Committee on Interprofessional Excellence in Healthcare (CIPEH)
Annual Report
Academic Year, 2015-2016
Introduction
The Committee on Interprofessional Excellence in Healthcare (CIPEH) is pleased to submit its second annual report. This past academic year has been marked by substantial progress in advancing the interprofessional health care agenda of the university consistent with the university’s Academic Vision. The CIPEH believes that, three years into our existence, we have been able to build upon the existing interprofessional initiatives across the university, placing us among the leading universities in the nation in breaking down traditional professional barriers, thereby enhancing the education of our students and improving the quality of care for the patients we serve.
New CIPEH Members
The CIPEH identified several additional health professions with programs offered at the university, but not yet represented in its membership. As a result of this review, four additional health professions were identified: Athletic Training, Audiology, Clinical Psychology, and Speech Pathology. The appropriate deans were contacted and appointments were made to the CIPEH from all four professions. These new members were also invited to join one of the CIPEH’s constituent subcommittees and identify student representatives to the Student Advisory Committee (SAC). With the addition of these new members, the CIPEH now includes 11 health professions.
Web Site
Last fall, Mark Roy, a retired UITS staff member, who had assisted us in developing the university’s IP web site, notified us that he did not wish to continue as our webmaster. A decision was made to identify a student, preferably from the SAC, who could serve in this role. Tracy Hicks, a Physical Therapy student, was hired as webmaster and continued to revise and build the site throughout the year. With Tracy’s graduation this May, Jessica Barrett, a PhD student in Athletic Training, was hired to replace her. Working with our Web Site Subcommittee, Jessica will continue to refine the site in the coming year.
Dean’s Afternoon (Interprofessional Collaborative Education [ICE])
A seminal event in the development of interprofessional education at the university occurred last October with the First Annual Dean’s Afternoon. The event calls for cancelling regularly scheduled classes and bringing together health professions students from across the university to focus on a topic of importance to all health care professionals. The day was held at two UConn campuses, Storrs and Farmington, and involved nearly 450 students from Medicine (M1; 100), Dental Medicine (D1; 45), Pharmacy (P3; 100), Nursing (3rd year; 120), Social Work (1st & 2nd year; 18-30), Physical Therapy (1st year; 26), and Dietetics (18-24). The program began with a welcome and introduction, including videotape remarks from the provost. This was followed by two small group discussions: the first was a discipline-specific discussion of professional disciplines, myths, etc.; the second was a discussion of a case (focused on the role of health care professionals in IP care) and a large group report out. The afternoon ended with a wrap-up and evaluations. Members of Urban Service Track faculty and Scholars (if not participating in the program) and faculty both with IP experience and new to IP acted as facilitators; members of the Student Advisory Committee (not participating in the program), 2nd year PT students, and AHS students served as “helpers.” A pre- and post-test was administered to the students; the results were quite positive and demonstrated a greater appreciation of interprofessional care following their participation in the afternoon. Plans are already underway for the Second Annual event, which will be held on September 30th. To more accurately describe the event, the CIPEH has renamed future programs Interprofessional Collaborative Education (ICE) events.
In addition to last fall’s ICE event, two smaller programs were held this spring, one in Storrs, the other in Farmington.
In March, an ICE event focused on pain management was held in Storrs involving approximately 60 students and eight faculty from Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy. The students and faculty were part of the launch of the first module for the UConn Center for the Advancement of the Management of Pain (CAMP) NIH Center of Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPE). Students were divided into small groups with a faculty facilitator to discuss a longitudinal case of complex acute to persistent orofacial pain. Subtopics included differential diagnoses, the genetic basis of pain pathophysiology and management, and treatment modalities.
Also in March, at John Dempsey Hospital, students and faculty from Dietetics, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy participated in an ICE event. Using a two-hour block, students were split into two groups with two mixed professions advisors. The students were given patients about to be discharged; the students debriefed with the teams, then went to the floor and spoke to the patient to clarify any questions; the students came back together and each profession gave their input; each group conducted a mini STAT round and presented it. As a follow-up, the students wrote a reflection and completed a pre- and post-survey. The reflections and survey results were very positive. Given the success of this activity, it is planned to be reproduced on a monthly basis and, possibly, at other sites (e.g., Hartford Hospital).
Faculty Development Workshop
Consistent with the IP strategic plan, the CIPEH is committed to enhancing the opportunities for faculty wishing to engage in IP activities, whether in the classroom, at the patient bedside, in their research, or through outreach efforts. To that end, the CIPEH held two IP Faculty Development Workshops last October, one on each campus. These first workshops focused on preparation for the October Dean’s Afternoon; our Faculty Development Workshop Subcommittee believes that involving faculty with an interest in IP, but without much or any experience, in developing this initial university-wide program alongside faculty with IP experience was of tremendous benefit to them.
The subcommittee’s plans for the coming year include additional workshops and the development of a regional, invitational interprofessional conference; the creation of an IP online newsletter is also being considered.
Interprofessional Curriculum
Interprofessional activities among health professional students and faculty have been in existence for a number of years at the university. More recently, there has been increasing collaboration in all domains among UConn faculty and students in the various health professions, consistent with the growing emphasis on interprofessional cooperation.
The CIPEH envisions interprofessional educational experiences at three levels. The first level is the large, multi-campus Fall ICE event involving first-year health professions students. The second level involves smaller, targeted activities, with a more modest number of students and perhaps fewer health professions, such as the two ICE events held this spring. The third level involves interprofessional education at the course level. Consistent with the IP Strategic Plan, several of these occurred this spring.
On the Storrs campus, fifty five students and two faculty from the School of Pharmacy (P3 students in the Pharmacotherapy of Diabetes Mellitus course) and the School of Nursing’s APRN primary care and family medicine track (Adult/Gerontology Primary Care course) met for a case discussion of a complex diabetic patient with multi-organ system complications and psychosocial barriers. Students were assigned the case one-week prior to the meeting, then met in small groups to discuss their joint assessment and treatment plan, and engaged in a simulated clinic visit where the pharmacists and nurses co-manage diabetic patients. Dietetic students may be added next year.
In April, the Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy combined a series of small, break-out ethics classes to work through a case requiring the application of material both groups had discussed in class throughout the semester.
The subcommittee has plans to incorporate more clinical IP interventions to accompany the growing number of didactic IP activities.
Research
The Research Subcommittee was formally created this past year. A partnership was established with InCHIP to facilitate identification of potential funding sources and the organization of a special interest group. The subcommittee will draft a broad mission statement and group objectives for the IP Research Interest Group.
Several scholarly posters and papers have been developed/submitted/accepted highlighting the university’s IP activities over the last several years. The CIPEH adopted the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) Guidelines for authorship of scholarly products emanating from the committee’s work.
An interprofessional team from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy are pursuing a Pfizer/American Pain Society grant on interprofessional collaboration for the management of chronic pain in the primary care setting.
As the academic year ended, the subcommittee was focused on two exciting initiatives. The first is the creation of a modest seed grant program for faculty and student investigators to stimulate new interprofessional research and programs targeting health professions education, research, patient care, and outreach initiatives. The second is a plan to attract extramural support for the creation of a university center within InCHIP—the Center for Interprofessional Education, Practice, and Research.
Student Advisory Committee
From the outset, the CIPEH believed that students needed to be key partners in our university-wide interprofessional efforts. To that end, a Student Advisory Committee (SAC) was formed and met for the first time a year ago. The purpose of the SAC is to liaise with the Committee on Interprofessional Excellence in Healthcare (CIPEH) to facilitate the university’s efforts in interprofessional education/clinical care, scholarship, and outreach/engagement.
This year, several initiatives were under discussion. The SAC continued its planning of a mentorship program for Allied Health Sciences (AHS) majors (as well as students from other undergraduate programs); the program envisions matching current health professions majors with students interested in that major; mentors could change should the interest of the student change. As a first step, the students are exploring the creation of a Student Portal within the IP web site, providing a forum (students could staff the forum), resources, FAQs, and a link to each individual health profession program’s web site. The SAC is also planning to offer information sessions once a semester for interested students. In addition, the SAC asked the CIPEH to explore the creation of an Interprofessional Living & Learning Community; an IP research fair for students has been suggested.
Assessment
In the IP Strategic Plan, the CIPEH made clear the importance of assessing the impact of IP initiatives. To that end, the Assessment Subcommittee has been involved in the development of assessment measures for ICE and other IP initiatives.
Conferences
Various individual members or teams of members of the CIPEH have represented or will represent the university at various interprofessional conferences including IPEC, All Together Better Health, and the National Center Summit on the Future of IPE.
School Interprofessional Committees
The Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy have school-based IP committees in addition to their representation on the CIPEH. The goal of the CIPEH is to effectively liaise with these committees as they establish IP goals within their professional program. The School of Pharmacy developed a survey listing electives that might be of interest to other health professions programs and gauged the faculty member’s level of interest. In addition to looking for potential students to enroll in the courses, the survey also hoped to identify faculty interested in co-teaching.
Budget
In December 2014, the CIPEH received a commitment of funding for a three-year period from the Office of the Provost and the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine totaling $70,000/year to support the goals and actions steps outlined in the IP strategic plan.
The three-year budget commitment from the Office of the Provost and the Schools of Dental Medicine and Medicine to the CIPEH ends with AY 2016-2017. Since CIPEH members serve as volunteers, we have been able to operate and support IP functions in a fiscally conservative manner and thus find ourselves in a strong financial situation. Nevertheless, as we continue to seek extramural support, we hope to have a model that funds IP activities with a combination of intramural and extramural support, much like the model employed by the University of Minnesota.
Goals for Academic Year, 2015-2016—A Look Back
In our Annual Report of a year ago, we identified a number of action steps outlined in the IP Strategic Plan. These steps included:
- Introducing the first Dean’s IP Afternoon.
- Sponsoring the first IP Faculty Development Workshop.
- Creating a health professional student mentorship program.
- Developing additional IP didactic and clinical experiences.
- Engaging in ongoing discussions regarding interprofessionalism and the PTR process.
- Continuing development of the IP web site.
- Identifying IP learning space.
- Continuing the university IP inventory.
- Identifying extramural IP funding sources.
- Developing assessment mechanisms for both existing and planned IP activities.
We are pleased to report that with the exception of identifying a distinct IP learning space, all of these steps have been accomplished or are in progress. Academic Year 2016-2017 marks the final year of our three year strategic plan. Although we refer to the plan regularly to guide our work, next spring, we will revisit the plan in a more formal way to outline the subsequent three years as we continue to move the university’s interprofessional agenda forward.
University of Connecticut
Committee on Interprofessional Excellence in Healthcare
Robert McCarthy, Chair, School of Pharmacy
College of Agriculture, Health & Natural Resources
Susan Gregoire (Allied Health)
Craig Denegar (Physical Therapy)
Susan Glenney (Physical Therapy)
Stephanie Mazerolle (Athletic Training)
School of Dental Medicine
Ruth Goldblatt
Tina Liang
Eric Bernstein
School of Medicine
Bruce Gould
Ellen Nestler
School of Nursing
Michelle Judge
Annette Jakubisin-Konicki
Paula McCauley
School of Pharmacy
Devra Dang
Marissa Salvo
Kevin Chamberlin
School of Social Work
Brenda Kurz
Student Advisory Committee
Mary Cearley (SOM)
Erin Emonds (SOP)
Joanna Sajdlowska (AHS)
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Amy Gorin (Clinical Psychology)
Wendy Chase (Speech Pathology)
Jill Raney (Audiology)
Committee on Interprofessional Excellence in Healthcare
Subcommittee Members *Indicates CIPEH Member
Interprofessional Collaborative Education (ICE)
Bruce Gould* (co-chair)
Paula McCauley* (co-chair)
Tina Liang*
Ellen Nestler*
Brenda Kurz*
Devra Dang*
Annette Jakubisin Konicki*
Maureen Judd
Faculty Development
Paula McCauley*
Devra Dang*
Tina Liang*
Ellen Nestler*
Susan Glenney*
Annette Jakubisin Konicki*
Stephanie Mazerolle*
Web Site
Bob McCarthy* (chair)
Susan Gregoire*
Student Advisory
Susan Gregoire* (chair)
Marissa Salvo*
Michelle Judge*
Ruth Goldblatt*
Interprofessional Curriculum
Devra Dang* (chair)
Ellen Nestler*
Brenda Kurz*
Kevin Chamberlin*
Craig Denegar*
Mary Cearley*
Jill Fitzgerald (Pharmacy)
Rosanne Lipcius (CAHNR)
Judy Brown (CAHNR)
Lisa-Marie Griffiths
Assessment
Eric Bernstein* (chair)
Devra Dang*
Susan Glenney*
Mary Cearley*
Research
Michelle Judge* (chair)
Amy Gorin*
Devra Dang*
Susan Glenney*
University of Connecticut
Committee on Interprofessional Excellence in Healthcare
Student Advisory Committee
College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources
Allied Health
Joanna Sajdlowska
Athletic Training
Jessica Barrett (start fall 2016)
Physical Therapy
Tracy Hicks
Catherine Maloney
School of Dental Medicine
Stephanie Chan
John Zyzo
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Audiology
Shannon Wannagot (start fall 2016)
School of Medicine
Mary Cearley
Mohamed Elfatihi
Sami Tarabishy
School of Nursing
Gina Lattanzio
Brittany Molkenthin
Julia Sokolovska (start fall 2016)
School of Pharmacy
Erin Emonds
Megan Mitchell
Emily Seamans (start fall 2016)
School of Social Work