1. What is a Primary Care Innovation Collaborative?

A Primary Care Innovation Collaborative (PCIC) harnesses the energy of trainees to help accelerate transformation of our health care system through clinical innovation projects. Clinician innovators partner with trainees to design and implement ways to improve care in their clinical practices; these small teams meet as a larger group to share ideas and best practices. These collaboratives are meant to 1) inspire the next generation to pursue primary care careers, 2) train participants to thrive in new models of care delivery, and 3) help local clinics transform by tapping the perspectives, skills, and energy of trainees.

2. What will I be doing as a member of a Primary Care Innovation Collaborative?

As a clinician innovator, you will join a group of local clinicians working on primary care innovation who are interested in mentoring students.

As a student member, you can make concrete contributions that may result in real improvement, while engaging in new models of care delivered by inspired providers. You might be able to gain elective credit or develop a scholarly project.

Every one to two weeks, mentors and mentees might meet one-on-one to discuss, design, and implement projects. Every other month, you might attend a larger meeting of clinical innovators and students to network, share project ideas, and brainstorm solutions. These meetings provide an opportunity for both students and clinicians to learn new skills and approaches to care delivery. Some collaboratives might invite experts in disciplines such as systems engineering and management science to add a fresh perspective to the discussion.

You can also share your experiences with your collaborative on our blog, Primary Care Progress Notes.

3. How do I form a local Primary Care Innovation Collaborative?

Glad you asked! Click here for more information about what a PCIC is and how to start one. Send us an email at pcic@primarycareprogress.org to let us know that you’re interested and a member of our team will get in touch with you to provide you with the full PCIC toolkit and to help you strategize about how to create a fun and valuable experience for you and your colleagues, while making a huge difference in your local community.

4. Can my Primary Care Innovation Collaborative be inter-professional?

Definitely.  The trainees on your team can be from the same program or cohort, or you can bring together students and residents from different schools or stages of training.  PCICs can be collaborative efforts between students from medical, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant schools and more. 

5. What are some examples of Primary Care Innovation Collaborative projects?

- Organizing group medical appointments for diabetic patients
- Analyzing and improving clinic scheduling processes
- Helping a family practice that has achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recognition officially transition to a patient-centered medical home (PCMH)
- Meeting patient demand for appointment through phone access