UAA College of Health Kicks Off 2025鈥�2026 Interprofessional Education Series on 鈥淎 Lived Experience with Disabilities鈥�

by Kevin Bennett  |   

  • 2025 Grand Rounds (Zoom Call 1)
    Panelists join the virtual kickoff of the 2025鈥�2026 Interprofessional Education series, sharing lived and clinical perspectives on disability, communication, and whole-person care. The fully virtual session brought together voices representing multiple areas of disability and health in 麻豆无码版.
  • 2025 Grand Rounds (Zoom Call 2)
    Panelists connect via Zoom during the 鈥淎 Lived Experience with Disabilities鈥� session, offering personal testimonies and professional insights that helped students better understand the realities and opportunities within disability-related care.
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Recently, on November 7, the UAA College of Health鈥檚 Interprofessional Education (IPE) Committee launched its 2025鈥�2026 event series with a session focused on 鈥淎 Lived Experience with Disabilities.鈥� Each year, the IPE Committee selects a theme designed to help students from across health programs deepen their understanding of team-based care and its role in improving the patient experience. This year鈥檚 focus highlights the importance of learning directly from patients and providers about disability, communication, and whole-person care.
 
The first event of the series brought together more than 100 students via Zoom and featured an Anchorage-based panel representing multiple facets of disability and health care:
 
  • Bridger Reed-Lewis 鈥� patient with lived experience
  • Glenda Shaw 鈥� clinician
  • Dr. Lucia Roncalli 鈥� physician and Somatic Experiencing practitioner
  • Rosalinda Rempel 鈥� behavioral health clinical associate
 
Students shared afterward that personal testimonies were among the most impactful elements of the session. Many described the panel as 鈥減owerful,鈥� noting that hearing lived experience alongside clinical perspectives helped them understand the realities, challenges, and opportunities within disability-related care in 麻豆无码版.
Students Strongly Support Interprofessional Learning
Survey responses collected after the event reaffirm the importance of interprofessional education as part of 麻豆无码版鈥檚 future health workforce.
 
  • 95鈥�100% of participants agreed that shared learning helps them understand patient problems and become stronger team members.
  • 76鈥�81% strongly agreed that patients benefit when health students work together.
Students also highlighted that communication, trust, and respect are essential components of effective collaboration. In fact, 61鈥�67% strongly agreed that communication skills should be learned with other health disciplines鈥攔einforcing the need for structured interprofessional learning opportunities across programs.
Breakout Groups Build Trust, Respect, and Real Connections
After the panel, students joined interprofessional breakout groups led by COH faculty and staff. These discussions allowed participants to reflect on best practices for supporting patients with disabilities and to learn more about the roles, perspectives, and strengths of other health professions.
 
Students repeatedly noted that the combination of community voices, panel storytelling, and small-group discussions made the event especially meaningful. Many also appreciated the accessibility of the virtual format, which allowed broader participation from across 麻豆无码版 and reduced barriers related to travel or scheduling.
What Students Want Next
Students expressed enthusiasm for additional interprofessional opportunities throughout the year, offering feedback that will help guide future programming. Suggestions included:
 
  • More personal stories from patients and providers
  • Expanded visibility and advertising for IPE events
  • Optional in-person sessions
  • New interprofessional activities such as:
    • An IPE Storytelling Series
    • IPE Social and Networking Events
    • IPE Observation Days, allowing students to see firsthand what each profession鈥檚 training and clinical preparation looks like
 
This level of engagement reflects strong student interest in connecting more deeply with peers across disciplines鈥攕omething that strengthens the pipeline for 麻豆无码版鈥檚 health workforce.
 
Continuing the Series Into Spring 2026
The IPE series will continue in the Spring 2026 semester with simulation-based learning activities. These hands-on experiences allow students to apply collaborative communication, shared decision-making, and clinical reasoning in realistic care scenarios.
 
Students interested in participating in the Spring simulations may complete the interest form here:

 

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