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It is clear that in order to improve health for our citizens, our health work force must be team-focused and collaboration-ready at the time of their graduation. Shortages of adequately trained health care workers must be addressed if we are to reduce the global disease burden for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, infant mortality, childhood preventable disease, among other global health woes. Adequately trained and collaborative health care workers must be willing and able to work hand-in-hand with other health care professionals, paraprofessionals, local community health workers, and lay health providers who reflect community need and cultural tradition. Preparing health care providers to work effectively across professions will help craft coordinated policies and strategies that accommodate local need. The achievement of these goals is contingent on reducing profession-centrism. Reducing professioncentrism will promote cooperation between health providers as they design both curriculum for their trainees and health interventions for their patients, families, and communities. These models of practice and training will need to be flexible as collaboration may need to extend past the typical physician/nurse relationship to include professionals relevant to developing economies such as engineers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and agricultural experts. Health care delivery from both the macro- and micro-levels will promote disease prevention and health promotion and reduce the hegemony of physician-directed health care delivery.

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