About the National Implementation Plan

TeamSTEPPSTM is an evidence-based teamwork system aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals. It includes a comprehensive set of ready-to-use materials and a training curriculum to successfully integrate teamwork principles into any health care system.

The Department of Defense, in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), developed TeamSTEPPS. Since its release in 2006, the Department of Defense and AHRQ have received numerous requests for both the curriculum and guidance on training and implementation. To address this growing need, AHRQ and the Defense Department have teamed with the American Institutes for Research to build a national training and support network called the National Implementation of TeamSTEPPS Project.

At the core of national implementation are four Team Resource Centers at Duke Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Virginia; University of Minnesota Fairview Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska. The Team Resource Centers are conducting 3-day master trainer training courses. To determine eligibility for training, call the toll free number at 1-877-6STEPPS (1-877-678-3777).

These initial trainings will create a national network of master trainers, who will in turn offer TeamSTEPPS training to frontline providers in hospitals and other health care settings throughout the country. The four Team Resource Centers will each conduct 10 of the 3-day training sessions through September 2009. TeamSTEPPS National Implementation Project will also provide support and guidance for the Team Resource Centers and their trainees through a user support network. This network will ensure proper implementation of TeamSTEPPS principles by offering channels of communication through Webinars, a toll-free telephone line, and a Web site. Trainees will also receive continuing education through new tools and measures that are researched, developed, and validated to supplement the curriculum. Collection of evaluation data at the national level will document the impact of the National Implementation of TeamSTEPPS Project.

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