East Tennessee State University has a nine-year history of community academic partnerships offering health services through interdisciplinary health professions education. These partnerships were originally created by collaboration between the colleges of Public and Allied Health, Medicine, and Nursing, and two rural counties designated as health professions shortage areas. Initial funding for partnership activities was received by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Many lessons have been learned by the participants, and have resulted in significant program improvements, stronger academic-community ties, and more effective community health outcomes. The guiding principles and processes are now being institutionalized into curricular changes throughout the university, extending to other academic disciplines, as well. Impacts of the program on students, faculty, and the community have included: 1) enhanced disease detection and health communication skills in students (gained from activities such as investigating a mock epidemic through interviews with prison inmates); 2) improvements to a fatally dangerous stretch of highway (resulting from participatory research and health advocacy); and 3) the removal of the health professions shortage area designations of the participating counties (as a result of expanded health care services and programs). Other examples of student projects in the community will be presented, along with implications for research and additional grant funding. Faculty and curricular issues will also be discussed, identifying benefits, barriers, and creative community based solutions.
Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to: 1. describe six benefits to communities, academic institutions, and students which result from participating in an interdisciplinary community based partnership for health professions education; 2. articulate three guiding principles useful in developing effective community-academic partnerships for health professions education
Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Professional Preparation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.