History of IPE at KUMC

Our efforts to introduce Interprofessional Education (IPE) began with pilots across the schools at KUMC. IPE simulations began with the School of Nursing and medical students from pediatrics in 2010 and 2011. An interprofessional graduate level classroom experience was created for the Geriatrics Champions Program and an IPE family practice clinical experience involving multiple health professions.

In June 2011, a retreat was planned with representatives from all health professions schools, Graduate Medical Education and KU Hospital. This event was funded by the Reynolds Grant and hosted by the Landon Center on Aging. The goal was to bring together key stakeholders to network about IPE, focus our strategic priorities for IPE and determine a plan for moving our efforts forward.

In 2011, Dr. Heidi Chumley was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Resources and Interprofessional Education and a project director was hired in 2012 to help formalize the CIPES strategic plan and move the program components forward. A core planning team of from each of the health professions schools, hospital, graduate medical education and students begin pulling together the overall mission, goals and planning in March of 2012 and continue their dedication to promoting interprofessional learning and collaboration today.

The future

Future opportunities for increasing the number of IPE events available to KUMC students are underway:

• New IPE lunch and learning sessions will be offered to highlight interprofessional competencies through roles and responsibilities of professions, teamwork, values and ethics and communication.
• Planning teams are hoping to create new opportunities to involve more students in interprofessional events and expand working in IPE teams through TeamStepps training into future curricula across schools.
• IPE leaders will be highlighting KUMC's IPE current programs and future plans at the upcoming International Collaborating Across the Borders Meeting in June 2013 in Vancouver, Canada.

Our goal is to demonstrate that KUMC is a leader in promoting Interprofessional Education and Collaboration to impact the quality of patient care for future generations.

To learn more about IPE, contact Kristy Johnston at 913-588-1634 or kjohnston3@kumc.edu.