Healthcare in the Shadows

About Me

: Bonnie Pilon, PhD, NEA-BC, FAAN; I’m a nurse and the Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. For the past 15+ years I’ve opened, operated and evaluated more than 10 community clinic sites in Middle Tennessee focused on giving access to primary care and women’s health services for underserved populations. I have been awarded a sabbatical year in 2015 from the Vanderbilt School of Nursing during which time I will be visiting a number of nurse managed or nurse led health centers and clinics from Alaska to Florida to interview their leaders as well as staff and patients. I hope to discover the reason(s) why each center was developed, its history, a description of patients and communities served, the impact on patients’ lives, and stories that help define their culture. I want to “give voice” to these unique care sites that often serve as critical safety net providers.