The Midwest Interprofessional Practice, Education, and Research Center: A regional approach to innovations in interprofessional education and practice

New models for delivering health care services are essential to the development of an environment where interprofessional teams work together collaboratively to provide quality care to communities. This article describes the history and development of the Midwest Interprofessional Practice, Education, and Research Center (MIPERC), a unique partnership among academic institutions, health professionals from multiple disciplines, and diverse practice partners. The Center provides an inter-institutional infrastructure for the development and implementation of interprofessional education and practice. As part of the infrastructure, a model has been developed as a guiding framework for the Center emphasizing the core competency domains of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the recommendations of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), and the evaluation of Center's outcomes. Included in this discussion are the history, goals, infrastructure, and key products of the MIPERC and the sustainability efforts of this community model.