Local underserved children at Knox County will soon be receiving the best care they could possibly expect from nurses at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing, thanks to the $2.5 million federal grant awarded to the college.

The two grants from the Human Resources Services Administration in the US Department of Health and Human Services will benefit children at Vine School Health Center and also students at the college, who will gain invaluable experience in a real-world setting.

The Vine School Health Center is, in turn, connected to eight other schools through telehealth connections. Therefore, underserved children studying in these schools too will be helped.

Telehealth is the use of digital technology to deliver medical care, health education and public health services by connecting multiple users in separate locations.

The first grant, about a million dollars over three years, will empower the telehealth technology to deliver improved health care to patients who have limited access.

All graduate students in nursing, medical, pharmacy and industrial engineering will undergo intensive eight-week rotations involving web-based and face-to-face team education, simulations, and telehealth team-based clinical education in delivery of care at school-based clinics.

The second grant, totaling about $1.5 million over three years, will allow students to work with nurses, social workers and special education teachers at Vine School Health Center.

The university hopes that the collaboration will improve holistic care for children and their families served by the center.

The long-term goal of this project is to establish a collaborative practice environment for underserved children and families at the clinic.

"It is critical for our health professionals to be educated in delivering patient-centered care as members of an interdisciplinary team," said Dean Victoria Niederhauser.

"This effort allows us to emphasize evidence-based practice and quality improvement approaches to produce the best health professionals possible."

The University of Tennessee College of Nursing has got this unique opportunity to serve the community, at the same time helping its students to be better professionals. It is thus hoping to make the most of it.