UNE students bridge health disciplines to advance quality patient care

Health care students from various disciplines at the University of New England participated in the fourth-annual Interprofessional Collaboration Across Campus (ICAC) event, which focused on the integration and importance of teamwork in providing patient-centered care. 

The event, held on the reimagined Portland Campus for the Health Sciences on July 17, integrated core interprofessional education competencies in health care to produce well-rounded health professionals. Its goal aligns with the campus’s core mission to empower the next generation of world-class health care providers, said Christopher Bates-Withers, M.M.S., PA-C, assistant clinical professor in UNE’s Physician Assistant Department. 

“We know that students come here because of the collaborative culture,” said Bates-Withers, emphasizing how interprofessional education (IPE) prepares students to achieve more successful outcomes for health care patients. “More than half of our students choose UNE for this reason, and events like ICAC are central to fostering that culture.” 

Students in pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and social work engaged in activities designed to enhance their understanding of interprofessional roles and improve patient-centered care.  

Formal IPE training — which is rare among higher education institutions — showcases to future employers the collaborative workforce skills that are essential for all health care providers, shared Class of ’26 Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.) student Jared Benoit, B.S. ’24. 

“IPE really teaches us as health care professionals how to advocate and stand by our scope of practice and professionalism,” Benoit said. “It helps you practice being a professional before entering the workforce and allows you to learn those executive functioning skills sooner. This better prepares us for the world and the workforce.”  

While IPE has been at the heart of UNE’s curriculum for decades, this event marks the first required interprofessional learning opportunity where students from across the Portland Campus carved out dedicated time.  

During the IPE event, students reviewed video case studies on palliative care and held interactive discussions, exploring the roles and responsibilities of different professions and reflecting on their contributions to team-based care. 

Doctor of Physical Therapy student Mikayla Matos (’26), who will soon transition into the clinical phase of her education, emphasized the practical benefits of interprofessional learning, noting that it provided valuable insights into developing and applying skills essential for her upcoming clinical experiences. 

“Knowing the roles of other team members and how they contribute to patient care will make me more likely to reach out to them in the future,” Matos said, emphasizing the complexities of health care and understanding how roles vary. “It’s about maximizing the problem-solving potential of the entire team.” 

The event also included a panel discussion where faculty addressed students’ questions about different professions, further breaking down stereotypes. The interactive nature of the event, with activities like group discussions and the use of sticky notes to explore professional roles, added a dynamic element to the learning experience, said Gaby Puentes, B.S., (M.S.O.T., ’26).  

“This event gave me a lot of confidence in what I do and how I can define occupational therapy to other health professionals,” Puentes said. “This interprofessional event also provided insight into what other professionals see us doing, which is crucial for effective teamwork.” 

While this event was Puentes’ first interprofessional learning opportunity, she expressed her eagerness for more IPE during her time at UNE. 

“I love that the University has this,” she said. “The seamless transition from education to real-world application is unique, and it shows that UNE is really focused on the health care profession.”