Newsletter - Fall 2025

Founded in 2024, the Center for Interprofessional Innovation (CIPI) strives to foster a culture of teamwork, shared values and ethics, mutual understanding between disciplines, and healthy communication between all professionals in both the classroom and clinical settings. 

CIPI is excited to continue developing, implementing, and exploring strategies to ensure that students and professionals in the healthcare disciplines attain the skills and knowledge necessary to work effectively in interprofessional (IP) healthcare teams. 

This year, we are looking forward to expanding our initiatives and our team, and we hope that you all will join us in cultivating the inclusive, respectful, and scholarly environment we hope to create. We are deeply grateful to start another academic year at Stony Brook Medicine with all of you, and we hope to see you at one of our future events or workshops! 

If you would like to learn more about the Center’s work, please visit our website or contact us at CIPI@stonybrookmedicine.edu.

CIPI Updates 

We had a busy spring and summer at the Center. Here are a few highlights:

Elective Course for Interprofessional Collaborative Learning 

The Center and six dedicated IPECP (Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice) champions delivered an Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Elective Course in June 2025. We had 22 students from five different health professions representing four of the schools of Stony Brook Medicine. The course was held June 3rd through June 26th and delivered as seven synchronous Zoom classes and one online asynchronous module, including both didactic content and interactive opportunities. Students were placed in IP teams of five to six members alongside faculty facilitators, where they worked together with a simulated patient and family member to get to know the patient; assess biopsychosocial needs; develop a plan of care for the patient; and practice interprofessional teamwork, communication, and roles and responsibilities. 

Here are some responses from the student survey asking about students’ three biggest takeaways from this course:

• “How to work together to prioritize the needs of patient. How to better communicate with team members. How beneficial being a well-working team is for healthcare.”  
• “1) Interprofessional teams are essential for providing adequate care; 2) There is a lot of medicine in dentistry; 3) teamwork is super important in caring for patients”
• “My first takeaway was just working with other professions and getting to know how each profession operates and what they bring to the table. Secondly, I learned about the importance of social workers and the pivotal role they play in each profession. Lastly, I liked learning how to work together with every profession and then finding ways to effectively communicate with a patient.”
• “Interprofessional collaboration is important to properly address social determinants, communication is a huge element of collaboration, and self-reflection helps improve our teamwork and abilities to deliver healthcare.” 

SB Presents at Collaborating Across Borders IX Conference 

Two IP faculty teams presented their work at the CAB IX conference in Omaha, Nebraska, from May 27th to May 30th.  The presentations, entitled Siloes to Synergy and Finding our Place and Voice on the IP Team, were based on both an IP collaborative simulation for social welfare and nurse practitioner students, as well as the student and faculty experience of a uni-professional preparation workshop designed to enhance students’ ability to engage in IP collaborative learning. Thank you to Dr. Jeanette Lukas (SSW), Dr. Marie Milazzo (SoN), and Dr. Anna-Marie Wellins (SoN) for their contributions to the presentation and to Dr. Milazzo for co-presenting with Dr. Kelli Fox in Omaha.

Seed Grant Opportunities at CIPI

As part of our mission to promote the advancement of effective collaboration across disciplines, the Center invites students and faculty to apply for a seed grant to support innovative interprofessional projects and research. The Center will award two (2) $2000 seed grants each year. All projects must include students and faculty from two or more distinct professions (different specialties within the same discipline or profession do not qualify). Faculty may serve as project leaders, collaborators, or mentors.

Some project examples include:

• program evaluation
• promotion of health and wellness
• clinical practice integration
• experiential learning opportunities
• curriculum integration proposals
• community and/or patient-focused programs

Projects and research should be innovative, novel approaches to interprofessional education and/or collaborative practices as well as add to the current knowledge and paradigms in the field. Information about the application will be forthcoming soon. Stay tuned!

Digital Badge for Excellence in Interprofessional Collaboration

This badge is awarded to students who have participated in interprofessional activities, including at least one experiential immersion, demonstrated excellence in interprofessional collaboration with peers across professions, and submitted personal reflections about their experience. The digital badge is hosted by Credly and can be included in your professional online profile, resume, or curriculum vitae.

Upcoming Events/Program from CIPI

Here are some programs and events coming up for the 2025-26 academic year:

Join Our IP Facilitator Professional Learning Community!

In the spring of 2025, we launched our first edition of the IP Faculty Facilitator Learning Community. For the 2025-26 academic year, we will offer this professional development opportunity over the fall and spring semesters. 

Sessions will be:

• October 30
  4:30 - 7 pm (on campus)
• December 4
  5 - 7 pm (Zoom)
• January 15
  5 - 7 pm (Zoom)
• March 12 
  4:30 - 7 pm (on campus)

This professional development opportunity is for faculty, staff, and providers interested in developing and facilitating IPECP experiences in their classrooms, their service learning opportunities, their practicum, or their departments. Designed as a learning community for faculty, staff, and providers across professions, this course builds a shared understanding of IPECP principles and pedagogy and explores practical strategies for engaging learners in meaningful interprofessional learning experiences that foster collaboration and enhance educational outcomes.

Participants will have opportunities to reflect on their perceptions of interprofessional collaboration, explore multiple levels of interprofessional collaborative learning (from exposure to competence), and engage in various learning activities such as case-based, experiential, and team-based learning.

If you are interested in joining our AY 2025-26 learning community, complete the registration form here: https://forms.gle/Y14tMFUXfCShuiTa7

Virtual IP Team-based Learning with Simulation (VITLS)

Join students from Quinnipiac’s School for Health Professions and Long Island University’s health professions programs for the inaugural launch of Stony Brook’s interprofessional experiential opportunity in Spring 2026. This co-curricular, virtual, team-based learning opportunity will focus on developing and strengthening core interprofessional competencies: teamwork, communication, values and ethics, and roles and responsibilities. VITLS is a four-session, 7-hour team-based experience with virtual simulation. Students will complete asynchronous informational modules in preparation for this experience.

• Module 1: Introduction to interprofessional collaborative practice and the IPEC competencies
• Module 2: Psychological safety and reflective practice in team-based healthcare
• Module 3: Social determinants of health
• Module 4: Telehealth considerations and etiquette
• Module 5: Motivational Interviewing for health professionals (optional) 

Dates will be announced soon, but sessions will be held from 5 PM to 7 PM next semester. 

If you are interested in participating, please complete the registration form at https://forms.gle/QL4ZEpFUUz1eDBFg8.