Last week, teams from eight states met in Phoenix, Ariz., to launch the Nexus innovations incubator—the national center’s “testing laboratory” for approaches to improve interprofessional practice and education, both locally and nationally. These eight pioneer innovation incubator sites bring a track record of accelerating interprofessional practice and education across health care systems, communities, and higher education.  Until recently, those leading large-scale efforts—like those in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina—have had few opportunities to collaborate on implementation strategies.

Our teams spent more than two days together, graciously hosted by the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona Phoenix, the Arizona Telemedicine Network, and Arizona State University. We learned that each incubator site brings a diversity of knowledge and experiences to the partnership with the national center, all focused on our common goal of improving population health, increasing value, and engaging people, families, and communities in achieving health. We had productive interactions with our colleagues from across the country, and we began to define strategies for collaboration and the projects that each site will undertake in an effort to improve local health outcomes.

My team and I left the meeting feeling energized and full of “pragmatic optimism” about the future of our work together at the Nexus. We are inspired by the innovation already happening at each of the incubator sites and the wealth of resources we have to share with one another.

We are now working together to define our respective roles, responsibilities, and relationships as we move forward with the “Wisdom of Teams, the Power of Partnerships, and the Capacity to Connect.”

In the meantime, we encourage you to join the conversation. Ask a question. Send a suggestion. Let us know what you think about the Nexus innovations incubator model and the role of the national center in testing and validating approaches to interprofessional practice and education.