Nurse Practitioner Graduate Serves Newark Community

The College of Nursing’s four-year Mobile Health Training Program (MHTP) continues to expand access to care in Newark through the success of its graduates. One of its recent alumni, Orquidia Solano, M.S.N. ’24, A.P.N, P.M.H.N.P.-B.C., now serves as a nurse practitioner at the Ryan White Specialty Care Clinic affiliated with the Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness. 

Funded by a $3.6 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2022, the MHTP provides nurse practitioner students with clinical experience on mobile health units serving Newark, NJ, residents. As the grant period comes to an end in June 2026, Solano’s transition into a nurse practitioner role in Newark reflects the success of the program. 

For Solano, the program helped shape her career in psychiatric mental health. Before entering advanced practice, she worked as an emergency room nurse where she witnessed long wait times for patients and limited access to mental health providers. “Seeing that need made me feel like I had a calling to this field,” she said. 

Through her clinical training in the MHTP, she gained experience conducting psychiatric assessments, collaborating with preceptors and caring for diverse patient populations, including Spanish speaking families. "The immersive nature of the program made Solano’s transition into practice feel seamless," she said. 

Today, Solano is helping to strengthen mental health services within the Ryan White Specialty Care Clinic, serving patients with HIV. She emphasizes collaborative, patient-centered care and thoughtful treatment planning. “No matter how stressful things get, patient interaction and patient care are where I’m most satisfied,” she said.

Solano’s journey reflects the broader mission of the College of Nursing in preparing compassionate, skilled nurse practitioners ready to meet growing mental health needs in underserved communities. 

“With HRSA support, the MHTP created meaningful clinical learning opportunities that directly translated into workforce development,” said Joyce Maglione, Ph.D., ANP-BC, FNAP, principal investigator and program director of Seton Hall’s Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program. “These types of initiatives are strengthening access to care, expanding mental health services and addressing persistent gaps in treatment for vulnerable patients.”

Although the grant period is coming to a close, the College of Nursing’s commitment to the communities it serves remains steadfast. Building on this foundation, the College continues to prepare future nurse practitioners to deliver high-quality, community-based care where it is needed most.

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