Community nursing centers (CNCs) can contribute significantly to the effectiveness and efficiency of managed care networks. The Silver Spring CNC is one example of a community nursing center that has demonstrated the ability to positively affect both the process and outcome of care for users from an urban community in Milwaukee. The CNCs must develop mechanisms to document both the process and outcomes of nursing practice and place these data squarely in the public policy arena if the full potential of these innovative practice organizations is to be realized.