CHCS - Perspectives Summer/Fall 2017

2 Nova Southeastern University Dean’s Message STANLEY H. WILSON , Ed.D., PT, CEAS THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION defines interprofessional education (IPE) as an experience that “occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other.” Such an educational approach is generally in contrast to how most health education programs prepare students for practice. Correspondingly, health care practitioners largely lack the skillset needed to collaborate with different disciplines in patient care. Research, however, indicates that education and practice emphasizing a team approach potentially improve the quality and delivery of care rendered to patients and clients. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies postulated in a 2013 report that patient care is enhanced when students and practitioners are appropriately trained to deliver interprofessional care. The clarion call in today’s health care marketplace is for health care professionals to work more closely together as team members, eschewing the individualism and silo management health care practice generally promotes. Appropriately, the drive toward IPE and practice has taken on greater importance in recent years. The College of Health Care Sciences is uniquely positioned to advance such initiatives. With 10 clinical disciplines represented among its many offerings, and clinical services provided in audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology, the college’s academic and clinical programming offers tremendous prospects for interprofessionalism. Significantly, opportunities also abound for collaborative and interprofessional ventures among and with other disciplines in the NSU Health Professions Division. Partnerships with students in allopathic medicine, dental medicine, nursing, optometry, osteopathic medicine, and pharmacy programs provide additional possibilities for IPE endeavors. Finally, to our students, alumni, faculty and staff members, administrators, benefactors, and supporters, as you leaf through this edition of Perspectives , I encourage you to embrace the vision of supporting a college that exudes interprofessionalism in education and clinical care. ● “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller