Interprofessional Education (IPE)
Are you preparing for a career in healthcare? Interprofessional education (IPE) at Simmons can prepare you to work collaboratively with other related disciplines towards achieving common goals.
What is Interprofessional Education?
According to the World Health Organization, “Interprofessional education occurs when two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.” Interprofessional Education’s primary purpose is to foster a practice-ready healthcare workforce capable of delivering optimal patient care through interprofessional teamwork and collaboration.
Traditionally, this has been accomplished in clinically-based health professions education programs that involve patient-facing responsibilities and practice domains; however, it has recently expanded to include professions that also focus on policy, management, and other socioeconomic connections to healthcare.
The IPE Committee at Simmons University collaborates across schools and academic programs to foster interprofessional discourse and competency. The committee develops and implements curricular and extracurricular programming to meet professional and accreditation mandates and standards for Interprofessional Education and Practice. The committee has also established relationships with other local healthcare programs at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Suffolk University.
Why participate in IPE and Collaboration?
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” — Kenneth Blanchard
- IPE promotes better understanding of others’ roles, values and ethics
- IPE and collaboration improves patient quality and safety outcomes, both at the individual level and on a larger scale
- Healthcare systems are looking to hire practitioners who possess advanced skills and credentials around IPE, teamwork, effective cross-discipline communication, etc.
- IPE fosters the building of “soft skills” – such as effective communication, teamwork and emotional intelligence
IPE Digital Badge Program
Interprofessional education is integrated into many healthcare profession programs, and at Simmons, we take it a step further. We proudly offer undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Science and Health Professions, the School of Nursing and the School of Social Work the opportunity to participate in an Interprofessional Education Digital Badge Program.
Through various interprofessional learning experiences, students develop a deeper understanding of healthcare team roles, enhance communication skills, and explore the science of teamwork and its impact on patient outcomes. This flexible program features rolling enrollment, a diverse range of virtual and in-person events, and the ability for students to choose activities that align with their interests. The program boasts partnerships with Emerson College, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Tufts School of Dental Medicine.
Badge participants engage in a variety of activities, including:
- Journal clubs: Exploring current research and its implications for interprofessional healthcare
- Pediatric and adult case collaborations: Working through real-world patient scenarios with students from different disciplines
- Interprofessional patient care simulations: Practicing team-based care in a simulated home health environment
- Model team meetings: Experiencing the dynamics of collaborative decision-making and patient care
Upon meeting the program requirements, students earn a digital badge, a valuable credential highlighting their commitment to collaborative healthcare and strengthening their resume.
Schools and Departments Involved in IPE
School of Nursing
Simmons’ School of Nursing is home to one of the country’s first university-based nursing programs and we are proud to remain among the best programs in the field, recognized for clinical excellence, and preparing future leaders in health care through undergraduate and graduate nursing degree programs, including the online Nursing@Simmons programs.
School of Social Work
For over a century, Simmons has been a leader in innovative social work education. From cutting-edge simulations (the use of actors to simulate real world practice), to our renowned practicum education program, to our PhD and DSW programs which have strong mentoring components and value practice expertise, the School of Social Work provides students with a one-of-a-kind social work education.
Department of Nutrition
The Department of Nutrition offers outstanding education in every aspect of nutrition and dietetics. Each of our degree programs provides a strong foundation in the science of nutrition and extensive hands-on training, enabling our graduates to improve quality of life for individuals and communities.
Department of Physical Therapy
The Department of Physical Therapy at Simmons University has been a respected leader in physical therapy education for over 75 years, and is known for world-class clinical training, small group tutorials, and innovative research.
The Health and Exercise Science Program
Do you want to improve the lives of others in a rapidly growing field? By studying Health and Exercise Science at Simmons University, you will be exposed to industry-leading technology used in the healthcare and wellness fields. The Health and Exercise Science program is administered by the Department of Biology.
Department of Behavior Analysis
The Department of Behavior Analysis provides comprehensive training on the science of behavior, research methods, evidence-based clinical applications, and ethical service delivery across broad domains of research and practice. Our interactive curriculum, experiential learning, and supervised student research requirements help students become scientist practitioners, preparing them for clinical and leadership roles post-graduation.
Department of Public Health
The Department of Public Health offers a Public Health Bachelor of Science program that is a unique combination of an interdisciplinary liberal arts education with a specialty focus on public health, and a Master of Public Health degree with a distinct focus on health equity. Online and on-campus options are available to both undergraduate and graduate students.
The Interprofessional Education Committee
The IPE Committee at Simmons University fosters interprofessional discourse and competency by collaborating across schools and academic programs. The committee develops and implements curricular and extracurricular IPE programming to meet professional and accreditation mandates and standards for Interprofessional Education and Practice.
Chair
Jenna Stuebe Powers
Assistant Professor of Practice
Committee Members
Karen Agostini
Associate Professor of Practice
Gary Bailey
Professor of Practice and MSW Program Director
Sandra Bailly
Associate Director, Student Support and Alumni Networks
Noelle C. Dimitri
Assistant Professor
Sharon Gallagher
Professor of Practice and Assistant Director of the Dietetic Internship Program
Paul Geisler
Dean, School of Sciences & Health Professions
Yara Gholmie
Assistant Teaching Professor
Leigh Haynes
Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Master of Public Health Program
Jillian Kulinski
Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of DPT Clinical Education
Peter Maramaldi
Professor and Social Work Alumni Fund Endowed Chair
Tiffany Pinckney
Associate Professor of Practice and BSW Program Director
Kathrina Prelack
Associate Professor
Cherie Ramirez
Associate Teaching Professor
Patricia Rissmiller
Associate Professor
Michael Welch
Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Health & Exercise Science Program
Dolores Wolongevicz
Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Health Professions Education Program