Evidence-based practice has been recognized by the health care community, as well as by regulatory agencies, as being the gold standard for the provision of safe and compassionate health care to patients. Unified by a shared vision to extend evidence-based practice in the nursing community a group of health care professionals from service and academia joined together forming The Consortium for Nursing Excellence, San Diego in March 2006 (now the San Diego Consortium for Excellence in Nursing and Allied Health). The partnership represents a novel approach to pool creative, intellectual, and capital resources to strengthen the healthcare practices  within the county of San Diego. The consortium represents a partnership between five health care systems (14 acute care hospitals) and four academic institutions within the community. Faculty are provided (in-kind) from these organizations to minimize the cost to participants. Best practices are shared to speed the rate of dissemination.