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 very busy Fall at the Center! Here are a few highlights:
The Center Welcomes MSW student intern, Marie Yamamoto!
The Center is delighted to welcome our first graduate student intern, Marie Yamamoto! Marie is an advanced-standing Stony Brook University MSW) student. The student comes to the Center with a broad spectrum of interests and talents, including creating graphic stories, gamification in learning, research, program evaluation, and promoting our mission of supporting and enhancing interprofessional collaborative learning and practice.
Marie has been instrumental in planning and delivering the Building Interprofessional Resources for Transforming Health (BIRTH) initiative in collaboration with the Program in Public Health, drafting the CIPI newsletter for Fall 2025 as well as this edition, facilitating a group of undergraduate students working on creating graphic stories about interprofessional collaboration, and working as part of an interprofessional faculty research team.
IP Facilitator Professional Learning Community! - Fall 2025, Ongoing Project
In the fall semester of 2025, we launched our second cohort of the IP Faculty Facilitator Learning Community. This professional development opportunity is for faculty, staff, and professionals interested in developing and facilitating interprofessional education and collaborative practice experiences in their classrooms, service-learning opportunities, practicum/clinical rotations, or within their departments. The 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.
This academic year, we have a cohort of 12 participants across 6 different professions, as well as 4 amazing IP teaching faculty from diverse professional backgrounds who are co-teaching and facilitating.
Sessions 3 and 4 of the IP Facilitator Professional Learning Community will occur in January and March, respectively.
Presentation for Bridgewater State University, MA - October 2025
Dr. Kelli Star Fox (CIPI Director) and Dr. Shelley Cohen-Konrad (Professor Emeritus, University of New England), hosted a professional development workshop called Building Bridges to Better Collaborative Practice for social work professionals on October 24th. The workshop focused on why teamwork matters; how workplace culture and power dynamics impact interprofessional collaboration and teamwork; and communication strategies for implementing the qualities of a productive, engaged interprofessional team. It also focused on developing strategies for future teamwork, collaborative conflict resolution, and problem-solving.
Schools of Nursing and Social Welfare Interprofessional Education with Simulation Event - September 2025
This interactive, case-based learning and simulation provided students in both the School of Social Welfare (MSW) and the School of Nursing (MHNP) a unique opportunity to learn with, from, and about each other. Nursing and social welfare students worked together to complete a biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment with a standardized patient while learning the value of interprofessional communication, roles and responsibilities, and teamwork to deliver the highest quality care to patients.
Interprofessional Global Summer Research Institute - September 2025 - October 2025, Ongoing Project
Dr. Kelli Star Fox is honored to have been among 11 fellows selected for the inaugural class of the IP Global Summer Research Institute. This intensive, synchronous program was followed by 4 weeks of asynchronous mentorship with an internationally recognized IPECP scholar chosen specifically for each fellow. The aim was to provide fellows with the knowledge, skills, and mentorship necessary to develop, seek funding for, conduct, and disseminate high-quality IPECP research. Dr. Fox participated in a synchronous, online curriculum for three days, then one month of mentorship from expert IPECP researchers to develop a research project that she will be commencing in the summer of 2026. The project will gather qualitative and quantitative survey data from students participating in an interprofessional team-based elective course (Summer 2026) about the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of educators and team facilitators that had the most impact on the student’s development of IP collaboration competencies and an IP professional identity.
Building Interprofessional Resources for Transforming Health (BIRTH) Initiative - October 2025 & November 2025, Ongoing Project
The Center and the Program in Public Health teamed up this fall to offer students, faculty, and providers the opportunity to collaborate on projects promoting health equity in maternal and child health. This program is a four-session interprofessional learning opportunity supported by a Presidential Mini-Grant.
Session 1 in October 2025 had over 35 attendees. This session focused on the roles and responsibilities of healthcare providers involved in maternal and child health, disparities in maternal health outcomes and opportunities to strengthen equity, and effective components for interprofessional teamwork. Guest speakers included Heather Findletar Hines, CNM, DNP, and Rakiya Watts, CNM, both seasoned professionals in Midwifery and maternal health who actively work to improve equity in healthcare and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with birth for Black and Brown communities.
Session 2 in November 2025 had over 45 attendees. This session focused on the importance of cultural competency in maternal and child healthcare, birthing practices in the speakers’ respective communities, and the importance of the patient’s role in creating treatment plans. Guest speakers included Nashota Williams, a member of the Shinnecock Tribal Nation, who aspires to open an indigenous birth lodge, and Orbelina Peralta Garcia, a case manager at SEPA Mujer born in Guatemala. Both speakers offered insightful discussions to participants regarding their experiences with birth and solutions to increase collaboration between birthing people and their healthcare teams.
If you are interested in participating in the February and March events, please contact Kelli at cipi@stonybrookmedicine.edu
2025 Assoc of Schools Advancing Health Professions Annual Conference - October 2025
The five Stony Brook Medicine schools made their mark with interprofessional education and collaborative practice-focused presentations at the 2025 Annual ASAHP conference. See Conferences — ASAHP for more information.
More Upcoming Events/Programs from CIPI
Here are some programs and events coming up for the 2025-26 academic year:
Virtual IP Team-based Learning with Simulation (VITLS)
The five schools of Stony Brook Medicine, Quinnipiac’s School for Health Professions, and Long Island University’s health professions programs will have an opportunity to participate in interprofessional, cross-institutional collaborative learning experience beginning February 5. This co-curricular, virtual, team-based learning and telehealth simulation program will focus on developing and strengthening core interprofessional competencies: teamwork, communication, values and ethics, roles and responsibilities. VITLS is a three-session, five-hour, team-based experience with virtual simulation. Students will have access to and are encouraged to complete asynchronous online introduction to interprofessional collaboration educational modules in preparation for this experience.
Registration for the Spring 2026 VITLAS is now closed.
CIPI’s Annual Spring Symposium
April 17, 2026, 8:30 am – 12 pm
This year’s symposium will explore how to choose or create assessment tools that reflect the learning outcomes for interprofessional educational experiences. In addition, interprofessional teams will present their research or projects in short oral presentations or posters. Registration and information will be available soon on the CIPI website.
Digital Badge for Excellence in Interprofessional Collaboration
The Center for Interprofessional Innovation is now offering an opportunity for students to earn a digital badge for Excellence in Interprofessional Collaboration! See info below to find out how to apply for this recognition!
Application Process
- Complete and submit the Excellence in Interprofessional Collaboration Badge application.
- Contact Kelli Star Fox at kelli.fox@stonybrookmedicine.edu to obtain an application or to find out more information.
- A completed Application includes:
○ A brief statement of why you wish to earn an IP Honors Distinction including your motivations and future aspirations as a future health or healthcare professional.
○ Documentation that you attended and participated in the IPE activity (faculty verification, copy of sign in sheet, or seminar agenda).
○ Individual reflections on each of the interprofessional educational activities in which you participated.
○ Final reflection on what you have learned about interprofessional collaborative practice, how your interprofessional educational experiences will serve you as you move into the professional realm, and what you have come to understand about the impact effective team collaboration has on patients’ care and their health outcomes, as well as on provider wellbeing and job satisfaction
Comic no. 2: Groundhog Day in the ED
Newsletter - Fall 2025
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.
National and International IP Conferences
2025 Assoc of Schools Advancing Health Professions Annual Conference
October 14, 2025 – October 16, 2025, Indianapolis, IN
The five schools of Stony Brook Medicine will be making their mark with presentations at the 2025 Annual ASAHP conference. See the conference agenda for details about presentations and presenters.
Comic no. 1: When miscommunication happens - Poor Fluffy
Thank you for making it to the end of our newsletter! These are the first in our new series of IPECP graphic stories with themes related to the national IPEC competencies. Huge thanks to our student artists who created these!
Here is a comic containing some information about closing the loop, an important communication model for preventing medical errors.
