nursing faculty will be responsible for the instruction of the nurses in the DNP program who are assigned to We Care. The clinical duties of participating nurses enrolled in the DNP program will be designed to meet the needs of We Care’s patient population.
“We are delighted at the prospect of this mutually beneficial partnership,” said Victoria Kasdan, R.N., MPH, We Care Manatee executive director. “We Care will receive timely, professional assistance and the nurses enrolled in the College of Nursing’s DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program will gain real-world experience in a community setting. The real beneficiaries of this partnership,” added Kasdan, “will be our more than 1,200 patients who will receive quality care services, regardless of their ability to pay, and the community.” Judith McFetridge-Durdle, PhD, RN, Dean of the College of Nursing is equally excited about the three-year affiliation agreement with We Care Manatee, Inc. “This agreement will allow the College to not only provide our DNP students with real world clinical experiences in their local community, but also make a difference by providing timely quality of care to the community’s underserved population.”
We Care offers four unique programs to support eligible uninsured, low-income residents of the Manatee County community. We Care’s specialty physician referral program provides access to more than 80 physician specialists who donate their time and services. The pharmaceutical assistance program offers certain prescription medications with refills at no cost. We Care’s breast health and wellness offering provides preventive and diagnostic mammograms, as well as breast ultrasound, MRI and surgical consultation at no charge. We Care also operates a free primary care clinic for diagnosing and managing acute and chronic health care needs.
About We Care Manatee, Inc.
We Care Manatee, Inc. provides free, quality medical care and referral services to low-income, uninsured adult residents of Manatee County, Florida. Patients receive the critical treatment they need to keep them healthy, out of local emergency rooms, and on the job. Services are provided by volunteer physicians from the local community. Partnerships with community hospitals, and alliances with other medical facilities, enable We Care to give patients the quality care they need, from local providers they trust. We Care is funded though individual and corporate donations, government and private grants, and in-kind contributions. For more information, visit www.wecaremanatee.org.
