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This past October, National Center team members Frank Cerra, MD, Amy Jarabek, MSA,

MAEd and Teresa Schicker, MPA, visited Creighton University, a Nexus Innovations Network
site. Creighton Universitys 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 led 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 Creightons
interprofessional efforts, kicked off the site visit in Omahas Old Market. The team enjoyed
their time in this historic neighborhood and visited the famous Ted & Wallys 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 Creightons 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 Creightons 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 Innovations 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 Centers
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.

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