Cost effectiveness of the program cannot be accurately determined. Assessment is based on actual self-care rather than proving poverty. A flexible approach is taken toward disability level and family support. States should keep community care flexible and available at acceptable cost. (JAC)

The article describes North Carolina's precedent setting Office of Rural Health Services, its background and design, and its significant role in the development of primary health care clinics such as that in Balsom Grove which is staffed by a family nurse practitioner and enjoying wide community support. (SB)

A study of the consequences of medical student involvement in health care examines patient perception of the student role. Approximately one-third of the community health center patients surveyed viewed the student doctors as subordinate to faculty physicians and these persons were less likely to evaluate their interaction with the students in a…

Judgments about the effectiveness of community mental health center (CMHC) directors are affected by the roles the judges have in relation to the centers. CMHC executives were similar to clinical colleagues and different from governing board members in the importance they placed on things that characterize the effective CMHC administrator. (Author)

A successful, cooperative, short-term, crisis intervention, mental health program has been developed between Fulton-McDonough County Community Health Center and the health service of Western Illinois University, with a fulltime consultant provided by the community health center and paid by the university. (MB)

Examined type of service, volume, and mix of services provided to 270 poor and frail elders. Predictors of use and volume of service differed depending on type of service. The most prescribed service combinations included nursing, home health, and homemaker; homemaker only; nursing and home health; nursing and homemaker; and nurse only. (RJM)

The evaluation strategy adopted by a rural Ontario (Canada) community health center is described, focusing on problems caused by multiple programs, variable and culturally diverse client base, and nontraditional approaches to health and wellness. The evaluation attempted to give a broad picture of the center's dynamics, processes, and efficacy.…

This article describes a community-based approach to health promotion planning and intervention implemented by the Health Promotion Resource Center at Morehouse School of Medicine. The community organization and development model implemented was designed to empower an urban Black community neighborhood to become more self-reliant in addressing…

Information about the consultative practice of nephrology in a community environment was gathered and used to speculate about improvements that could be made in the training of nephrologists in academic medical centers, based on their knowledge of such training. (Author/MLW)

The article introduces a special issue on health care for underserved populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities, describing the emergence of the field of minority health, defining its parameters, and reviewing some of the strategies that will be important in improving the health status of underserved minority populations. (SM)

Describes an approach to combining health and social work services in a small community in a nontraditional setting through the use of a multidisciplinary student training project. Discusses professional relationships, service provision, patient use of services, and patient satisfaction. Provides suggestions for the establishment of similar…

Wayne Myers, director of the Office of Rural Health Policy, discusses Appalachian rural health and access to health care. The health manpower shortage in Central Appalachia still exists but is less severe than 10 years ago. The needs of underserved areas could be address by training local people in the community and through telemedicine and…

Focus groups with 18 health-care employers identified assessment, independence, critical thinking, and collaboration as the most important skills and qualities for community-health practice. Partnerships to improve undergraduate nursing curricula and the marketability of nursing graduates were developed. (SK)

A collaborative project of a nursing school and a community health service was designed to improve nursing students' preparation for community nursing. Features included links between practice to theory, community placements for students, and co-participation in student assessment. (SK)

Of 13 nursing students in a community nursing clinical project, 7 worked with older adults who received instruction about drug interaction. Compared to the six whose patients did not receive instruction, these students achieved greater knowledge and self-efficacy scores related to drug interaction. (Contains 16 references.) (SK)