The Bureau of Health Professions within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded Indiana University (IU) School of Nursing a three-year grant of more than $1.2 million to foster interprofessional health care within IU Health, Indiana’s largest health care system, as well as rural primary care clinics in central Indiana.

The project will cultivate “interprofessional collaborative practice” (IPCP) within acute care units of Methodist Hospital by utilizing clinical teams comprised of a registered nurse, a physician, and a care manager to work together to improve patient outcomes while reducing costs. Funding will also support the introduction of IPCP to primary health care settings that deliver care to rural and underserved populations in central Indiana.

In addition, IU School of Nursing will create a Nursing Leadership Institute to train emerging nurse leaders to succeed in collaborative team-based environments. The goal of IPCP is to transform health care from its traditional compartmentalized design to a “whole systems” perspective where care is coordinated among various health care professionals. Project partners include IU Health, IU School of Medicine, and Indiana Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). Words for Good® is proud to have collaborated with IU School of Nursing in writing its proposal, which received a score of 98 with no cited weaknesses.