The Center for Interprofessional Health (CIH) Ambassador Program recently welcomed its second cohort. The nine new Ambassadors were selected based on their demonstrated commitment for three or more consecutive years to CIH’s Affiliate Faculty Program, which brings together health professionals from the community and the University to enrich their understanding and experience in interprofessional education, practice and research.
During the yearlong program, cohort members implement an interprofessional project, serve as ambassadors for the program and CIH, and mentor new affiliate faculty.
“The Ambassador Program embodies the ethos of interprofessional education - learning with, from and about one another. In this case, practicing professionals enrich their own development while strengthening their capabilities to role model interprofessionalism for learners,” says Program Lead Sasha Zagoloff, PhD, LP, a licensed child psychologist and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Medical School.
Networking Across Professions
Ambassadors say they enjoy working with students, learning about CIH programs, and building community, particularly with colleagues in other health professions.
“As a medical ethicist, I have seen what can go wrong where there is poor communication among members of an interprofessional health care team, so the earlier we can have future team members communicating and understanding roles the better,” says Catherine McCarty, PhD, MPH, MSB, HEC-C, professor and associate dean for research at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus.
“What I’ve enjoyed about the program is brainstorming different ideas together,” says Tamara Statz, MA, LMFT, FT, a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice. “It's definitely made me think about how I connect interprofessionally and how I teach.”
Building Connections
For some Ambassadors, the program is a way to stay connected to the University.
“I am an alumna of the University of Minnesota and have been looking for continued ways to be involved within my career,” says Amy Haynes, DPT, PT, an assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at St. Catherine University. “I have been passionate about teaching and education, and had a difficult time deciding whether to pursue education as a career. Having the opportunity to partner with the University in this context, combined with my health care experience and expertise, was a no-brainer.”
As a former University employee, Statz says, “I love it there. I signed up for the program so I could maintain my connection to the U and get to know others who are doing different things.”
Advancing Teaching of Future Health Care Professionals
McCarty says the Ambassador Program provides an opportunity to grow and improve as an educator, while Haynes says her career move into full-time academia was thanks in part to her partnership with CIH.
“I continue to engage in my involvement with CIH, leveraging my expertise and scholarship agenda related to interprofessional practice, as well as my commitment to training the next generation of health care workers,” says Haynes.
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