Across the country, the demand for primary care and behavioral health services is outpacing what healthcare systems can provide, especially in rural towns and communities with the fewest resources. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are already stepping up, delivering the kind of high-quality, relationship-centered care their patients count on.
But while NPs are trained to heal, they’re not often trained to build and run the kind of clinics and care models their communities need.
Inside the Nurse Practitioner Entrepreneur Program
Enter the Nurse Practitioner Entrepreneur Program, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and powered by Duke Health. This year-long, hybrid experience gives practicing NPs the tools, confidence, and supportive mentoring community to turn bold ideas into thriving healthcare enterprises.
It gives me hope for our healthcare system that there are individuals like these in the communities, working with some of the most challenged groups. They’re thinking outside the box and meeting the patients where they are.
Focused on primary care and behavioral health, the program empowers NPs to design care models that not only serve patients but strengthen the health of entire communities.
The inaugural 2024–2025 cohort brought together 20 nurse practitioners from 12 states and Washington, D.C., who graduated in September 2025 and are now actively launching or running their own NP-led enterprises.
“It was beyond our expectations,” said Anh N. Tran, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University School of Medicine. “Their businesses and enterprises are well on their way. It was really heartening, the number of participants whose healthcare practices are either launched now and serving patients, or who are very close to rolling out their enterprises.”
A legacy partnership of supporting advanced practice nurses
The program builds on the foundation of the Duke–Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program – an eight-year initiative that prepared advanced practice nurses (APNs) for leadership roles. Today, the partnership has evolved with a sharper focus: supporting nurse practitioners to step into entrepreneurship, particularly in the areas where the shortage of providers is most severe.
“Primary care and behavioral health services are lacking across the country, and we saw an opportunity to bring together 20 individuals in different regions and invest in their entrepreneurial and leadership growth to help solve that gap.”
The nurse practitioners leading change in their communities
“They have a deep commitment and passion to the communities they already serve and to the communities who are not served yet,” said Tran. “They have a very vested interest in this – heart and soul.”
Among them is Natasha Andrews, MSN, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, based in Mobile, Alabama and owner of HealthCare Connections NP, LLC, a practice focused on primary care, weight management, and disability evaluations. Andrews says she’s driven to provide personalized, holistic care that addresses the unique needs of her patients and empowers them to live healthier lives.
There’s also Dr. Marqueta Abraham, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, of Memphis, Tennessee, owner of CLR Mind Psychiatry. Her practice is dedicated to making mental health care more affordable and accessible within the African American community.
“I have learned so much during this experience of building my own enterprise to help my Memphis community,” said Abraham, whose clinic officially opened in April 2025.
For Tenisha Smith, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, it comes down to improving patient outcomes, raising awareness about mental health, and mentoring future nurse practitioners. Based in Macon, Georgia, her initiative iCare “is being built on compassion, access and advocacy,” and she says she is “excited to serve Georgia families with excellence and purpose.”
From leadership to business skills: what the curriculum covers
The twelve-month program (October 2024–September 2025) blends structured learning with practical application, followed by a three-month support period to help fellows sustain momentum.
NPs participate in:
- Onsite leadership retreats to strengthen vision and influence
- Virtual learning sessions and self-directed modules to deepen knowledge
- Mentoring circles for peer-to-peer support and accountability
- Individual executive coaching for personalized growth
- Individual and group coaching for business plan development or growth.
- Entrepreneurship salons and consultative panels, where experienced NP business owners serve as mentors, sharing lessons learned and providing support
- Membership in NPBO™ (Nurse Practitioner Business Owners), connecting fellows to a nationwide community of NP entrepreneurs
According to Tran, the salons have been especially valuable. “The salon mentors have, collectively, decades of experience in launching and sustaining their own innovative models of care, and can discuss topics like marketing plans, credentialing, operational details, and the importance of community and professional advocacy”
What’s next for NP entrepreneurs and future cohorts
The inaugural fellows are now in the process of launching or running their NP-led 2. The next phase includes evaluating metrics — such as the number, scope and scale of enterprises launched; the extent to which graduates are creating a pathway for future nurse practitioner entrepreneurs to step into the healthcare arena; and how participants rate their growth in leadership, management, and entrepreneurial skills — and refining the curriculum to make the program even more impactful in year two.
How entrepreneurship training benefits nurses
Entrepreneurship may not feel like an obvious fit for clinicians, but Tran sees financial and business acumen as an essential skillset for today’s nurses.
“If you’re part of an organization, it’s helpful to know how the finances work, how funds come in, and how it all impacts patients,” she said. “I think schools of nursing are catching on to this and weaving it into what students are learning.”
For Tran, the impact of this program goes beyond individual careers.
“It gives me hope for our healthcare system,” she said, “that there are individuals like these in the communities, working with some of the most challenged groups. They’re thinking outside the box and meeting the patients where they are.”
