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Thailand: Community and Environmental Health in Chiang Mai

This two-week immersive course in Chiang Mai, Thailand introduces students to the diverse challenges and novel solutions in Thai health and wellbeing. Students will examine key public health issues in Thailand, including environmental health, local interventions to mitigate disease spread, and the health of vulnerable populations, with a special emphasis on health issues facing rural, migrant and refugee populations.

Peter Scal, MD, MPH

Faculty Lead, IPE Assessment & Data Analysis

Peter Scal, MD, MPH has been Core Faculty at the Center for Interprofessional Health since 2020. He co-develops and leads interprofessional learning experiences through 1Health, including the Essentials of Ambulatory Care workshops, sessions in Pathways to Health Professions, and a Food as Medicine case study within the Ecohealth Quest retreats, where students apply a One Health framework to the clinical and ecological intersections of nutrition and health.

Jennifer Kertz, MPP

Director, Interprofessional Strategic Initiatives

Jennifer Kertz serves as the director of interprofessional strategic initiatives for the Center for Interprofessional Health.  In this role, she provides guidance on strategic deliverables and broader engagement strategies across the university and communities it serves. 

Special Olympics Interprofessional Experience 2026

The Center for Interprofessional Health (CIH) is pleased to offer a unique Phase III Experiential Interprofessional Education activity supporting health professions learner participation in collaborative care for athletes with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in the Special Olympics USA Games 2026. Learners will engage in preparatory training, on-site activities with the athletes, and an interprofessional debriefing session. 
 

Mary Kate Leloux

Mary Kate Leloux (she/her) serves as Education Coordinator for the Center for Interprofessional Health where she supports the planning and implementation of 1Health curriculum and education for health sciences students across UMN campuses. Mary Kate earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Minnesota in 2024, and has previously worked in study abroad education, public health research, and supportive patient care roles. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, exploring Minnesota, and being creative in the kitchen.

Intersectional Perspectives in DEI, Mental Health, and Trauma-Informed Care

Students gain a clear understanding of the scope of practice of non-mental health providers as it relates to mental health, trauma, and the processes of referring clients to other professionals when appropriate. Students will be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of common mental health concerns and of trauma and will learn tools and techniques to navigate these concerns within their profession’s scope of practice.

Human Rights and Health Advocacy: The Minnesota Advocacy Project

Participants in Human Rights and Health Equity: The Minnesota Advocacy Project (MAP) curriculum attend 7 workshops in which they learn about human rights, social determinants of health, and advocacy strategies with an emphasis on translating these concepts into action. This unique course emphasizes interprofessional collaboration and education through small group activities and simulation. Participants develop tactics for effective individual, community, and legislative advocacy to address inequities. 

Pediatric End-of-Life Care Skills Inter-professional Workshop

The Pediatric End-of-Life Skills Inter-professional Workshop is a half-day, simulation-based workshop during which trainees (graduate social work students, graduate nurse practitioner students, and pediatrics/medicine pediatrics resident physicians) work on teams to learn about pediatric palliative care and communicate with standardized family members of a pediatric patient with a life-limiting illness. The workshop is facilitated by faculty (nursing, social work, physicians), bereaved parents, and simulation staff.