A New School of Health Professions. Volume 1. Final Report.

The report describes and evaluates the concept and implementation of an interdisciplinary School of Health Professions (SHP) as well as its key educational features and financial requirements. SHP focuses on primary health care, interprofessional education and care-delivery, and self-paced curricula. Six types of health professions comprise the initial student body: primary-care physicians, primary-care dentists, nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, graduate social workers, and health care coordinators. The University of the Pacific's program prepares students to deliver the specific kinds of primary-care services required in professional practice. The following aspects of the SHP are discussed: (1) roles and responsibilities, selection, and orientation of faculty; (2) criteria and procedures for student selection; (3) SHP organization and governance; (4) systematic procedures for evaluating students, curriculum, faculty, administrators, and the organizational structure; (5) a communications system for the flow of information among the people involved in SHP; (6) steps for developing a full curriculum; (7) the support and participation of health professionals during the feasibility study; (8) requirements for accreditation and licensure in California; (9) the stages in the implementation of SHP; (10) financial projections; and (11) remaining tasks. A list of sites visited and a bibliography are included. (Author/EC)