New coordinating center will promote interprofessional education and collaborative practice in health care

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) today announced the selection of the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center to lead a new coordinating center to provide national leadership in the field of interprofessional education and collaborative practice among health professionals.

The new Coordinating Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice at the University of Minnesota will receive $4 million over five years to promote expertise in interprofessional education and collaborative practice, particularly in medically underserved areas. Nationally recognized leaders in the field will lead the coordinating center, which will include partnerships with other training and health delivery sites around the country.

“Health care delivered by well-functioning coordinated teams leads to better patient and family outcomes, more efficient health care services, and higher levels of satisfaction among health care providers,” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. “We all share the vision of a U.S. health care system that engages patients, families, and communities in collaborative, team-based care. This coordinating center will help us move forward to achieve that goal.”

HRSA’s partnership with the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center to build the coordinating center will help meet the charge of the Affordable Care Act to develop more responsive health care organizations and structures, such as Accountable Care Organizations, patient-centered medical homes, and transitional care models.

For more information on HRSA’s health professions programs, visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov.

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The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA is the primary federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.