Creation of a primary care academic collaborative nexus: enabling and interfering factors

ABSTRACT

With a renewed commitment to interprofessional education and collaborative practice, academic institutions and health care systems are collaborating to provide quality health care education and service delivery. This kind of partnership integrates interprofessional education with clinical practice redesign and strives to create “collaboration ready” graduates in clinical learning environments. In this reflective case analysis, we describe the intentional commitment and collaboration between an academic institution and a clinical health system in the U.S. to form what the U.S. National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education calls a Nexus. The historical context and shared vision that led to the creation and evolution of the Nexus, as well as a description of the micro, meso, and macro level enabling, and interfering factors are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional education
• interprofessional collaborative practice
• interprofessional clinical learning environment
• Nexus

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge several individuals that have made this work possible: the academic and clinical leadership teams and campus faculty who continue to support the shared mission of optimizing the interprofessional clinical learning environment. Our consultants, who continue to give us wise counsel before and during the initiative to innovate an optimal collaborative clinical learning environment; Dr. Gail Jensen and Dr. Joan Lappe who were influential in the review and support of this original article, as well as in our efforts to influence the optimization of education and practice.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

Partially funded by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Potthoff, M. (PI); Co Investigators: Doll, J., McCafferty, K., Jensen, G., Lappe, J., DeFreece, T., & Walters, R. Cultivating Collaboration: Building a Successful Collaborative Care Model in an Academic Health Partnership. Accelerating Interprofessional Community-Based Education and Practice.

Notes on contributors

Kristina Brandon

Kristina Brandon is a physical therapist with CHI Creighton University Medical Center-University Campus. She is Assistant Clinical Professor (cs) in the Department of Family Medicine at Creighton University School of Medicine, as well as serves as contributed service faculty in the Physical Therapy Department. She is pursuing her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Interdisciplinary Leadership with Creighton University.

Thomas Guck

Thomas Guck is a Professor and Vice-Chair in the Department of Family Medicine at Creighton University School of Medicine. His research focus is on clinical outcomes related to interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams in pain management and primary care settings.

Joy Doll

Joy Doll is the Chief Academic Program Officer for the Nebraska Health Information Initiative. She is the former Director of the Creighton Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research.

Amy McGaha

Amy McGaha is Roland L. Kleeberger, M.D. Professor and Endowed Chair in the Department of Family Medicine, Creighton University School of Medicine. She is a key leader in developing the interprofessional and collaborative practice training site at the CHI Health University Campus and serves as a family medicine physician with CHI Creighton University Medical Center. Dr. McGaha is the Director of the Interprofessional Clinical Learning Environment, within the Creighton Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research, as well as serves on the CHI Health Board of Directors. Her clinical and academic work focuses on achieving the Quadruple Aim in healthcare. Dr. McGaha is currently the president of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Foundation.

Meghan Potthoff

Meghan Potthoff is an Associate Professor in the Creighton University College of Nursing. Her primary responsibilities include teaching in the pediatric acute and primary care nurse practitioner program. Her research primarily focuses on interprofessional practice and pediatric palliative care.

Todd DeFreece

Todd DeFreece is Vice President of Operations at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy-Bergan Mercy. In addition to his responsibilities at the main hospital, he is responsible for the creation, implementation and on-going operations of the collaborative care model developed at the medical center’s ambulatory campus: Creighton Univeristy Medical Center-University Campus.

Michael White

Michael White is the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Valleywise Health. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Creighton University School of Medicine. He oversees the clinical operations and interprofessional learning environment within Valleywise Health, a member of the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance in Phoenix, Arizona.