UB interprofessional forums continue to educate future health professionals on improving health care delivery through collaboration

The program, titled Meet Fred Santiago: Improving Care Through Interprofessional Collaboration, began with a 30-minute video which depicted a day in the life of Fred Santiago, a Buffalo Hispanic man with multiple chronic physical and mental health conditions. The film, developed by the UB Office of Interprofessional Education, provided students with insight on Fred Santiago, a man who is similar to many of the patients they will see every day throughout their careers. Most often, healthcare professionals see patients in the medical environment (offices, hospitals, rehab centers) and rarely gain an understanding of the challenges the patient faces every day in their home environment.

Following the film, students engaged in an interprofessional dialogue about the issues Fred faced and developed a comprehensive plan of care incorporating each profession’s perspective. These discussions gave students a more thorough understanding of how complex physical and mental health problems can only be addressed if they are confronted from many different angles by different types of health professionals.

UB’s Interprofessional Education forums are a result of the efforts of a cross-disciplinary team of faculty from the health professions and other programs who believe strongly in the value of collaboration in healthcare.