Why IPE?

 Why is Interprofessional Education Important? 

Numerous national reports recommend changing undergraduate, graduate and continuing health professions education to align with the needs of the health care system.  State and national health reforms require health professionals to collaborate in teams, health homes, and accountable care organizations.   Forty-six health professions school associations including the American Association of Medical Colleges, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the American Dental Education Association are collaborating nationally to develop competencies and requirements to guide interprofessional education in the United States.  

New accreditation standards require evidence that schools are preparing their graduates in interprofessional experiences for the emerging health environment.  This development in the United States mirrors the international movement led by the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative and the World Health Organization.

The University of Minnesota Academic Health Center is recognized as a leader in this movement as a result of forty years of experience with interdisciplinary and interprofessional education.

To review a history of the 1Health initiative, please click here.