Empowered Communities

Powerful community partnerships help combat public health challenges

Taylor Thomas — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:06:05 +0000

Powerful community partnerships help combat public health challenges Taylor Thomas Fri, 10/10/2025 - 13:06

The �鶹��Ƶ and Partners (MAP) Clinics’ Empowered Communities program’s success is driven by dynamic partnerships between �鶹��Ƶ and community organizations that are transforming public health outcomes in underserved communities.

Initiatives convene networks of nurses, peer specialists, community health workers, and students to bring acute and chronic health care services, immunizations, school health exams, substance misuse treatment, mental health services, and more to low-income, uninsured, or refugee populations. For example, the Empowered Communities Opioid Project helps people involved with the justice system who struggle with opioid use disorders connect with health care providers and community resources.

Photo by Emily Roscher.

Empowered Communities programs exemplify how college-community alliances can directly improve highly targeted public health issues. These collaborations are foundational to delivering sustainable, person-centered care where it’s needed most. By combining academic expertise with on-the-ground community insight, these partnerships are creating scalable models for building healthier communities.

Prince William County and MAP Clinics partner on several initiatives, including the Jail Medication-Assisted Treatment Program, the Peer Internship Project, and Community MAT efforts. The collaboration is rooted in shared goals of expanding access to treatment, strengthening peer support services, and promoting recovery within justice-involved populations. Their remarkable collaboration was recognized with the Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations in the category of Partnership Initiative.

“Partnerships like these are essential for building coordinated, comprehensive responses to the opioid epidemic, substance use, and behavioral health challenges in Prince William County, City of Manassas, and Manassas Park. By working together, we can leverage collective expertise, align resources, and deliver consistent, person-centered care across systems,” said Sara Wheeler, division manager of the Adult Behavioral Health and Recovery Services in the Prince William County Government.

Harnessing Tech Partners to Improve Health

Sri Vasireddy, co-founder and CEO of REAN Foundation, leads an organization dedicated to using technology to improve access, affordability, and efficiency in health care. Together, REAN and the MAP Clinics created �鶹��Ƶ HealthLink, an AI companion that allows patients to self-manage their own care by connecting them with resources, practitioners, and updated care plans. Their partnership exemplifies the intersection of technology and health care.

“There is tremendous need for what we do and there's a lot that we need to put together. I am a technology entrepreneur, and I have little direct knowledge in health care,” said Vasireddy. "What I know comes from working with organizations and partnerships, meeting people, and learning about their communities’ needs. On the technology side, the technology people process aspects of building a platform. But we need nursing staff and community workers and volunteers to help answer is this contextualized, is this personalized? It’s not just one discipline. We need psychology, we need science, we need technology, we need business in terms of the operations."

These partnerships—between academic institutions, local governments, and technology innovators—are the foundation of Empowered Communities’ success. They demonstrate how collaboration across sectors can drive sustainable public health solutions and improve outcomes for underserved populations.

Over the past two years, the Empowered Communities has hosted a conference that served as a platform for these partners to showcase milestones and reaffirm their shared commitment to providing resources to those most in need.

“Gatherings like the Empowered Communities Conference foster connection, knowledge sharing, and inspiration across sectors. They provide a platform to highlight innovative practices, celebrate progress, and strengthen the collective commitment to recovery, equity, and community resilience,” said Wheeler.

Photo by Emily Roscher.

Topics

Empowered Communities

�鶹��Ƶ and Partners (MAP)

GCI-Grand Challenge Initiative

Ashley Wiest, DNP, FNP-BC

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 17:14:34 +0000

Ashley Wiest, DNP, FNP-BC Mary Cunningham Fri, 06/07/2024 - 13:14

Project Coordinator for �鶹��Ƶ’s Learning Laboratory for Community Health
Provider for ECOP JMAT and Bridge Program
Faculty for the School of Nursing (�鶹��Ƶ Online Program)
Family Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified (FNP-BC)

Contact Information

Email: ahabina@gmu.edu

Biography

Dr. Ashley Wiest (she/her/hers) is the Project Coordinator for �鶹��Ƶ’s Learning Laboratory for Community Health, a Provider for ECOP JMAT and Bridge Program, and a professor for the School of Nursing (�鶹��Ƶ Online Program) and College of Public Health. Wiest is a leading expert on working with underserved populations, particularly the uninsured, homeless, and disabled populations. She specializes in developing relationships with partners, focusing on community engagement and relationship building.

Before her career at �鶹��Ƶ, she worked as a clinical specialist for Sentara Health System in the Emergency Department, developing a fellowship program focused on a new graduate retention model. Wiest is a three-time alumnus of �鶹��Ƶ (BSN, MSN, DNP). She has extensive experience in her career in project development, developing programs from the ground up and leading them towards successful sustainability. Her current project involvement includes workforce development for graduate research assistants in the Learning Lab, focusing on student education, experience, and rapid quality improvement.

Degrees

Bachelor of Science, Nursing, �鶹��Ƶ, 2009
Master of Science, Nursing Education, �鶹��Ƶ, 2015
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Family Nurse Practitioner, �鶹��Ƶ, 2022

In the News

Learning Laboratory for Community Health prepares graduate students to solve real-world public health challenges
June 6, 2024

Caitlyn Fulcher, RPRS

John Brandon Cantrell — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 15:04:22 +0000

Caitlyn Fulcher, RPRS John Brandon C… Mon, 10/24/2022 - 11:04

ECOP Community Peer Specialist Coordinator, Nursing

Contact Information

Email: cfulche@gmu.edu

Biography

Caitlyn Fulcher is an ECOP Community Peer Specialist coordinator for the College of Public Health, School of Nursing. She is a Registered Peer recovery specialist through the Virginia Board of Counseling. Her primary role with �鶹��Ƶ is the site coordinator of the ECOP program located in Chesterfield County.

Formerly, Caitlyn worked with True Recovery RVA as the Director of Women’s Programs. True Recovery RVA is a recovery housing organization located in Henrico, VA. She is excited to work with the ECOP team and bring her knowledge and her owned lived experiences to the program and has hope to help as many individuals as possible who want to find a better way of life.

Nancy R.B. Spencer, QMHP

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 18:13:31 +0000

Nancy R.B. Spencer, QMHP John Brandon C… Tue, 09/20/2022 - 14:13

Project Manager, Nursing

Contact Information

Email: nspence@gmu.edu

Biography

Ms. Nancy Spencer manages a portfolio of public health projects, which engages high-risk, high-need individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and Criminal Justice involvement to facilitate health and social care systems navigation. She is responsible for the implementation and delivery of community-based participatory research that includes cross-sector health equity initiatives. Ms. Spencer leads interdisciplinary teams, talented in nursing, social work, behavioral health, counseling, health informatics, peer recovery support, and pharmacy. Through partnerships with governments, public health, and the legal and carceral systems, Ms. Spencer’s programs strengthen community health systems, upskill the health workforce, and deliver community-based care and treatment in health districts across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Research

Parekh, T., Cuellar, A. E., Farina-Morse, M., Spencer, N., & Sutter, R. E. (2022). Where It Really Counts: Feasibility and Potential of the Peer Engaged Empowered Recovery Program for Substance-Dependent Jail Inmates. Journal of addictions nursing, 33(3), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1097/JAN.0000000000000478.

Megan S. Harvey, DNP, FNP-BC, BSN, RN

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 17:56:21 +0000

Megan S. Harvey, DNP, FNP-BC, BSN, RN John Brandon C… Wed, 08/24/2022 - 13:56

Research Scientist, Nursing

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Contact Information

Email: msturm1@gmu.edu

CV

Download Megan Harvey's curriculum vitae (CV) here.

Personal Websites

Orcid

Biography

Dr. Megan Harvey is an assistant professor and Research Scientist in the School of Nursing, Research faculty. Harvey’s research interests include vulnerable populations, community and population-based healthcare and substance use disorders. She has a passion for opioid use disorders and works closely with the �鶹��Ƶ �鶹��Ƶ and Partners (MAP) Clinics as a provider for at risk populations in substance abuse and chronic disease management. Before coming to �鶹��Ƶ, Harvey worked at Inova Fairfax Hospital as a Registered Nurse, Trauma Nurse Specialist, in the Adult Emergency Department and completed her doctorate at �鶹��Ƶ in 2020 with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner. Her field of research during her doctoral year was Rural and community-based telehealth implementation.

Degrees

Bachelor of Science, Nursing, �鶹��Ƶ
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Family Nurse Practitioner, �鶹��Ƶ

Jeremy Burton

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:13:10 +0000

Jeremy Burton John Brandon C… Tue, 07/26/2022 - 09:13

ECOP Community Peer Specialist Coordinator, Nursing

Contact Information

Email: jburto5@gmu.edu

Biography

Jeremy Burton is an ECOP Community Peer Specialist Coordinator for the College of Public Health, School of Nursing. He is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist with DBHDS and has graduated from the Recovery Leadership Academy in 2021, facilitated by VCU. Burton is also currently an assigned mentor of the RLA program of 2022. His primary role is to assist individuals with a history of opiate use being released from incarceration in order to discover a better quality of life.

Formerly, Jeremy worked four years as a CPRS with the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board. He worked directly in the Medication Assistant Treatment program, assisting individuals with a history of opiate use. Becoming one of the first SUD Peer Recovery specialists, Jeremy assisted the RACSB lay the groundwork for their MAT program, which gave him the honor of training and developing new PRS in that role. As a Lead Peer Recovery Specialist: Peer Navigator with �鶹��Ƶ, he has been tasked to intercept 2 in response to the global opiate crisis. Jeremy is grateful and excited to work with PW ADC and the MAP clinic to reach the lost and suffering.

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

admin_alpha — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 23:27:01 +0000

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP admin_alpha Tue, 10/20/2015 - 19:27

Director, �鶹��Ƶ and Partners (MAP) Clinics, Nursing

Professor, Nursing

Contact Information

Email: rsutter2@gmu.edu

Phone: 703-993-3611
Building: Peterson Hall
Room 2902

CV

Download Rebecca Sutter curriculum vitae (CV) here.

Personal Websites

ORCID

Biography

As a doctorally trained and credentialed Family Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Sutter serves as the Director of a network of eight Academic Nurse-managed community clinics. She has developed, implemented and evaluated a unique model of community healthcare access and navigation called The Bridge Care Model. This model of care uses a systems approach to improve care and promote collaboration between public health, public safety and health to ensure that evidence based treatment is available for at risk and marginalized individuals, families, communities and populations. She uses the academic nurse managed clinics, which are strategically located in medically underserved areas (MUA) across the Northern Virginia region, to provide services to underserved and vulnerable populations and conducts translational research on evidence-based care for patients with limited resources. She has expanded this model of care to include criminally involved at risk individuals being released into the community using a comprehensive and coordinated approach to connect them to needed health and social services using care navigation and peer recovery support programs. Dr. Sutter has a history of extensive successful community collaborations on a variety of multidisciplinary implementation programs and research studies.

Research

Research Interests

Translational Research: Conducting translational research to bridge the gap between evidence-based care and patients with limited resources, particularly in medically underserved areas.
Healthcare Access for Marginalized Communities: Investigating strategies to enhance healthcare access for marginalized and at-risk individuals, families, and communities.
System Change: Developing and evaluating system change initiatives for community-based interventions that connect at-risk populations, including those with criminal involvement, with essential health and social services
Interdisciplinary Teams and Multidisciplinary Collaborations: Investigating the impact, effectiveness, and outcomes of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams and collaborations in enhancing community health, with a specific focus on improving health outcomes and community health improvement.
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) New Models of Care: Researching innovative models of care for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder, with an emphasis on expanding access to medication for OUD and improving treatment outcomes.

Select Publications

Sutter-Barrett, R., Sutter-Dalrymple, C., & Skurpski, L. (2018). Operating the Bridge Care Model. Creative Nursing, 25(1).
Painter, J.E., De O. Mesquita, S.V., Jimenez, L., Avila, A,A., Sutter, C.J., & Sutter, R. (2018). Vaccine-related attitudes and decision-making among uninsured, Latin American immigrant mothers of adolescent daughters: a qualitative study. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2018.1514353
Vece, L., Sutter, R., Sutter, C., & Toulouse, C. (2016). Impacting vulnerable populations through integrating oral health care into nurse-managed health centers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 12(9), 629-34.
Sutter-Barrett, R; Sutter-Dalrymple, C & Dickman, K. (2015) Bridge care nurse-managed clinics fill the gap in health care. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 11(2), 262-265.
Sutter R, Cuellar AE, Harvey M, Hong YA. Academic Nurse-Managed Community Clinics Transitioning to Telehealth: Case Report on the Rapid Response to COVID-19 JMIR Nursing 2020;3(1): e24521 doi: 10.2196/24521. PMID: 33496682. PMCID: 7720936
Morton, Jennifer, Weierbach, Florence, Sutter, Rebecca, Livsey, Kae, Goehner, Elaine, Liesveld, Judy, Goldschmidt, Mary (2019). New education models for preparing prelicensure students for community-based practice. Journal of Professional Nursing. 10.1016/j.profnurs.2019.05.004. v
Sutter-Barrett, R; Sutter-Dalrymple, C & Skurpski. (2019). Operationalizing the Bridge Care Model, Creative Nursing Volume 25, #1
Julia E. Painter, Suyane Viana De O. Mesquita, Lauren Jimenez, Arturo A. Avila, Caroline J. Sutter & Rebecca Sutter (2018) Vaccine-related attitudes and decision-making among uninsured, Latin American immigrant mothers of adolescent daughters: a qualitative study, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1514353

PEER-REVIEWED BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS

Rector, C., & Stanley, M. (2022). Community and public health nursing (10^th Ed.) Chapter 23 Working with Vulnerable Populations
Adams, M. P., Urban, C. Q., & Sutter, R. (2019). Pharmacology: Connections to Nursing Practice (4th Ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson. Textbook Author
Pharmacology: Connections to Nursing Practice (4th Edition) 4th Edition, 2019 Chapters
Ladewig, P.L., London, M.L., & Davidson, M.R. (2017). Contemporary Maternal Newborn Nursing Care. (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Chapters
London, M.L., Ladewig, P.W., Davidson, M.R., Ball, J. W., Bindler, R.C. & Cohen, K.J. (2016). Maternal & Child Nursing. (5th ed.): Boston: Pearson Education. Chapters

Honors and Awards

Virginia Nurse Practitioner of the Year, 2017, American Association of Nurse Practitioners
Jack Wood Award Recipient, Partnership Initiative Category, 2017, �鶹��Ƶ
Evelyn E. Cohelan Faculty Leadership Award, 2015, College of Health and Human Services, �鶹��Ƶ
Faculty of the Year, 2012, Northern Virginia Community College

Degrees

DNP, Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner, �鶹��Ƶ
MSN, Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner, �鶹��Ƶ
AAS, Nursing, Marymount University