Strides in Interprofessional Education

IPE Clinic for Pharmacy and Dentistry
A new Interprofessional Education (IPE) rotation for the treatment of dental patients combines the skills and expertise of fourth-year LSUSD dental students with those of Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacology (XULA-COP) students. The pilot program, awarded an Educational Enhancement Grant of $4,000 from the LSUHSC-NO Academy for the Advancement of Educational Scholarship, began during the 2016-2017 academic year. Jessica Johnson, PharmD, assistant professor at Xavier, and adjunct assistant professor at LSUHSC, is project director. Dr. F. Thomas Giacona, assistant professor and division head of comprehensive care, coordinates dental student participation with the assistance of Dr. Chet Smith, associate professor of comprehensive dentistry. Other XULA-COP faculty members, along with the dental instructors, serve as preceptors in the dental clinic to guide student interprofessional interactions and patient care.

Students were divided into seven teams with 300 Xavier pharmacy students coordinating with 120 dental students throughout the academic year. Working in two-week collaborative rotations in the dental clinic, dental students discussed patient histories and care plans with the pharmacy students, who also observed dental procedures. Pharmacy student interventions focused on blood pressure, pain management, anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy, antibiotic coordination, and nutrition. Dental students, who receive multiple educational exposures to pharmacology in their curriculum, were able to enhance their knowledge of pharmacotherapy, drug interactions, and advances in pharmacy law, especially related to analgesics as controlled substances, through input from the pharmacy students. Due to the success of the program, the pharmacy-dentistry collaboration will continue next year.

Pharmacy-Dentistry IPE rotation participants, (l-r) Dr. Dale Ehrlich, Dr. Tommy Giacona, Patrick Nam Nguyen, Corey Menou, David Do, Daanaa Richard, Sahar Talebloo, Dr. Jessica Johnson

IPSA Awards
The LSUHSC Interprofessional Student Alliance (IPSA) has established two awards to recognize student achievement in IPE. The IPSA Award of Interprofessional Distinction and the IPSA Leadership Award were presented for the first time this spring to students in all schools of the health sciences center. The purpose of these awards is to recognize students for their volunteer and interprofessional service work and/or their leadership in IPE. Dental students who earned the IPSA Distinction Award this year are Lauren Ming, Thuy Nguyen, Long Truong, Candice St. Etienne, Katie Chang, and Ashlon Albert. To receive this award, students are required to earn a specified number of IPE hours by attending IPSA-sponsored events, such as workshops, meetings, service days, and projects.

The IPSA Leadership Award is presented to students who have gone above and beyond in inter-professional activities in both LSUHSC and the greater New Orleans community. IPSA was formed by an inter-professional group of students to support the many exceptional LSUHSC-student run community outreach projects across campus. Third-year dental student Eddie Starr was vice-president of the alliance for 2016-2017.

LSU  Medical-Dental IPE Clinic
An option for emergency dental care for adults is open on the LSUSD campus. The LSU Medical-Dental IPE Clinic, located across the street from the school on Florida Avenue, is available for patients with an acute need who have not yet been accepted into the dental school clinic or who do not desire comprehensive care at LSUSD. Patients can make appointments during clinic hours of Tuesday through Thursday, 8 am -4:30 pm, by calling 504-412-1680.

A collaboration between LSUSD and the LSUHSC School of Nursing, the clinic offers primary care medical and dental services provided by LSUHSC nurse practitioners, nursing students, dentists, and LSUSD students. During the first visit, patients will be examined by a nurse practitioner and a dentist to assess their total health. Oral health care at the clinic is provided by dental students, dental hygiene students, and GPR residents under the supervision of part-time dental faculty, who also provide treatment when the students are not available.

After the initial treatment, a patient may desire no further treatment or may return to the IPE clinic for additional care. Patients who request comprehensive dental treatment are referred to LSUSD for screening. Patients must pay prior to the procedure with cash or credit cards. The fees are the same as those charged at LSUSD.