VCU to Host the First Annual Emswiller Interprofessional Symposium

By Sathya Achia Abraham

Virginia Commonwealth University presents the inaugural Jewell and Carl Emswiller Interprofessional Symposium, an event that brings together professionals from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and other health care professions to discuss ways to increase collaboration and education to improve patient care.

The symposium, titled “Preparing for the Interprofessional Practice Environment of Tomorrow,” takes place March 9 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N. Third St. There is a fee to attend and registration is now open.

“This conference builds on the legacy of Carl Emswiller, an alum and clinical faculty member who was an innovator in collaborative practice,” said conference co-chair Victor Yanchick, Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Pharmacy.

“The session will increase the ability of health care professionals to improve the community through collaborative practice,” he said.

The event includes panel discussions, poster sessions and networking opportunities. Carolyn Clancy, M.D., director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will serve as the keynote speaker and discuss the importance of collaboration between health care professions.

The conference faculty will include nationally renowned experts who will address topics that include how to prepare for the future of interprofessional practice in health care, innovations in interprofessional practice and how to best educate health care professionals.

“VCU is leading the national dialogue about using interprofessional education to increase teamwork and collaboration in health care,” said conference co-chair and organizer Alan Dow, M.D., assistant vice president of health sciences and director of the Center for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care at VCU.

VCU is a leader in interprofessional education, which is a growing trend in the training of future generations of health care professionals. Interprofessional education is designed to get multiple health care professions – physicians, nurses, pharmacists, care providers, technicians and more – working as a team and communicating effectively. Interprofessional education allows students to interact with those in other health care disciplines the same way they will in the field.

Approximately 150 to 200 participants from throughout the state are expected to attend the symposium.

For more information, visit http://www.apps.som.vcu.edu/vculms/clickthru.html