Meet Julia Gamble, NP! She is an Advance Practice Provider at the Duke Outpatient Clinic. Read more about her work, hobbies, and love for parks and dark chocolate in our interview below.
Where do you work?
I work at the Duke Outpatient Clinic seeing patients 3 days a week. I'm on the multidisciplinary team serving patients who are frequent visitors to the ED and hospital and I am available to see those patients as often as needed. I also provide support to the clinic as a whole for walk in patients, urgent needs, and psychosocially complex patients. The rest of my time is spent on grant funded work as the clinical director of Durham Homeless Care Transitions a care management program for homeless patients who have medical needs post hospital or ED. The focus of that work is connection to ongoing community supports including primary care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, benefits, transportation, housing, and social supports.
What are your interests in the field?
I'm interested in collaborative care for complex patients, innovations in primary care to meet the needs of medically and socially complex patients, and social determinants of health.
How did you get in to this specific field?
Health care seemed to be a field that offered both very practical and hands on opportunities for service to individual patients as well as opportunities for system change to improve the health of many.
What brought you to Duke?
I've been working in Durham as a nurse and NP for a long time. My first job was at the Durham County Health Department as an RN and I returned there as an NP. Later I worked at Lincoln Community Health Center. It seemed reasonable to transition to a position at Durham's largest employer and best known health entity! The position at DOC working with medically and psychosocially complex patients seemed like a a great fit and I'd previously worked with three DOC team members (Marigny Bratcher, Jan Dillard, and Dr. Larry Greenblatt) so I knew it was a good place.
Is there any research you are doing?
The Durham Homeless Care Transitions work involves comparing three different acuity tools which we'll be evaluating for usefulness. One of the tools is Dr. Matcher's SST. We're also collecting information on perceived health status and self efficacy of our patients who have experienced homelessness as they move through the program. My colleague Donna Biederman and I have published some of our work already and will hopefully continue to do so.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?
Spending time with my family is my chief out of work hobby! I visit the Eno River State Park as often as possible. I love that the park(s) - state and city - only exist because of the dedicated advocacy of concerned citizens of Durham.
Any trips you've taken recently that you would like to share?
Our family went camping in Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia -- just three hours from Durham and so beautiful! Appalachian Trail, views, and wild(ish) ponies.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I speak French (after serving in the Peace Corps in Senegal) and love having visits with French speaking patients.
What is your favorite food?
Dark chocolate!
What is your favorite restaurant?
Hard to pick - I love Pizzeria Toro, Littler, Saltbox, and ramen at Dashi or Roses
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I'm always happy to be a resource for homeless patients -- just call or email
In 2015, Gamble was awarded a nationally competitive nursing innovation grant as co-PI (with colleague Donna Biedreman of Duke School of Nursing) by the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation (read more).