This past October, National Center team members Frank Cerra, MD, Amy Jarabek, MSA, MAEd and Teresa Schicker, MPA, visited Creighton University, a Nexus Innovation Network site. Creighton University’s Nexus project, titled “The IPE Passport: Meeting IPE at Creighton University”. The project aims to implement the IPE Curriculum to develop health care professionals with experiences and an understanding of team-based collaborative care to address both disciplinary accreditation requirements for interprofessionalism and the Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice. This Creighton University Nexus project is lead by Joy Doll, OTD, OTR/L. 

Group picture of the National Center Team and leadership of Creighton's Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research.

The National Center team, Creighton project leads and administrative leaders of Creighton’s interprofessional efforts, kicked off the site visit in Omaha’s Old Market. The team enjoyed their time in this historic neighborhood and visited the famous Ted & Wally’s ice cream shop and a much anticipated Omaha steakhouse.  

Omaha's Old Market.

The next day the National Center team met with the Provost and Health Sciences Deans. Shortly after, the team was able to tour Creighton’s new Center for Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research which was truly remarkable. The CIPER leadership team and the National Center then sat down to discuss Creighton’s specific research question and project. The conversation identified any challenges they were facing regarding research, measurement tools, resources and the challenges and successes in aligning the use of IPE curriculum between academic health sciences programs.

Dr. Frank Cerra then lead a presentation on campus which had high attendance by faculty, staff and students throughout the health sciences. Dr. Cerra presented an overview of the National Center, the Nexus Innovation Network and the reason for our efforts. One compelling question asked during the presentation that is vitally important to IPE efforts was, “How do you asses changes in culture?” Dr. Cerra described three ways in which to assess change:

1. Are there improvements in process of care? Do team members work at the top of license/ does person leading team change according to need?

2. Assess changes in attitudes and behavior. Do those show improvement in clinical outcomes?

3. Who is on teams and what do they do on teams? How well does a team function? How well are schools teaching and collaborating across silos? Dr. Cerra stated that aligning scheduling of interprofessional coursework is essential, so that students can learn together at the same time – with, among, and about each other! The best example is at Oregon Health Science University. The OHSU provost provided visionary leadership and said, ‘we are all doing IPE, we are all going on the same schedule, and you have one year to make this change’. Someone asked a clarifying question – is going onto the same academic schedule really necessary for health science schools? Dr. Cerra answered affirmatively. This presentation initiated a discussion of the future of IPE and the National Center’s recommendations for implementing IPE across health sciences.

To wrap up the visit, the National Center team toured a new clinic which was designed around IPE principles. The site is called University Campus , managed by CHI Health. The clinic offers primary care and emergency care, space for learners, huddle space for the medical team with patients/families, and both adult and children care. This new clinical environment is was a true example of progressive interprofessional practice efforts. Leaders in IPE played an active role in designing the space.

National Center Team visits the CHI clinic in the final months of construction.

Creighton has done great work and our team is confident in their abilities to make vast changes in the IPE world. The site visit was energizing, leaving the National Center excited to see what Creighton University will continue to accomplish.  

This quote, displayed near the Provost's office, summarizes Creighton's philosophy of experiential learning.