Center for
Interprofessional
Education

Center for Interprofessional Education

IPE-Update-Header

Dear SCU Community,

More than 300 students and faculty from 11+ health professions programs came together on March 13, 2026, for SCU’s Communicating for Collaboration Interprofessional Education (IPE) Learning Event—an immersive experience focused on communication, patient safety, and collaborative care.

Working in interprofessional teams, participants tackled real-world scenarios involving medical errors, patient disclosure, and professional accountability.

Through guided case discussions and role-play simulations, students developed the communication and teamwork skills essential to delivering safe, patient-centered care in today’s complex healthcare environments.

Event Highlights

  • 300+ students and faculty participants
  • 11+ health professions programs represented
  • 30+ faculty facilitators supporting student teams

Students collaborated across disciplines, learning directly from peers while practicing the communication strategies required for effective teamwork in modern healthcare environments.

IPE-Collage

Demonstrating Growth in Interprofessional Communication

This learning activity emphasized the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Communication competencies.

Pre- and post-activity assessments demonstrated measurable improvement, indicating increased student confidence and readiness to engage in interprofessional communication in clinical practice.

Interprofessional Learning at SCU

A defining strength of interprofessional education at SCU is the opportunity for students to collaborate across both conventional and complementary healthcare disciplines. Students engaged with peers from programs including:

Doctorate

  • Chiropractic – California
  • Chiropractic – Arizona
  • Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
  • Physical Therapy – California
  • Occupational Therapy – California
  • Occupational Therapy – Arizona
  • Whole Health Leadership
  • Medical Science
  • Psychology

Master’s

  • Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
  • Medical Science
  • Physician Assistant

Bachelor’s

  • Health Science

Certificate

  • Ayurveda

This diverse learning environment strengthens students’ ability to understand professional roles, communicate across disciplines, and collaborate within integrative healthcare teams.

Faculty Facilitators: Guiding Interprofessional Learning

Large-scale interprofessional learning experiences rely on faculty facilitators who guide each student team.

Serving as the “guide on the side,” facilitators encourage dialogue across professions, support teams in navigating complex clinical discussions, and model the collaborative behaviors essential for healthcare practice.

With more than 300 students participating, faculty facilitators play a critical role in translating interprofessional concepts into meaningful learning experiences.

We invite the SCU community to join us in recognizing and thanking these faculty members for their leadership and commitment to student learning.

Faculty Facilitators

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DAcCHM)

  • Blake Christian Daniels, DC, BS
  • Sivarama Prasad Vinjamury, DACM, MPH
  • Jenny Yu, DACM, L.Ac.

Ayurveda (AYU)

  • Naomi K. Boas, BA, MA, CAP, CMT
  • Anupama Kizhakkeveettil, PhD, BAMS, MAOM, L.Ac., FAIHM, C-IAYT

Foundational Health Sciences (FHS)

  • Preetideep Singh, MD, MBBS, FAIHM, CHEP, PDCR
  • Raafat Baheeg, MD

Chiropractic – California (DC-CA)

  • Jannet K. Gonzalez, DC, BS
  • Saharut “Sunny” Nilchavee, DC, MSEd, BS

Chiropractic – Arizona (DC-AZ)

  • Gregory Katsaros, DC

Medical Science (MSMS)

  • Brianne Lee Lasky, MSMS
  • Victor Johnson, MSMS

Medical Science (DMSc)

  • Deanna Oliver, DMSc, MSPA, PA-C

Occupational Therapy – California (OTD-CA)

  • Brett T. Buford, OTD, OTR/L, MA (OT), BS
  • Emily D. Grullón, OTD, OTR/L, BS
  • Karen M. Keptner, PhD, OTR/L
  • Joanna Seber, OTD, OTR/L, MS, BA

Occupational Therapy – Arizona (OTD-AZ)

  • Kalyn Briggs, PhD, OTR/L
  • Christopher Goffredo, PhD, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, BCP, ATP, CPAM

Physical Therapy (DPT)

  • Amy Burggraff, PT, DPT, DEd (c)
  • Daniel Diaz, PT, DPT, PhD
  • Mohammad H. Hadadzadeh, PT, PhD, MPT, BPT, PDCR
  • Keith L. Schuchardt, DPT, MS, OCS, NASM-CES
  • Michael Sutcliffe Jr., PT, DPT, OCS

Physician Assistant (MSPA)

  • Sonya L. Earley, EdD, MA, CDCES, PA-C
  • Ruben Mora, MD, BS
  • Kaitlyn Savant, MSPA, PA-C
  • Sara L. Wiens, MPAS, MS, RD, PA-C

Psychology (PsyD)

  • Jens Schmidt, PhD

Whole Health Leadership (DrWHL)

  • Angela Moran, MEd

SCU Center for Interprofessional Education Team

  • Nicole Amaro
  • Dia Bonifacio
  • Michelle Ye

Connect With the Center For Interprofessional Education

Have questions about interprofessional education or upcoming IPE learning opportunities? Contact the SCU Center for Interprofessional Education at ipe@scuhs.edu

Looking Ahead

SCU’s IPE programming continues throughout the academic year, offering students, faculty, and community partners ongoing opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and lead in advancing integrative whole health.

Whether returning or joining for the first time, we invite you to be part of SCU’s commitment to interprofessional, whole-person care. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare—one team, one patient, one learning experience at a time.

Happy IPE,
Karina Magridal, EdD, MA
Dean of Interprofessional Education

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