Mobile Health and Other Innovative Nurse-Led Models of Care

The North Carolina Medical Journal recently published an article about reimagining the value nurses offer. With persistent workforce shortages,uneven access to healthcare, rising patient complexity, and widening disparities, North Carolina's healthcare system is at a critical point. Rather than relying solely on traditional facility-based models or increasing workforce numbers, the article emphasizes the need for alternative, community-based models that prioritize prevention, continuity, population health, and access for underserved communities.

Mobile health is presented as a practical and scalable nurse-led model that brings screening, primary and preventive care, chronic disease management, health education, and referrals directly into communities. UNCG’s Minerva’s Mobile Health illustrates this approach by serving children, older adults, individuals experiencing homelessness, rural residents, and other under-resourced populations while also preparing nursing students for community-based and interprofessional practice. The program’s staffing model, partnerships, federal funding, and recognition by the North Carolina Nurses Association demonstrate how nurse-led mobile care can expand access while strengthening workforce development.

The report also highlights national nurse-led models recognized through the American Academy of Nursing’s Edge Runner program, including the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services, Simulation in Motion–Iowa, and the Aging in Place Project. Together, these examples show that nurses are leading innovative, replicable models that improve access, enhance quality, support health equity, reduce costs, and build system capacity. Read the full report here.