Interprofessional Education Event Teaches Students About Health Care Collaboration

By | November 4, 2024

Daemen’s Department of Physical Therapy hosted the Annual Interprofessional Educational Event on Sept. 25, during which 190 students and faculty from Daemen University, Niagara University, SUNY Buffalo State University, and SUNY Brockport attended.Photo of Dr. Ross wearing a white dress shirt and blue suit coat in front of a black and blue background.

The virtual event included future health professionals in behavioral science, dietetics, health promotion, nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, and social work programs. 

Dr. Jennifer Scheid, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Daemen University, discussed “Physical Activity as a Vital Sign,” after which attendees broke into small groups with a facilitator to discuss a complex, multidisciplinary patient case study. The groups talked about the importance of interprofessional collaboration to improve the quality of patient care, safety, outcomes, and efficiency, as well as its effectiveness in reducing health care costs.

“This event was designed to help participants gain a better understanding of how to improve patient care as a team, as well as the importance of communication to maximize patient outcomes,” said Dr. Michael Ross, Associate Professor and Chair/Program Director of the Physical Therapy Department, who oversaw the event. “Participating in this kind of activity enhances the learning experience for our students and provides them with beneficial insight and perspective from students from different disciplines and faculty who are experts in their fields.  We are looking forward to future interprofessional events and continued collaboration with our clinical partners from other local schools.”