Athletic Trainers are Key Members of Interprofessional Health Care Teams

Athletic Trainers have long occupied a unique niche in the health care system. As primary care providers in professional, collegiate and scholastic sport settings they have a honed a process of comprehensive and holistic care delivery with a specific population that required the AT to coordinate a team of health professionals and other stakeholders.  The professional preparation of AT's has specifically adapted to support success for that clinical role through clinical integration to those settings.

Historically, the US health care system has largely been siloed and hierarchical. However, in the 1990's, as research showed that lack of coordinated care led to inefficiency, increased costs and medical errors, there began a call for for more collaborative models of care. The Institutes of Medicine (now National Academies of the Sciences, Engineering and Medicine) and the World Health Organization made recommended improved collaboration among professionals as a key to system improvement.  

To support this transition, Interprofessional Education (IPE) where "learners from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enhance collaboration to improve health outcomes" began to arise at academic institutions. However, AT professional programs were not initially included in these initiatives because they often were housed in academic units outside of colleges of health professions or schools of nursing or medicine where IPE programs were developed.

In the past two decades, that began to change, providers outside of the traditional AT settings realized that the AT's versatile and collaborative skillset was transferable to more traditional health care settings such as physician practice, clinical/industrial, military/tactical and the performing arts.  In turn, the CAATE standards have evolved to broaden the scope of knowledge and skills for AT program graduates as they enter the workforce.  Additionally, AT programs have aligned with peer health professions and engaged in IPE teaching and research.  

The Athletic Training Education Journal is starting a Special Series "Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Practice" to showcase AT research and teaching.  I wrote an editorial "Celebrating the Culture of Interprofessional Collaboration in Athletic Training" as guest editor collaborating with Dr. Sarah Manspeaker from Duquesne University. 

Access that article here: https://meridian.allenpress.com/atej/article/18/1/26/490602/Celebrating-the-Culture-of-Interprofessional

Recently there has been an incident that brought an increased awareness of the AT's unique knowledge, skills and abilities around teamwork, trauma management and care coordination. On January 2, 2023, at a nationally televised National Football League game in Cincinnati, medical teams led by AT's from the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals operationalized a well-planned and rehearsed Emergency Action Plan to deliver a high standard of care for Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest on the field.  

This approach to care was highlighted by the NFL and many news outlets, including this profile shared at the NFL Honors broadcast: https://twitter.com/i/status/1623883267375263744

I was also interviewed by Joel Luedke on the Athletic Training Chat podcast, where we discussed the value that AT's bring to interprofessional health care teams.  That podcast is available on YouTube:

Stay engaged with the NATA's Interprofessional Collaboration in Athletic Training Interest Group: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8229902/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NATA_IPEP 

Contact Dr. Anthony Breitbach at: anthony.breitbach@health.slu.edu 

In Gratitude…

Dear Colleagues, Students, Alumni and Friends

As I fully make the transition to Vice Dean of the Doisy College of Health Sciences, I look back in gratitude on my role as Program Director for Athletic Training at Saint Louis University.

15 years ago, I had the privilege to move from staff, Head Athletic Trainer in Billiken Athletics, to faculty as Director of SLU’s new Master of Athletic Training Program in 2007.  The amount of support that my new colleagues provided in the College and the newly re-named Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training was amazing.  

Working to build the program during the 2007-2008 academic year I was asked to serve on teaching teams for SLU’s Center for Interprofessional Education and Research.  As a practicing AT for over 25 years, I had always valued the AT’s role on collaborative healthcare teams and in IPE found an area where I could grow professionally and have an impact in teaching, scholarship, and service. 

In 2008, our first cohort of 4 students in the MAT Class of 2010 arrived on campus along with new faculty and staff. I appreciate the leap of faith and trust they all placed in us to build a program and gain accreditation. We continued to grow in 2010, adding more students and colleagues as well as successfully earning CAATE accreditation which was renewed in 2015.  

What brings the most pride and satisfaction over this time was the opportunity to work closely with our students.  I appreciate the privilege to interact with our students when we first met when you were a prospective student; while at SLU as your teacher and mentor; and as a colleague as alumni.  

I am grateful to have found a place on your professional journey, some of you on the way to a career in Athletic Training, the profession we love, or some on your way to another profession.  I hope you take your foundation as “persons for others” in the Jesuit tradition and the lessons you learned in our program forward as you make a positive impact in your current and future roles.

I also want to particularly thank the leaders, mentors and friends at SLU who supported me on my path to Full Professor and this new opportunity. I look forward with confidence in our faculty and new leadership for the AT program, excited for its evolution and future growth.

It’s great to be Billiken!

With sincere thanks,

Challenges, Transitions and Celebrations

Over the past year, our world has been enduring shared trauma in the COVID-19 pandemic.  We have responded to that challenge, but at the same time experienced our own trials and achievements. 

As full-time faculty at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) and Saint Louis University (SLU), respectively, we adapted like all our colleagues. We transitioned to remote teaching and work, maintained productivity in service and scholarship in new and creative ways and tried to be present for our friends and families. 

However, we are growing from this experience, and through that growth we are gaining a better understanding of ourselves and what is possible moving forward.  Tony transitioned to Interim Chair of Nutrition and Dietetics at SLU and Katie was promoted to Associate Professor at OUHSC.

We have also been provided great new opportunities.  In Spring of 2021, we were both named to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies Revision Working Group representing the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP).  We are thrilled to be a part of this essential and impactful work!

We stayed engaged in our consulting work through BE-Collaborative.  We both had the opportunity to work with colleagues at the University of Cincinnati in May to facilitate a workshop: “Developing and Facilitating Interprofessional Education in Field/Clinical Environments” with preceptors and other faculty.  Tony also presented to faculty and other stakeholders at Winona State University in April on a similar topic.

Tony was named a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice and Inaugural Chair of NAP’s new Athletic Training Academy; and Katie was recognized as OUHSC’s “Interprofessional Education Leader of the Year”.

For the second time, Katie was a guest on the Healthcare's MissingLogic Podcast with hosts Michelle Troseth and Tracy Christopherson discussing "Healthy Eating and Balancing Physical and Mental Well-Being",  Link to the podcast: https://www.missinglogic.com/new-podcast/2021/8/24/episode-111-healthy-eating-and-balancing-physical-and-mental-well-being-with-dr-katie-eliot

We also stayed productive our scholarly writing, with several papers published over the past year:

• Kathrin A. Eliot, Amy M. L'Horset, Karen Gibson, and Stephanie Petrosky. "Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in Nutrition and Dietetics 2020: An Update." Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 121, no. 4 (Apr 2021): 637-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2020.08.010.
• Gert Ulrich and Anthony P. Breitbach. "Interprofessional Collaboration among Sport Science and Sports Medicine Professionals: An International Cross-Sectional Survey." Journal of Interprofessional Care (Mar 8 2021): 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2021.1874318
• Anthony P. Breitbach and Jody S. Frost. "Athletic Training: The Journey to Becoming the Newest Nap Academy." Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice 22 (2021/03/01/ 2021): 100414. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2021.100414.
• Jaclyn Schwieterman, Jordan Utley, Anthony P. Breitbach, and Heidi Crocker. "Clinical Preceptors' Self-Assessed Beliefs, Behaviors, and Attitudes for  Interprofessional Education after an Online Professional Development Module." Health, Interprofessional Practice and Education 4, no. 2 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.7710/2641-1148.2163
• Tina Patel Gunaldo, Kelly Lockeman, Karen Pardue, Anthony P. Breitbach, Kathrin A. Eliot, Amanda Goumas, Ginge Kettenbach, Sharon Lanning, and Bernice Mills. "An Exploratory, Cross-Sectional and Multi-Institutional Study Using Three Instruments to Examine Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Education." Journal of Interprofessional Care  (2021): 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2021.1892614
• Sharon K. Lanning, Karen Pardue, Kathrin A. Eliot, Amanda Goumas, Ginge Kettenbach, Bernice Mills, Kelly Lockeman, Anthony P. Breitbach, and Tina Patel Gunaldo. "Early-Learners' Expectations of and Experience with IPE: A Multi-Institutional Qualitative Study." Nurse Education Today  (2021/09/11/ 2021): 105142. http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.105142.
• Hossein Khalili, Anthony P. Breitbach, Gail Jensen, Sharla King, Barbara Maxwell, Devin Nickol, Andrea Pfeifle, and John Gilbert. "Global Leadership in IPECP Research; an Intro to Co-Creation of Best Practice Guidelines." Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice  (2021/06/16/ 2021): 100445. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2021.100445
• Kemba Ceronne Noel-London, Crystal Grimsley, Trey Porter, and Anthony P. Breitbach. ""The Tip of the Iceberg": Commentary on Sports, Health Inequity, and Trauma Exacerbated by Covid-19." Journal of Athletic Training. 56, no. 1 (Dec 8 2020): 5-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0350.20
• Anthony P. Breitbach, David Pole, Shelly Rauvola, Ginge Kettenbach, and Leslie Hinyard. "Longitudinal Assessment of Students' Perceived Collaboration Skills at an Institution with a Structured Interprofessional Education Curriculum." Journal of Allied Health. 49, no. 4 (Winter 2020): 235-45. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33259567

Even though this has been a challenging year, we are so grateful for our colleagues, families and friends who have enabled us to keep collaborating in the face of these trying times!

We look forward the future with optimism and a greater appreciation of the power of shared connections.

Katie Eliot and Anthony Breitbach

Working In and Branching Out

The year 2020 will remembered for many things: a contentious and divisive election, a worldwide pandemic with significant health care challenges and a paradigm shift in higher education where we have adapted our pedagogy to maintain safety while still maintaining rigor in our curriculum.  Additionally, transitioning out of our time-tested routines to work from home has also brought unforeseen impacts on us personally and professionally.

Since early March we have been doing our work in new ways.  To the credit of our colleagues and students, we have been able to keep our programs moving forward didactically and clinically.  We have adapted to work from Zoom, Teams and Skype and clinical education has shifted to wider contexts, including telemedicine and simulation.  Professional boundaries have blurred and conferences have gone virtual...often with positive outcomes.  All of this change has provided opportunities to branch out further than what we previously thought possible while, at the same time, working in our homes.

The Journal of Interprofessional Care developed a special issue on the COVID-19 Pandemic.  I was able to work with athletic training colleagues Jason Muchow and David Gallegos to author "Athletic trainers’ unique clinical and teamwork skills contribute on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper", on how AT's roles have adapted with these changing conditions.  This article was quoted in an infographic shared by the National Athletic Trainers' Association on its social media channels.

CITATION: Breitbach AP, Muchow JA, Gallegos DF. Athletic trainers' unique clinical and teamwork skills contribute on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discussion paper. J Interprof Care. 2020;34(5):607-613. DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2020.1792426

Numerous conferences transitioned to virtual formats.  We missed out on networking and relationship-building, but doing webinars with these new presentation platforms have enabled greater engagement with colleagues.

May 2020: National Academies of Practice - Virtual Forum

A Multi-Institutional Exploration of the Process and Impact of Introductory Interprofessional Education

• Ginge Kettenbach PhD, PT, FNAP;  Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Kelly Lockeman PhD
• Presented the results from a multi-institutional study done by the Interprofessional Education Research Collaborative (IPE-RC)

July 2020: National Athletic Trainers' Association - Virtual Annual Meeting

Connecting Academic Programs and Clinical Practice Together to Inform System Improvement 

• Christopher W. O’Brien PhD, LAT, ATC; Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Laura Dailey PhD
• Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions Affiliate Session at the NATA Meeting presenting their Clinical Education Task Force recommendations and data collected from the 2019 ASAHP Summit.

August 2020: Nexus Summit - Preconference Short Course

IPE 101: Developing a Framework for Building and Growing Your IPE Program

• Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Kathrin A. Eliot, PhD, RDN/LD, FAND; Joy Doll OTD, OTR/L, FNAP
• Hosted by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education and the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative featuring presentations on IPE Foundation, Pedagogy and Sustainability with several interactive breakout sessions.
• More information: https://summit2020.nexusipe.org/sessions/ipe-101-developing-framework-building-and-growing-your-ipe-program

September 2020: National Athletic Trainers' Association - Virtual Annual Meeting

Developing, Implementing and Assessing Interprofessional Education: A Best Practices Discussion

• Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Brian Hughes EdD, ATC; Melissa Snyder PhD, LAT, ATC, CSCS; Katie Sniffen MS, ATC; Ryan Krzyzanowicz, DAT, ATC; Jaclyn Schwieterman EdD, ATC
• NATA Athletic Training Educators Conference Planning Committee Webinar featuring model practices for IPE from varying contexts along with a panel discussion.

September 2020: World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy - Webinar

Perceived Job Satisfaction and Interprofessional Collaboration in International Sports Science and Sports Medicine

• Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Gert Ulrich, Dr. phil, M.A.
• Presented results of international research project with colleague from Zurich, Switzerland.

September 2020: University of Cincinnati - College of Allied Health Sciences

Interprofessional Education Workshop

• Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Kathrin A. Eliot, PhD, RDN/LD
• BE-Collaborative developmental workshop on IPE foundation, pedagogy and facilitation for University of Cincinnati faculty and administration.

October 2020: Ohio University - College of Health Sciences and Professions

Interprofessional Education - Trends and Opportunities

• Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP; Kathrin A. Eliot, PhD, RDN/LD
• BE-Collaborative developmental workshop providing updates and leading a dialogue with Ohio University faculty and administration.

October 2020: Winona State University - College of Nursing and Health Sciences 

 

We Can Do This! Co-Creating Excellence Through Interprofessional Collaboration

• Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP
• BE-Collaborative developmental seminar on IPE fundamentals with interactive breakout session for Winona State University faculty and administration.

Working together may have changed and we hope for in-person instruction/conferences returning in the future. However, our virtual interaction has not affected the ability to collaborate and connect. Regardless of the context, we will continue to make progress moving forward!

Serendipitously Looking Through a New "Lens" with Polarity Thinking

Once in a while in your professional life, the stars seem to align and the universe introduces you to a dynamic colleague who you hit it off with right away. But what is truly amazing is meeting a dynamic duo…an interprofessional duo at that… who you have an instant connection with that leads to great things. At BE Collaborative, we were fortunate to have this experience ourselves recently and want to share about the incredible partnership between BE Collaborative and Missing Logic.

Michelle Troseth and Tracy Christopherson are the geniuses behind the consulting firm called Missing Logic. Together, they work to bring balance and resilience into the lives of healthcare professionals. Through workshops, retreats and podcasts, their energy and passion for helping others is obvious in everything they do.

I was fortunate to meet Michelle and Tracy through the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professions Education when they presented a session on Polarity Thinking several years ago. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch and in the same IPE circles which has kept our friendship and working relationship going strong. Then, this past spring, they invited us to be guests on their “Healthcare’s Missing Logic” podcast.

Tony talked about the alignment of interprofessional education with collaborative practice and I talked about stress and burnout in the nutrition and dietetics profession. Admittedly, this was my first podcast so I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. I should have known, though, that this would be an incredibly fun hour together. It felt like talking to old friends about one of my favorite topics. When the podcast came out, they made me sound so good, I made all my family listen to it and sent it to as many people as I could think of! It’s this enthusiasm and genuine caring that make these women two of my favorite IPE rock stars out there.

I love to listen to their weekly updates and how they incorporate current events with a broad variety of guests on their show. If you haven’t listened to them yet, you are missing out!

Listen to "Episode #15 What Nobody Tells You About Aligning Interprofessional Education and Practice" featuring Dr. Tony Breitbach:

https://www.missinglogic.com/new-podcast/2020/4/30/episode-15

Listen to "Episode #36 Burnout Through the Eyes of a Dietitian Nutritionist" featuring Dr. Katie Eliot:

https://www.missinglogic.com/new-podcast/2020/4/29/episode-36

Learn more about Missing Logic: https://www.missinglogic.com/

Twenty Years of Magis

On September 14, 2000, I began a new chapter on my personal and professional journey by taking a position as Head Athletic Trainer at Saint Louis University.  Leaving my hometown and moving our family to St. Louis was something I really did not think would ever happen.  However, I saw my career evolving towards academics and when, my colleague Dr. Mark Reinking informed me about an opening at SLU where I could continue my doctoral study on campus, I decided to pursue it.  Over the last 2 decades, our experience at SLU and in St. Louis community has far exceeded any of our expectations.

Though I attended Catholic grade school and high school, I did not know much about the Jesuits or Ignatian spirituality.  As I found out quickly here at SLU, any of our students who attended a Jesuit high school could speak about Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (AMDG) "For the Greater Glory of God"; Cura Personalis "care for the person"; being a "person for others:; and seeing "God in all things".  The best thing about my time at SLU, is that I could not only soon say them, but I could LIVE them.  The Jesuits also speak of the "Magis", latin for "more". It has many interpretations, but to me it is a reminder that we must constantly be reflective and look beyond ourselves to understand that we are a part of a wider interconnected community.  

I have encountered Magis in many ways in my last 20 years at SLU.  In my time as a staff member in athletics where, as an athletic trainer, saw the difference I could make in people's lives.  These opportunities often did not happen under the bright lights of an arena or stadium, but rather in moments of quiet when a person is in pain, grieving or feeling vulnerable.  Being present, authentic and worthy of their trust was often better medicine than a pill, bandage or some other physical agent.  

As a PhD student in Educational Leadership - Higher Education at SLU, I also encountered the Magis.  I saw it in the passion of my instructors and the wisdom and generosity of my committee Dr. Gerry Fowler, Dr. Mike Grady and Dr. Mike Ross.  I also appreciate the sacrifices my family made during this time to give me the space to engage in doctoral study while working full-time.  The subjects of my dissertation "The effect of student athlete recruitment, admissions and services in the success of intercollegiate men's basketball programs" were Head Men's Basketball Coaches at Jesuit universities from across the country, who graciously and honestly answered my interview questions.

Finally, as a faculty member at SLU, I have the opportunity to live the Magis and see it in our students and my colleagues.  I have been lucky to be guided by leaders such as Diana Carlin, Irma Ruebling, Mark Reinking, Tricia Austin, Charlotte Royeen and Mardell Wilson.  Working together with faculty colleagues Darcy Downey, Kitty Newsham, Tim Howell, Jason Bennett, Randy Richter, Bill Siler and Mike Markee, we have developed a program that not only pursues excellence for our profession but also lives the mission to enrich the lives of our students and community.  With the help of Kemba Noel-London and a grant from the NATA Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee, we have been able to impact the lives of our neighbors through the Roosevelt HS AT Club. 

I found an area of passion in Interprofessional Collaboration which has fueled my teaching, service and scholarship and made possible collaborations with friends and colleagues Katie Eliot, Ginge Kettenbach, David Pole, Katie Sniffen and Leslie Hinyard.  This opportunity has built bridges professionally nationally and internationally through the NATA, ASAHP, IPEC, AIHC, NAP, WFATT, IPR.Global, ASAE, Alpha Eta, the Interprofessional Research Collaborative and the Journal of Interprofessional Care. 

Last, but not least, I am so proud of how SLU has embraced my family.  Coming to a new city with children at a very young age, we felt welcomed by athletics staff and student-athletes.  Moments such as traveling with my wife Jacque to basketball and volleyball tournaments to connections made between students and my daughters.  Two of my daughters are Jesuit educated, including my youngest playing softball and graduating from SLU in 2019.  When my mother passed away last year, the support of the SLU community was so important to our family.

This spring I had the privilege of being inducted as an honorary member of Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society. However, the Magis goes far beyond reflecting on your accomplishments and experiences it looks ahead to the your next opportunity to impact the lives of others.  I can only hope my next 20 years will be as special as my last 20 years at SLU.

A Truly Good Friday

In the Fall of 2015 we embarked on a collaborative journey together to begin teaching IPE 1100 – Introduction to Interprofessional Health Care at Saint Louis University.  As a team, we were determined to provide the best learning environment for over 200 students from more than 10 academic health professions each semester.  From the beginning of our teaching partnership, we invested in leveraging technology and innovative teaching strategies in the course.  We also worked with interprofessional colleagues to assess student learning outcomes.  That collaboration led to the development and validation of a new assessment tool, the Self-Assessed Collaboration Skills (SACS) instrument, and eventually a multi-institutional interprofessional research project with colleagues in the IPE Research Collaborative.  What we saw as our everyday calling to serve our students transformed into a larger body of work by improving our teaching, scholarship and service in a most fulfilling trajectory.

The most rewarding part of the past three years are the opportunities it provided for us to make new colleagues and friends through this work.  Our scholarly teaching and these special friendships were celebrated on November 8, 2019…a truly good Friday!

Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) Convention – Louisville, Kentucky

In November 2018, while at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Global Forum for Innovation in Health Professions Education in Washington, DC, we had the opportunity to talk with Donna Meyer, OADN Chief Executive Officer. At dinner, we could not contain our excitement about a specific learning activity in IPE 1100, where we feature the patient’s perspective on the health care experience.  In this activity, we utilize a TV show “Frontline for Hope”, developed for St. Louis Children’s Hospital, to illustrate teamwork in health care.  After the video, we then ask a patient featured on the show, Cougar Clifford and his mother Colleen, to bring real-life authenticity to the course.  Even though we repeat this class session every semester, it consistently provides an emotional and transformational learning experience.  Additionally, it has brought about a strong friendship with Cougar and Colleen.

After hearing our story, Donna asked if we would be interested in serving as the keynote speakers at the 2019 OADN Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.  We humbly agreed, and arranged for Cougar and Colleen to join us at the event.  Upon arriving in Louisville, on Thursday, November 7th we were greeted by a wonderful group of colleagues at the OMNI Hotel.

On Friday, we arrived in the ballroom for the walk through hoping to capture the same transformational excitement that we experienced in every iteration of IPE 1100.  At the keynote, we began our presentation providing background on IPE for early learners, the importance of the patient’s voice in health professions education and showed the video, featuring Cougar’s experience after a cervical spine fracture and the subsequent quadriplegia.  Cougar and Colleen then entered the hall from backstage to emotional sounds of surprise and a rousing standing ovation from a packed house of nearly 500 attendees.

We spent the next 45 minutes interacting on-stage and answering questions from the audience.  The engagement and kindness showed by all at the OADN Convention went beyond anything we could have anticipated.

James H. Korn Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award from the Reinert Center for Teaching and Transformative Learning at Saint Louis University

Teaching a course at a scale like IPE 1100 every semester takes a great team.  We served as course coordinators together from 2015-2018.  When Katie left for Oklahoma in Summer 2018, Dr. Ginge Kettenbach returned to the class.  In addition to the course coordinators, the staff from the SLU Center for Interprofessional Education and Research (CIER) are essential to its success.  CIER Director Dr. David Pole and staff members Anne Westemeyer, Linghua Xiao and Doreen Balbuena provide constant support for the faculty and students in the course.

Recognizing that systematic assessment in such a course requires the support of additional colleagues, SLU faculty member Dr. Leslie Hinyard and research assistant Eileen Toomey were instrumental in the development of the SACS instrument.  Products of this collaboration were numerous presentations and several peer-reviewed papers.  This work continued to mature and evolve as we joined with colleagues from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, the University of New England and Virginia Commonwealth University in forming the IPE Research Collaborative to study introductory IPE experiences across 4 unique contexts and comparing three assessment instruments, including the SACS.

Although we never set out to be recognized for this work in any way, we were excited to learn that we would be honored by the Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning at Saint Louis University for our contribution to teaching and scholarship.

The James H. Korn Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award was established at Saint Louis University in 2006, in recognition of Dr. Jim Korn's many contributions to the research on teaching and learning. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) involves asking questions about student learning and teaching activities; answering those questions by assessing student learning and effectiveness of teaching strategies; and publicly sharing results of this inquiry in a setting that invites peer review.

This award was presented to us, along with colleagues Ginge Kettenbach and Leslie Hinyard.  However, since the ceremony was also on Friday, November 8th we participated virtually from the hotel in Louisville.

Making keynote presentations at large conferences and getting an award are wonderful opportunities.  However, what makes it most special is that we can share those honors and experiences with our colleagues and friends.

Learn more about the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN)
Learn more about Cougar Clifford, see "Cougar Tracks" on Facebook
Learn more about the IPE Research Collaborative (IPE-RC) on ResearchGate