Misericordia Interprofessional Education Connection (MIPEC)

Mission

To engage students and faculty in interprofessional education and experiences to support the collaborative team approach in professional practice.

Vision

The (MIPEC) embraces the vision of the College of Health Sciences and Education and Misericordia University and will strive to:

Prepare students and faculty to function as members of an effective collaborative team, understanding the unique roles and responsibilities that support value for those we serve in evolving professional environments.
Create a culture of “best-practice” supported by evidence that promotes a coordinated, timely, efficient, effective approach to inter-professional education and practice.
Promote and advance research and scholarly activity related to inter-professional education and practice within professions.

MIPEC Event Photogallery

Spring 2026 MIPEC / IPE Events

Select an event to view details, then use the Sign Up button to register.

Feb

2026

Web of Care

🕒 12:30–1:30 p.m. 📍 Insalaco 218/219 👤 Maureen Rinehimer

Event Details (Feb 2, 2026)

Objective

Learners will identify and describe the roles and responsibilities of multiple health professions involved in a patient’s care, demonstrate how each discipline contributes to quality, comprehensive, and collaborative healthcare, and recognize the importance of interprofessional communication by visually representing their role in the patient’s web of care.

Roles & Responsibilities Teamwork Communication

Feb

2026

TransCare Challenge: An Interprofessional Approach to Affirming Healthcare

🕒 5:30–6:30 p.m. 📍 Insalaco 218/219 👤 Morgan Young, OTS

Event Details (Feb 25, 2026)

Objective

Interprofessional simulation-based experience where students collaborate across disciplines to provide affirming, inclusive care for transgender patients through educational content, team-based clinical scenarios, inclusive interview/documentation simulations, and an advocacy challenge. Open to OT, PT, SLP, PA, Nursing, Psychology, and related fields.

Roles & Responsibilities Teamwork Communication Values & Ethics

Mar

2026

Cultural Competence - Grand Rounds

🕒 5:30–6:30 p.m. 📍 Insalaco 218/219 👤 Kriszta Sajber, Ph.D., Dept. of Philosophy

Event Details (March 11, 2026)

Objective

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

Explain what cultural competence is and describe how it contributes to patient-centered healthcare
Reflect on their own cultural background and identify ways in which it may shape their perceptions of healthcare experiences
Use effective strategies for navigating cross-cultural interactions with respect and sensitivity to the cultural factors impacting the healthcare encounter

Communication Values & Ethics

Apr

2026

AHEC Event: Night in the ER

🕒 5:00–8:00 p.m. 📍 See details 👤 Lindsey Vigilante

Event Details (April 22, 2026)

Objective

A tabletop simulation replicating the challenges of a busy emergency department; teams manage patient flow, allocate resources, and improve system efficiency.

Additional Notes

Duration: 2.5–3 hours (30 min intro, 1 hr simulation, 1 hr debrief).
Capacity: 12-game kit (48 participants), scalable.

Values & Ethics Roles & Responsibilities

What is Interprofessional Education (IPE)?

“Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Once students understand how to work interprofessionally, they are ready to enter the workplace as a member of the collaborative practice team. This is a key step in moving health systems from fragmentation to a position of strength.”

Source: World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education & collaborative practice. Geneva: World Health Organization.

Interprofessional Core Competencies

A competency approach to interprofessional education emphasizes the essential behavioral combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that make up a collaborative practice-ready graduate.

The IPE Core Competency Domains include:

Each of these links provide multiple individual objectives which may be used to reinforce or enhance current course goals and objectives.

Learn more about MIPEC

Meet the Team

The Misericordia Interprofessional Task Force was organized in Spring 2015 with an intent to create, support and coordinate interprofessional education and practice within our college. As of Fall 2017, we have successfully transitioned to full committee status within the College of Health Science and Education.

Dean, College of Health Sciences and Education

Lisa May Norton, Ed.D.

Medical Imaging

Michelle Adams B.S., R.T. (R)

Healthcare Administration

John R. Ash, MHA, Ph.D., FACHE

Medical Imaging

Lynn Blazaskie, M.S.,R.T. (R)

Speech-Language Pathology

Lori Cimino, M.S., CCC-SLP

Nursing

Cathy Speace, PhD, RN, CSN, CNE

Social Work

Amanda Benbow, LCSW, PMHC, CTRPE

Psychology

Secretary

Abbey Valvano, Ph.D.

Occupational Therapy

Kathleen Hughes Butcher, Ed. D., OTR/L

Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Karen Klimas, MS, RT(R), RDMS

Physical Therapy

Maureen Rinehimer, PT, PhD, MS, MHS

Physician Assistant

Chair

Lindsey Vigilante, MSPAS, PA-C

Teacher Education

Roberta Yeager, D.Ed.

IPE Syllabus Statement

MIPEC Syllabus Statement Example

It is helpful to plan ahead for inclusion of IPE activities. Below is an example of an IPE syllabus statement:

This course utilizes Interprofessional Education (IPE) activities to enhance the educational goals and objectives stated above (course objectives). These activities may require time outside of regularly scheduled course times. Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. The overall goal is to support the collaborative team approach to patient/client-centered care through competency and understanding of:

Values and Ethics for interprofessional practice
Roles and Responsibilities for collaborative practice
Interprofessional Communication
Interprofessional Teamwork and Team-based Care

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT TRAINING / TEAMSTEPPS TRAINING

Are you aware that we have 3 TeamSTEPPS Master Trainers in the College of Health Science and Education? TeamSTEPPS is an acronym for Team Strategies & Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety and is supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based set of teamwork tools, aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among health care professionals. The TeamSTEPPS curriculum promotes communication, leadership, situation monitoring and mutual support using techniques such as SBAR, Huddle, Hand-off, Briefs among others. If you are interested in Faculty Development Training or learning more about TeamSTEPPS for the classroom, please let your department representative know.

Please consider incorporating an IPE activity into your course curriculum! If you do an activity with other professions we would appreciate hearing from you what you experienced for our records.