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Devra K. Dang, PharmDPetra Clark-Dufner MARuth Goldblatt, DMD

SCDA Annual Meeting April 28, 2012

Incorporating Oral Health in Interdisciplinary

Training: Connecticut’s Urban Service Track

Model

Introduction

• Articulate the purpose, goals & evolution of UST

• Identify examples of interprofessional education and service learning

• Describe how we incorporated oral health into interdisciplinary service learning teams

Urban Service Track

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What is UST?

• Energy • Symbiosis• Safe Learning Environment• Mentoring

http://publichealth.uconn.edu/aboutus_ust.php

Purpose, Goals and Evolution of

UST

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Why do we need an Urban Service Track?

• Demographic changes

• Health disparities

• Healthcare workforce shortages

Goal of UST

• To develop a cadre of well-qualified health care professionals committed to serving Connecticut's urban core.

UST Placement at UConn

• Four UConn health professional schools:

o Dental Medicineo Medicineo Nursingo Pharmacy

o Quinnipiac PA programo UConn School of Social Work

• Center for Public Healthand Health Policy

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Program Details

• Modeled on rural physician training programs

• Housed in CT AHEC program office at the University of Connecticut Health Center

• 3 campuses and 2 Universities - 50+ miles apart

• Financial support – private, federal, state and institutional resources.

Who Guides UST

• Steering Committee• Advisory Committee• Student Leadership

Cabinet

History of UST• July 2005

o Planning grant received• March 2006-June 2007

o Pilot period• August 2007

o 24 Scholars enrolled, 1st cohort• August 2008

o 54 Scholars enrolled, 1st & 2nd cohort• September 2009

o 105 Scholars enrolled, 1st, 2nd & 3rd cohorto September 2010

o 144 Scholars enrolled, 1st, 2nd,3rd & 4th cohorto September 2011

o 176 Scholars enrolled, 1st- 5th cohort

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Urban Service Track Scholars 2011-2012 Academic Year

History of UST Graduates

• 81 graduates– 2008 - 2– 2009 - 7– 2010 -12– 2011- 21– 2012- 39

Identifying Interested Scholars

• Most apply in the summer before admission, or early in their first year Proven track record of volunteerism

Interest in working with variety of health profession students

Desire to work with underserved communities

Interest in primary care

• Students are increasingly entering off-cycle• Must be enrolled in professional school

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Curricular Components

Curricular Components

• Competencies • Retreats• Interprofessional and

Service Learning• Community Research• Advocacy• Professional Development

UST Curriculum

• Based on 11 competencies Delivered over 2 year period

• Complements mainstream curriculum

• Inter-professional experiences designed to heighten awareness of the challenges and opportunities in urban communities

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Developing Competencies

• Providers at the community health centers were surveyed

• What skills/competencies did they feel were important in a provider working with underserved patient populations at community health centers & other look-alike facilities?

• Our 11 competencies were born!

Competencies

1. Cultural & Linguistic Differences2. Population Health3. Health Policy4. Advocacy5. Healthcare Financing and

Management6. Multiple Constituencies 7. Community Resource

Constraints 8. Interprofessional Teamwork and

Leadership9. Professional & Ethical Conduct10. Community Resources11. Quality Improvement & Patient

Safety

Vulnerable Population Lenses

Children and YouthElderly

VeteransImmigrant and Refugees

Substance AbusersIndividuals with HIV/AIDS

Incarcerated and Ex-Offenders

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Learning Retreats

• Vehicle to deliver UST curriculum, held quarterly

• Leadership rotates among core faculty

• Community partners provide site and assist in delivery of content

• Pre-retreat reading assignments• Equal proportion of didactic &

interactive components • Clinical skills integrated

Curricular Components

Use of University and community clinicians as facilitators combine academic and “real world” training

Small group discussion, case study, and problem-based learning activity

Curricular Components

Integrates clients and patients giving vulnerable populations a voice and face

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Learning Retreat

• Agenda with specifics to each retreat– Objectives and reading assignment– Use of community resources and sub

population studied– Cases with facilitator guides for

faculty that are co-written – Learning of new clinical skill/skills

• Opportunity after retreat to use newly learned skill in the community– Oral hygiene instruction/ screening

Learning Retreat Excellence Awards

• Role of Excellence Awards– Nominations– Culture

• Dinner and Networking

Learning Retreat – Field Activities

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Integrating Interprofessional Education and Service-Learning

Interprofessional Education and Training

Clinical Primers

• Ensures adequate and identical information for everyone

• Interprofessional collaboration

• Cultural competence

• Team leads

Community Outreach Activities

Focus Areas:• Health promotion &

education

• Advocacy

• Health careers awareness activities for grades K-12

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Community OutreachHealth Education

• Smiling Seniors• Spring Forward-Don’t

Fall Back• From Wheeze to

Breeze• Community Garden• Pathways Sendaros –

teen pregnancy prevention

• HeartStrong

Community Outreach Clinical Activities

• Migrant Farm Worker Clinic

• Healthy Hartford Campaign

• Oral Health Screenings

• Kidney Early Evaluation Program Screenings

• Primary Care Week Health Fairs

• CT Mission of Mercy

Service-Learning

•2010-2011– 30 service

activities – Number of hours

of community service = 2020

– Number of individuals receiving services = 4881

• 7/1/2011-12/30/11– 23 service activities

Number of hours of community service = 891

– Number of individuals receiving services for dates = 1511

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Health Careers Awareness Activities

•For students grades K-16

•College Student Clinical Skills Activities (13-16)

•High School Clinical Skills Day (9-12)

•Middle School Health Careers Exploration Program (6-8)

•Public Health Living and Learning Communities (13-16)

Community-Based ResearchResearch teams composed of UST scholars from all disciplines immersed in a community partner agency.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS• Institute for Community Research

• ProHealth Physicians

• CT Center for Primary Care

• Community Health Center

Association of CT

• Khmer Health Advocates

• City of Hartford Health and

Human Services

APTR Paul Ambrose Scholars• UConn students exposure at Paul

Ambrose Scholars Program at the Association for Prevention, Teaching, and Research– 3 of the 45 selected nationally 2

years ago were from our UST program, and 2 more were selected last year.

• Intergenerational oral health program

• This year we have one UST scholar accepted. – Oral cancer awareness and self

screening among migrant farm workers

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Expanding Our Model

• Moving into residency programs– Current students in residency programs– Obtaining more faculty involvement

• Recruiting new faculty• Students moving into preceptor/faculty roles

Thank You !

For questions or comments please contact:

Ruth Goldblatt, DMDgoldblatt@nso1.uchc.edu