title: The Primary Care Policy Fellowship: an innovative model for interdisciplinary collaboration.
abstract: The U.S. Public Health Service Primary Care Policy Fellowship is an interdisciplinary program that was created in 1991 to increase the capabilities of mid-career primary care academicians, researchers, administrators, and practitioners to the dynamics of primary care policy development, the legislative process, resource identification, and leadership development. Interdisciplinary education and collaboration is the means by which this goal is being met, with fellow and faculty representation coming from medicine, nursing, public health, dentistry, health administration, and others. Described in this article are collaborative activities that have been specifically designed to increase contact and collaboration between the multiple disciplines that attend. One such important activity has become the Primary Care Fellowship Society (PCFS), an alumni association that has been formed by veteran fellows who believe in the importance of continuing an interdisciplinary agenda beyond the 3-week Fellowship program. An important outcome of both the Fellowship and its alumni association has been an increased understanding and respect for one another's discipline.
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Policy Fellowship, Bureau of Health Professions, Rockville, MD 20857, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hassmiller
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D017145:Models, Educational; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000193:education*; D014481:United States