In Alabama and Maryland, two major universities are transforming how nursing education meets public health through a simple concept: bring health care to where people live.
Known as Neighborhood Nursing, these programs embed nursing students directly in local communities—an effort that fuses classroom learning with hands-on service while tackling some of the nation’s health disparities.
Alabama: A Movement Rooted in Community
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) College of Nursing has launched Neighborhood Nursing, a sweeping multi-agency initiative, as a way to break down barriers to public health and improve life expectancy across North Alabama.
“Neighborhood Nursing is a transformative movement and a deeply rooted community-driven model that brings care, education, and policy insight directly to the people who need it most,” said Azita Amiri, associate dean for research and professor at UAH. “It’s about advancing primary prevention by meeting people where they live, work and play, while training the next generation of health care leaders to do the same.”
The effort comes at a critical time. Alabama ranks among the lowest in national health indicators—third worst in longevity, second worst in veteran suicide and infant outcomes, and last in maternal health.
“At UAH, we see nursing education as inseparable from community impact,” said Karen Frith, dean of the College of Nursing. “The Neighborhood Nursing program embodies our commitment to evidence-based care, collaboration and real-world learning that goes beyond the classroom.”
Unveiled during the SHINE 2025 Symposium for Health Innovation and Neighborhood Engagement, the program serves as both a training platform for students and a regional health network aimed at long-term change.
The College of Nursing will act as the central hub, providing clinical supervision, data collection, and research support.
Already, the program has drawn significant interest, including a $50,000 seed donation from an anonymous alum.
“We’re incredibly encouraged by the early momentum behind this initiative,” said Dr. Helen Lien, senior development officer for the College of Nursing. “This gift, and the willingness of so many to get involved, speaks to a shared belief in the power of community-based care and the impact we can make together.”
The project’s rollout will begin in Madison County in early 2026, followed by expansion into surrounding and northern Alabama counties through 2029.
In the long term, UAH hopes to scale the model statewide, combining education, workforce development, research, and outreach to build a more resilient health care ecosystem.
UAH’s Neighborhood Nursing Model
UAH’s Neighborhood Nursing initiative is built around several interconnected components:
- Health screening events in underserved areas such as Triana, the Huntsville Housing Authority, and the Bob Harrison Wellness and Advocacy Center, with support from partners including Huntsville Hospital, the Clearview Cancer Institute, and the VA Birmingham Mobile Unit.
- Home visits for homebound individuals and families—especially mothers and infants—through the Nurse-Family Partnership in Jackson, Marshall, and DeKalb counties.
- The SHINE Symposium and Podcast, designed to connect community advocates, researchers, and clinicians in sharing solutions that advance health equity.
- “Let’s Pretend Hospital”, a long-running educational program that introduces first graders to health care environments in positive, playful ways.
- An external advisory board of health experts, policymakers, and community representatives who help steer the initiative’s goals and outcomes.
Maryland: A Block-by-Block Revolution
A similar transformation is unfolding in Baltimore, where Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHSON) has joined forces with Morgan State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Maryland to launch its own Neighborhood Nursing initiative.
The goal is to connect every city resident with a nurse and community health worker team to provide ongoing, personalized support.
Inspired by Costa Rica’s “all in” primary care system, the program targets neighborhoods where disparities persist despite widespread insurance coverage. While 94% of Baltimore residents are insured, gaps in maternal health, mental health, and chronic disease outcomes remain.
“I think of what we’re building as like pipes in a water system,” said Sarah Szanton, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of JHSON, on NPR’s Tradeoffs podcast. “Where there’s a resource that’s flowing to every household and that connects them to each other.”
Teams of registered nurses and health workers are conducting door-to-door visits in pilot neighborhoods such as Johnston Square/Oliver and Sandtown-Winchester.
They meet residents in homes, churches, barbershops, schools, libraries, and senior centers—wherever people feel most comfortable.
Led by Lisa Stambolis, senior project manager for JHSON’s Institute for Policy Solutions, the effort aims to ensure that every person, regardless of age or health status, has access to preventive care and health guidance.
Residents can also opt into telehealth connections and ongoing check-ins tailored to their needs.
Neighborhood Nursing aims to improve major health indicators by decreasing infant mortality and premature deaths, increasing vaccination rates, and reducing anxiety and depression.
Evidence supports this approach. A five-year evaluation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that connecting patients to community-based social and health supports led to a 3% reduction in Medicaid costs and a 4% reduction in Medicare expenditures, alongside measurable gains in care quality.
As these Neighborhood Nursing initiatives grow, they point toward a reimagined future of health care—one where communities are not peripheral to medicine, but its foundation.
