About the University

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), the most comprehensive academic health center in The University of TexasSystem and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, educates more healthcare professionals than any health-related institution in Texas.

Established in 1972, UTHealth’s more than 10,000faculty, staff, students and medical residents are committed to delivering innovative solutions that create the best hope for a healthier future.

Introducing Interprofessional Collaboration at UTHealth

Collaboration and teamwork among health profes-sionals are important aspects to high-quality patient care and represents the future of our health care workforce.

What if, instead of one health care professionalfocusing on your medical needs, a team of six professionals skilled in medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, biomedical informatics, and biomedical sciences worked together to give you the best possible diagnosis and treatment?

CIPC Vision Statement

UTHealth is the best-in-class health sciences university in preparing professionals in

interprofessional collaboration in education, practice, and research for the current and

emerging world of health care.

CIPC Mission Statement

The Center for Interprofessional Collaboration will provide educational opportunities for

UTHealth students to develop a team-based approach to solving the health problems of

individuals, families, communities, and societies.

www.uth.edu/ipc

For more information about our department, contact us at:

Center for Interprofessional Collaboration7000 Fannin Street, Suite 1690University Center Tower (UCT)

Houston, TX 77030

Tele: 713-500-3579Fax: 713-500-0356

Email: UTCIPC@uth.tmc.edu

Breaking boundaries through collaboration and teamwork in education, research, and practice.

What Is IPC/IPE?“Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Interprofessional education is a nec-essary step in preparing a ‘collaborative practice-ready’ health workforce that is better prepared to respond to local health needs.” Source: World Health Organization (2010): Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice

IPC/IPE Importance to Texans• Texans will receive timely care from the most

appropriate health care providers - minimizing cost and maximizing patients’ potential for improve-ment and recovery - thanks to the collaborative care that can be created as the result of interprofessional education.

• The growing number of elderly Texans with chronic conditions will make coordinated care even more essential and valued.

• As health care organizations and employers emphasize the importance of a team-based ap-proach to health care, it is likely that training as part of an interprofessional health care team will enhance graduates’ resumes and increase their employment opportunities.

About The CIPCThe Center for Interprofessional Collaboration (CIPC) is a new campus-wide entity at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Founded on June 2013, the center promotes education, practice, and research within the framework of a health care team so that students and faculty have opportunities to gain knowledge and skills for interprofessional (IPE) models of care.

What IPC Means To UTHealth Students

• IPC can help UTHealth students develop the necessary knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors to become effective members in a health care team.

• Provides an opportunity for UTHealth

students to understand the roles of other health professions and how to communicate effectively with them.

• Increases the UTHealth student’s ability to understand clinical problems, leading to improved health outcomes for individuals.

• Helps to break down traditional barriers and stereotypes between health professions.

• Offers social and career networking opportunities for future health care professionals.

Introducing UTHealth’s IPC/IPE CourseThe CIPC offers the Deans’ Honors Colloquium in Interprofessional Collaboration during the fall and spring semesters. This is an interprofessional education course that will help to prepare students for a successful future in collaborative health care. All UTHealth students are welcome to participate.

IPC Course DetailsStudents participating in the IPC course will:

• Learn about interprofessional collaboration (IPC).• Become knowledgable about the various profes-

sions represented by the six UTHealth schools.• Receive training in TeamSTEPPSTM (Team

Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety).

• Engage in interprofessional team activities structured around case scenarios.

• Present the findings and outcomes from the interprofessional team-based case scenarios.

How Can I Participate?If you would like more information about the Deans’ Honors Colloquium in Interprofessional Collaboration, please visit us online at www.uth.edu/ipc.

You can also email any questions you may have to: UTCIPC@uth.tmc.edu.

More Information About TeamSTEPPSTM

The Deans’ Honors Colloquium in Interprofessional Collaboration provides training in TeamSTEPPS, which is an evidence-based program that optimizes performance among teams of healthcare professionals, enabling them to respond quickly and effectively to whatever situations arise.

TeamSTEPPS training provides:

• Techniques for communicating effectively in a health care team.

• Leadership skills that includes goal setting, decision making, and conflict resolution.

• Tools to help assess health care situations.• Methods for supporting the members of a

health care team.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2015), TeamSTEPPSTM http://teamstepps.ahrq.gov/