Embedding shared interprofessional values in healthcare organizational culture: The National Academies of Practice experience

The ability of healthcare professionals to work together collaboratively, to respect one another, and to discover their shared values for the care of patients is central to quality healthcare. Founded in 1981 to foster collaboration among healthcare professionals in the interest of national health, the National Academies of Practice (NAP) has evolved to include 13 academies whose members are committed to interprofessional healthcare practice, education, scholarship, public policy and advocacy. The objectives of this paper are twofold: 1) to describe the evolution of bringing core values in healthcare relationships to visibility, and 2) to delineate the subsequent process of defining organizational values for a long-standing, non-profit, national interprofessional organization. Through a series of presentations and workshops, NAP members from all academies identified commonly held core values essential for interprofessional healthcare interactions and relationships. Approaching its 40th anniversary in 2021, NAP surveyed its members to identify and develop its organizational values. These organizational values -- collaboration, patient-centeredness, inclusivity, and interconnectedness -- serve as central tenants to guide NAP's mission, vision, and actions. •Collaboration and awareness of shared values are central to quality healthcare.•The National Academies of Practice (NAP) is comprised of 13 healthcare academies.•NAP was founded in 1981 to foster interdisciplinary collaboration for national health.•NAP increased members' awareness of shared values and recently defined organizational values.•NAP's values guide its work in practice, education, scholarship, public policy and advocacy.