In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected Memorial Hermann as one of five hospitals selected to participate in a $200 million initiative designed to increase the number of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and fund the clinical training for those APRNs called the Graduate Nurse Education (GNE) Demonstration.
What is an APRN?
Advanced Practiced Registered Nurses (APRNs) are nurses with post-graduate education in nursing. APRNs assist in meeting the needs of a growing complex health care system and improve access to care, deliver quality outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. To date, hospitals and other healthcare providers have been able to accept only a limited number of APRN students for clinical training due to cost and lack of clinical training sites.
Benefits of APRNs include:
Provide cost efficient healthcare services
Provide independent assessment, diagnosis and management of acute and chronic health care problems
Increase the quality of outcome for patients
Enhance patient satisfaction
Reduce patient readmissions which will help reduce healthcare cost
Increase healthcare services to underserved areas
Provide education that promotes healthcare wellness and maintenance
Provide transitional care for patients from hospital to the home setting
Advance health care in their community
Provide collaborative healthcare services for the consumer with all healthcare providers
Graduate Nurse Education Survey
Please click here to take the GNE Survey
Program Mission
To increase the number of APRNs who will provide primary care, preventive care, transitional care, chronic care management, and other services for Medicare beneficiaries and increase the number of qualified clinical training sites.
Program Vision
Create a model that will be presented and adopted by Congress that will demonstrate the need to continue the funding to offset the clinical training of APRNs and allow more APRNs to enter the program which will provide healthcare consumers with readily accessible and cost effective healthcare services.
Gulf Coast Program Overview
Memorial Hermann partnered with four schools of nursing, Gateway to Care and community healthcare providers in nine counties (download 9-county map) to accomplish the goals set by CMS. Together, we will admit, secure clinical site placements, create and monitor progress, collect data and exchange information on best practices. This demonstration will establish and refine a cost effective model for operating a large network of APRN clinical placement sites.
Participating Schools of Nursing
Gateway to Care
Prairie View A&M University
TWU – Texas Woman’s University
UTMB Health
UTHealth