September 24, 2024
The Office of Academic Clinical Affairs’ Interprofessional Internship Program, in collaboration with the Center for Interprofessional Health, welcomes 15 students from across the health sciences who have been accepted and matched with core projects co-created with our clinical and community partners in Minnesota. The themes of this year’s program focus on collaborating to support the work of community organizations delivering, enhancing, or expanding access to rural and mobile health services, programs, and education. During the course of the projects, interns learn to apply leadership practices that support equitable and effective interprofessional collaboration toward expected deliverables. They also develop and lead a monthly professional development series for their peers, and benefit from networking and mentorship opportunities.
Take a look at this year’s cohort and the projects they will be working on:
Patient Education Program & New Governance Process at Allina Health
Güldamla Kalender, MD/PhD, Medical School
Ivey Tanski, BSN, School of Nursing
Allina Health is a nonprofit health system that provides expert and compassionate care for individuals, families and communities throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Interns will work on reimagining the patient education program, conducting robust analysis, and creating a new multidisciplinary governance process for systemwide program oversight.
Increasing Access to Care and Resources at Hennepin Pediatric Mobile Health
Nabiha Chaudhry, MD, Medical School
Anandi Ganguli, MPH, School of Public Health
Alyssa Nelson, MHA, School of Public Health
Hennepin Pediatric Mobile Health provides pediatric health care to families who are hesitant or unable to come to clinics or hospitals in Hennepin County. Interns will work on developing new screening and tracking processes related to patients’ social determinants of health and a new initiative focused on supporting postpartum people.
Data-driven Narrative to Promote Food Security at Mayo Clinic/Mower County
Martha DeMeules, MD, Medical School
Jasmine Zaidi, PharmD, College of Pharmacy
Interns will work on harnessing existing data to craft a compelling narrative showcasing the effectiveness and capacity of services and programs aimed at mitigating food insecurity.
Diabetic Education Program Development for Un and Underinsured at Mobile Health Initiative
Sara Busche, MD, Medical School
Adebayo Ibikunle, DDS, School of Dentistry
The Mobile Health Initiative unites U of M health professionals and students with community partners to deliver a range of urgently needed services. Interns will work on developing a program for basic diabetic education and glucometer use for patients who are newly diagnosed or have a history of uncontrolled diabetes.
Dementia Friendly Dental Practices Expansion at Trellis
Blair Kreh, DDS, School of Dentistry
Anna Van Deelen, MD, Medical School
Trellis provides services, connections, and innovations to help people thrive as they age, partnering with community and health care organizations to bridge social and medical care. Interns will work on broadening the educational reach of Trellis for providers across greater Minnesota, with a primary focus to expand Dementia Friendly Dental Practices as part of a grant-funded initiative.
Mental Health Initiative Development at Wayside Recovery Addiction Center
Kate Dembny, MD/PhD, Medical School
Lily Yang, MPH, School of Public Health
Wayside Recovery Addiction Center provides mental health and addiction treatment for women, children, and families in the Twin Cities metro area. Interns will work on supporting a new mental health initiative, including the development of screening tools, a community resource list, a library of treatment/intervention options and patient education, and an evaluation plan to assess utility.
Integrated Behavioral Health Insights & Recommendations at Wilderness Health
Morghan Byrnes, MD, Medical School
Seun Oginni, DDS, School of Dentistry
Wilderness Health is a collaborative of independent providers working together to improve health care in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, aiming to lead the transformation for rural health care systems. Interns will work on developing key insights and recommendations from survey data and meetings/interviews with stakeholders to transform integrated behavioral health in rural settings.