Joe Zorek, assistant professor (CHS) in the Pharmacy Practice Division, is this month’s featured community moderator for the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (NCIPE). The community moderator program is an initiative that gives users of the Resource Exchange more opportunities to interact with each other – and recognized leaders in interprofessional practice education. Each month a different community moderator to help users determine the best contact for specific questions and topics.

The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education is a unique public-private partnership charged by its funders to provide the leadership, evidence and resources needed to guide the nation on the use of interprofessional education and collaborative practice as a way to enhance the experience of health care, improve population health and reduce the overall cost of care. The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education was formed in October 2012 through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. The National Center is also funded in part by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the University of Minnesota. Interprofessional education (IPE) is an important pedagogical approach for preparing health professions students to provide patient care in a collaborative team environment. The appealing premise of IPE is that once health care professionals begin to work together in a collaborative manner, patient care will improve

Zorek’s research is centered on interprofessional education and collaborative practice, with secondary foci on health outcomes from practice-based innovations and curriculum assessment. He serves as the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy Interprofessional Education Liaison and is a founding member of the UW-Madison Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, scheduled to launch in April 2016. Zorek is the School’s official representative to the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy located in Madison, Wis. In addition, he currently practices as a clinical pharmacist at Dean Health System, also located in Madison, Wis.