Center for
Interprofessional
Education

Center for Interprofessional Education

News

IPE News

Dear SCU Community,

From July 28 to August 1, the SCU Center for Interprofessional Education (IPE) proudly hosted its Summer IPE Week — a week of transformative learning experiences designed to strengthen collaboration across health disciplines and advance integrative, whole-person healthcare in Southern California and beyond.

IPE-Spring025-1

This year’s IPE Week marked two major milestones for SCU:

  1. Record Participation  Over 200 students from 8 academic programs came together to learn, collaborate, and lead. Participating programs included:
    • Ayurveda
    • Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
    • Chiropractic
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Physician Assistant Studies
    • Accelerated Sciences
    • Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences
    • Master of Science in Medical Sciences
  1. Demonstrated Student Growth  Every single activity showed measurable gains in student learning, confirmed by pre- and post-assessments aligned with the IPEC Core Competency domains of:
    • Roles and Responsibilities
    • Values and Ethics
    • Interprofessional Communication

IPE-Spring025-2

Learning in Action

Through immersive, team-based simulations integrating both conventional and complementary health practices, students strengthened their ability to:

  • Identify system failures and contribute to a culture of safety and quality improvement
  • Provide and receive patient handovers to ensure seamless care transitions
  • Communicate effectively with patients, caregivers, and the healthcare team to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care

These experiences not only enhanced technical skills but also deepened understanding of the shared values and responsibilities that drive effective interprofessional teams.

IPE-Spring025-3

Gratitude for Our Faculty Leaders

The success of Summer IPE Week reflects the dedication, expertise, and passion of our esteemed faculty facilitators, whose mentorship and guidance created an impactful learning environment. We extend our sincere gratitude to:

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (DAcCHM)

  • Blake Christian Daniels, DC, BS
  • Jennifer Noborikawa, DACM, BS, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M
  • Sivarama P. Vinjamury (Prasad), DACM, MPH

Ayurveda (AYU)

  • Naomi Boas, BA, MA, CAP, CMT

Chiropractic (DC)

  • Amber McCallum, DC
  • Hiwot A Melka, DC, BS

Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMSc)

  • Deanna Oliver, DMSc, MSPA, PA-C

Foundational Health Sciences

  • Preetideep Singh, MD, FAIHM, MBBS

Occupational Therapy (OT)

  • Douglene Jackson, PhD, OTR/L, LMT, ATP, CYT, FAOTA
  • Emily Grullon, OTD, OTR/L, BS
  • Joanna Seber, OTD, OTR/L, MS, BA
  • Rachelle Murphy, DHSc, OTR/L, DipACLM

Physician Assistant (MSPA)

  • Hannah Pruzinsky, BSPA-C
  • Joel Tetzlaff, DC, MSPA, PA-C
  • Kathryn T Johnson, MSPA, PA-C
  • Sonya L. Earley, EdD, MA, CDCES, PA-C

Center for IPE Staff

  • Nicole Amaro
  • Dia Bonifacio

Special thanks to Student Services for their support in making these events a reality.

IPE-Spring025-4

Plan Ahead Be Part of the Next IPE Experience

SCU’s IPE programming runs year-round, offering students, faculty, and community partners valuable opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and lead. Whether you’re a returning participant or joining us for the first time, we invite you to be part of the next chapter in advancing whole-person, team-based care.

News Archives