title: Reducing health disparities in underserved communities via interprofessional collaboration across health care professions.
abstract: Health disparities can negatively impact subsets of the population who have systematically experienced greater socioeconomic obstacles to health. Health disparities are pervasive across the United States and no single health care profession can tackle this national crisis alone. It is essential that all health care providers work collaboratively toward the overarching goal of systematically closing the health disparities gap. Interprofessional collaboration is the foundation needed for health care providers to support patient needs and reduce health disparities in public health. Let us reach across the silos we work within and collaborate with our colleagues. Stand up and begin thinking about our communities, our patients, and the future overall health status of the population for the United States.
authors.affiliation: Center on Health Disparities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA ; School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Allison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Vanderbilt
authors.affiliation: Family Health Clinic, McDonald Army Health Center, Fort Eustis, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Dail
authors.affiliation: Virginia Department of Health, Chesterfield Health District, Chesterfield, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Parham
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaberi
keywords: community health; health care providers; health disparities; interprofessional collaboration; public health; underserved communities