Interprofessional Education (IPE) Training
Interprofessional Education (IPE) at CHHS
The College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) created the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Task Force to bring students from across our schools together to learn, practice, and solve problems as a team.
Why It Matters
Health care today is built on collaboration. When nurses, physical therapists, athletic trainers, speech-language specialists, and other professionals train together, they are better prepared to provide safe, effective, and patient-centered care.
Current Examples
What's New
IPE Program for Clinical Training Programs
CHHS is piloting a three-semester IPE program where graduate students from Nursing, Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, Speech-Language Pathology, and Audiology:
- Learn online together about teamwork and professional roles.
- Collaborate on case studies to design care plans.
- Work with live actors simulating patients in realistic scenarios.
Beginning in Spring 2026, all graduate students in these CHHS clinical training programs will participate in IPE activities, with future expansion into Social Work, Public Health, Dietetics, and other programs. A detailed summary of the pilot is here.
CHHS Minor for Preprofessional Students
CHHS is developing a minor in Integrated Health and Human Services to a) provide preprofessional students (e.g., students in bachelor’s degrees who will enter a graduate clinical training program) and b) students planning to enter careers that require interaction with health and human services professionals (e.g., healthcare administration, medical device engineering) to learn how to work together as part of interdisciplinary teams to coordinate patient care.
The Impact
IPE prepares CHHS students to:
- Communicate across professions.
- Deliver safer, higher-quality patient and client care.
- Graduate ready for today’s team-based health care environments.
By embedding IPE into existing courses, CHHS is preparing the next generation of leaders to advance health equity and well-being across communities.
Peter Torre, PhD
Professor, School of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
IPE Task Force Members:
- Angela Bencke, Lecturer, School of Nursing
- Kimberly Detwiler, Lecturer and Clinical Coordinator, Athletic Training, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences
- Judy Dye, Assistant Professor and Associate Director, School of Nursing
- Michael Gates, Associate Professor and Associate Director, School of Nursing
- Margo Greicar, Lecturer and Program Director, Athletic Training, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences
- Ignatius Nip, Professor and Director, School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Mitchell Rauh, Professor and Director, School of Physical Therapy
Contact Us
SDSU College of Health and Human Services