Where Should Leaders Start When Designing Cross-Department Collaboration?

Tina Patel Gunaldo, PhD, DPT, MHS

Published on: 02/08/2026

Most healthcare leaders know collaboration is needed across departments. The harder question is where to begin. Here are three practical starting points grounded in how work actually flows.

IPEIPCPcross-department collaborationdepartment-level

When Healthcare Is Designed Around Departments, We Should Expect Department-Level Results

Tina Patel Gunaldo, PhD, DPT, MHS

Published on: 05/05/2026

Healthcare systems produce the outcomes they are designed to produce. Here is why department-centered structures create coordination gaps, and what leaders can do to design beyond them.

IPEIPCPinterprofessional educationcross-department collaborationsystem-level resultsinterprofessional collaborationdepartment-level