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

An October to Remember

By. Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC, FASAHP

In my scholarly career, the month of October 2019 will go down as one of the most special.  It was marked by opportunity, development and recognition.

The month of October started in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) Annual Conference on October 8-12, 2018.  It was whirlwind of activity, not to mention a close call with Hurricane Michael!

I was a participant in ASAHP's Leadership Development Program in 2018 and I began the week in the program activities which culminated in a presentation with my teammates: Dr. Lisa Dutton (University of St. Catherine), Dr. Elizabeth Adams (University of South Alabama), Dr. Patricia Talbert (Howard University) and our mentor Dr. Andrew Butler (Georgia State University).  It was an amazing opportunity which helped me grow personally and professionally.

I serve as the National Athletic Trainers' Association liaison to ASAHP and I also serve as the Chair of the ASAHP Interprofessional Subcommittee.  We were able to give the inaugural ASAHP Award for Institutional Excellence and Innovation in Interprofessional Education And Collaborative Health Care to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at the awards banquet.  Unexpectedly, I was also honored with ASAHP's "Outstanding Member Award" this year for my work with the association.  What a humbling and special experience!

The following day, at the ASAHP Fellows Luncheon, I was also named a ASAHP Fellow with colleagues Dr. Andrew Butler and Dr. Mitch Cordova (Florida Gulf Coast University).  An incredibly proud moment, as Mitch Cordova and I joined Dr. Chris Ingersoll (University of Toledo) as the only three athletic trainers who have received this honor.

The week continued to be special as I "uber'ed" across the causeway to Tampa for the Commission on Accreditation for Athletic Training Education (CAATE) Accreditation Conference.  Once there, Jordan Utley (University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences) presented to a packed house of colleagues on Interprofessional Education.

This special month was not yet finished...October wrapped up with a presentation "Actionable Interprofessional Scholarship: Myth or Reality?" at the Thomas Jefferson University Interprofessional Education Conference in Philadephia on October 27, 2018. I presented this workshop with my colleague on the American Interprofessional Collaborative (AIHC) Program Committee, Dr. Devin Nickol (University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha).

Overall, the month of October was one that I will long remember...personally and professionally!

A Busy and Fun "Hat Dance" in Minneapolis

2018 Nexus Summit - National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, Minneapolis, Minnesota
By: Anthony Breitbach PhD, ATC

Each summer, the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education holds it “Nexus Summit” in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  This year’s event was a busy one for me because I wear several “hats” in professional service and interprofessional scholarship.

I serve as the Chair of the Interprofessional Subcommittee of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP).  We hosted the first ever ASAHP Summit on Healthcare Workforce Readiness for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice as a pre-conference session on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

The focus of the ASAHP Summit was “Sustainable Collaborative Health Care through Education-Practice Partnerships” and was facilitated by Michelle Troseth and Tracy Christopherson from Missing Logic LLC.  They led participants through a highly engaging session examining the polarities between Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice.  We look to provide outputs from the event including a proceedings report, as well as a peer-reviewed presentation and paper.

I also serve on the Program Committee for the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative (AIHC).  Wearing my AIHC “hat” I participated in session on interprofessional scholarship entitled “Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice: Continuing our Collective Conversation” with my colleagues from the Program Committee.  Additionally, I served as a reviewer for student poster presentations and a mentor for a student participating in the Nexus Summit.

Dr. Keri Hager from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in Duluth and I also collaborated on two “Conversation Café’s” entitled “What’s Next? Identifying Challenging IPE Issues to Drive Future Priorities” using the World Café method.  This collaboration was fun and it engaged persons from many sectors examining future priorities for AIHC and the National Center.  Dr. Hager also used this event as an opportunity to demonstrate her skills on the ukulele.

Last, but not least, I wore my “hat” as a faculty member at Saint Louis University engaged in the scholarship of Interprofessional Education.  I presented a poster with Katie Sniffen MS, ATC entitled “Utilizing Case-based Learning to Enhance Interprofessional Role Clarity for Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Students” about our interprofessional Therapeutic Modalities course.

I also presented a poster on my research with Scott Reeves and Simon Fletcher.  This poster presentation “Health Care as a Team Sport? Studying Athletics through a World Cafe to Improve Interprofessional Collaboration” was bittersweet since Scott’s passing in May.  He is missed by the entire interprofessional scholarly community as we work hard to carry on his legacy of excellence.

Overall, the Nexus Summit was a busy and fun “Hat Dance” that helped me engage and grow as an interprofessional scholar.