Bridging the Gap of Access to Care: Impact of an Academic/Community Partnership on Primary Care and Psychiatric/Mental Health Care in Rural Northeast Texas

The aim of the INTUNE project is to create a network of academic-practice partnerships to provide primary care and mental health care services “in tune” with the needs of rural populations and in medically underserved areas (R/US) to help mitigate health equity concerns. Even while navigating unusual barriers associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the project helps create synergy between existing primary care medical homes, and provides telehealth to optimize communication, provide awareness, encouragement, and guidance through a more easily navigated healthcare model. The infrastructure delivers immersive longitudinal clinical training experiences for primary care and psych/mental healthcare advanced practice nursing students within R/US populations and facilitates graduates’ employment in those settings.