Interprofessional Primary Care Training Programs Show Progress and Promise
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 11, 2014
CONTACT: Caroline DeLaney
caroline@pcpcc.org | (202) 417-3911
Interprofessional Primary Care Training Programs Show
Progress and Promise
New publication focuses on seven programs that train health professionals to work in a medical home
WASHINGTON – Today the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) is releasing a new Education and Training publication during a webinar presentation. The publication highlights how seven programs from California, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia train a variety of health care professionals to work together as teams in patient-centered medical homes.
“It’s inspiring to see so many programs focused on increasing care coordination by developing an effective interprofessional team,” said Marci Nie lsen PhD, MPH, CEO of the PCPCC. “These programs are at the forefront of new approaches to primary care practice that truly put the patient first.”
Hundreds of programs are transitioning into interprofessional curriculum all across the country, 130 of which and are featured on the PCPCC’s online training database. The seven programs included in the publication train medical students, residents, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, psychologists, and other health professionals to work together effectively. Organizations representing many of these professions came together to sponsor and provide direction for the publication.
“The goal of the publication is to serve as a learning resource and to provide encouragement for health professionals who want to deliver better care at a lower cost, but aren’t sure of the steps forward,” said Barbara Brandt, PhD, director, National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. “Their peers provide guidance on the best approaches to developing and training a high-functioning team and more importantly, show that it’s possible.”
The publication identifies common elements of the training programs such as dispersed team leadership, integration of behavioral health and a focus on patient-centered care, among others, that are integral to developing effective, interprofessional teams. Additionally, the seven programs share their learning journeys, some of the barriers they have encountered and challenges they have overcome.
“Ultimately we want health care professionals to be able to seamlessly work together,” said Bill Warning, MD, FAAFP, program director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Crozer-Keystone Health System and chair of the PCPCC Education and Training Taskforce. “If we can achieve that, we can achieve real health care system reform.”
Learn more about the report by registering for the free webinar taking place today, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. ET. Download the report here.
Co-sponsors of the publication include: The Council on Social Work Education, American Psychological Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions, National Association of Social Workers and Association of American Medical Colleges.
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About the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC): Founded in 2006, the PCPCC is dedicated to advancing an effective and efficient health care system built on a strong foundation of primary care and the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). The PCPCC achieves its mission through the work of its five Stakeholder Centers, experts and thoughts leaders focused on key issues of delivery reform, payment reform, patient engagement, and employer benefit redesign to drive health system transformation. For more information, visit www.pcpcc.org.
