Dr. Chang receives research grant

For release:  January 29, 2016

Dr. Cyril Chang, professor of Economics and director of Methodist Le Bonheur Center for Healthcare Economics, has received a research grant funded by the Tennessee Action Coalition and administered by The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The purpose of the grant will be to investigate and estimate the economic impacts of the greater use of Nurse Practitioners throughout the primary care setting in Tennessee.

The state of Tennessee is now facing a critical shortage of primary care physicians as more Tennesseans are getting health insurance coverage. It has been suggested that greater use of Nurse Practitioners could be a cost-effective way of meeting the challenge of primary care workforce shortage. However, the overall economic impacts of this workforce shift are currently unknown.

This project will contribute to literature and public health decision making by providing a comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits of Nurse Practitioners practicing mostly in the primary care setting of Tennessee.