AMHERST, N.Y. –- Daemen College students and faculty from a range of health-related majors discussed interprofessional relationships in health care at two recent educational events held on campus.

Hosted by the Daemen Department of Physical Therapy, the events brought together more than 150 students and faculty from the college’s athletic training, health promotion, nursing, physician assistant, and physical therapy programs. Each event was kicked off with a keynote address given by Robin Schenk, director of the dietetic internship program, who discussed “The Impact of Obesity on Overall Health.” 

The groups talked about the importance of interprofessional collaboration to improve the quality of patient care, safety, outcomes, and efficiency, and also its effectiveness in reducing health care costs.

“These events were designed to help participants gain a better understanding of how to improve patient care as a team and the importance of communication to maximize patient outcomes,” said Dr. Michael Ross, assistant professor of physical therapy, who oversaw the educational events.” Participating in this kind of activity enhances the learning experience for our students and provides them beneficial insight and perspective from faculty who are experts in their fields.”