A Milestone in Collaborative Learning Across Health Disciplines

York College held its first-ever Interprofessional Education (IPE) Simulation on May 6, bringing together students and faculty from Nursing, Physician Assistant (PA), Social Work (SW), and Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) for a collaborative, team-based learning experience.

This pilot initiative was developed through the efforts of a committed interdisciplinary team with Dr. Lorraine Sanassi, Clinical Professor and Simulation Coordinator for the PA Program, serving in a coordinating role to support the planning and execution of the event.

The simulation encouraged real-time collaboration across disciplines with students assessing clinical, functional, and psychosocial needs to develop a safe and comprehensive discharge. The scenario focused on the discharge of a stroke patient and allowed students to demonstrate discipline-specific skills while working collaboratively to create a comprehensive care plan. Each program contributed both faculty expertise and student engagement to bring the case to life.`

Dr. Harry Persaud, PhD, DrPH, PA-C, Director for the PA Program stated, “Interprofessional Collaboration is an essential component in medicine, requiring the contribution from multiple disciplines to ensure comprehensive and high-quality care for patients. I am so proud of our faculty, staff, and students from the various departments and programs for participating in this pivotal event. These collaborative efforts are instrumental in preparing our students for real-world scenarios, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the future. I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this event possible.”

This inaugural event reflects York’s commitment to integrated healthcare education and lays the foundation for future interprofessional simulations that prepare students for collaborative clinical practice.