Interprofessional Education
Since 2012, the Interprofessional Initiative (IPI) has helped drive an educational revolution at 博彩网站. Interprofessional education (IPE) occurs when learners from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other in order to collaborate more effectively. Working across 博彩网站's schools and programs, our IPE program aims to create healthcare workers who are committed to making team-based, patient-centered care the new standard. The success of the Interprofessional Initiative relies on collaboration among administrators, faculty, students, community partners and patients.
博彩网站’s Interprofessional Education Initiative is a signature experience for students in the clinical health professions at 博彩网站. We offer a variety of interprofessional educational opportunities for our students across many of our programs.
The core of our initiative is the IPE Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice Course, where incoming clinical program students take part in an institution-wide course. The course focuses on the four IPE Core Competencies (teams/teamwork, communication, roles/responsibilities, ethics/values), patient safety, and collaborative care. This collaboration with two other Oregon institutions – Oregon State University and Oregon Institute of Technology - is only possible thanks to the continued financial support of 博彩网站 and sustained joint efforts of our programs, faculty, students, and staff.
The Campus for Rural Health (CRH) Program offers another opportunity for interprofessional education. In clinical rotations offered through the CRH, students from across programs learn, live, and work together while engaging with the local community, deepening their understanding of collaborative practice in challenged rural healthcare settings.
While there are core courses dedicated to IPE, there are also electives, events, and experiences offered throughout our programs - please explore all of the ways we practice interprofessional education at 博彩网站. Under the direction of the IPI Steering Committee, composed of members from different schools and programs, 博彩网站 will continue to facilitate and grow quality interprofessional education, practice, and research.
Nominations now open for the IPE Education Curriculum Development Award!
Faculty from across 博彩网站's missions, Schools and Colleges are eligible. This award recognizes an individual or team for outstanding contributions to the development of IPE curricula involving courses, activities, sessions, or collaborations in the didactic, clinical, simulated or community environment. The award will be given at the annual 博彩网站 Education Symposium closing plenary as a physical award, recognition of accomplishments, and award money up to $3,000 to be used for attendance at an IPE-related conference for the following academic year.
The nomination deadline is April 1, 2025. Please nominate through Smartsheet (to be updated in 2025).
Nominations are open to:
- Faculty from all missions (clinical, education, research, community outreach), schools and colleges within 博彩网站
- Self-nomination or colleague nomination
The IPI steering committee will review applications, decide on the winner, and give the award at the 博彩网站 Education Symposium. Applications should include:
- Letter outlining contributions to IPE curriculum
- Updated CV(s)
- Additional letters of support (optional)
Questions? Email ipe@ohsu.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
Interprofessional education prepares health professions learners, at all levels, for working together with the common goal of improving our health system. IPE occurs when learners from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other in order to collaborate more effectively (WHO, 2010). Working across 博彩网站's schools and programs, our IPE program aims to create healthcare workers who are committed to making team-based, patient-centered care the new standard.
Since 2012, the Interprofessional Initiative (IPI) has helped drive an educational revolution at 博彩网站. The 博彩网站 IPI was formed to prepare all 博彩网站 students for deliberatively and intelligently working together, with a common goal of building a safer and more effective patient-centered and community-oriented health care system within Oregon and across the United States. The success of the Interprofessional Initiative relies on collaboration among administrators, faculty, students, community partners and patients.
IPI is the acronym for the 博彩网站 Interprofessional Initiative, and IPE is the nationally recognized acronym for Interprofessional Practice and Education.
You can learn more about the courses on the 博彩网站 Curriculum Committee page.
IPE Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice

At 博彩网站, we believe that team-based, collaborative care will result in more effective and safer care for patients, lower healthcare costs, and better outcomes for populations. That's why collaboration and educating a clinical and scientific workforce that addresses the health of populations in an interprofessional environment are goals of 博彩网站's Strategic Plan (Vision 2020). Since 2012, the 博彩网站 IPI has put into action our commitment to fulfilling these goals. The IPE course entitled Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice – (IPE 401/501/601/701) is one example.
Interested in being a faculty facilitator for the 2024-2025 in-person (and some online groups) IPE Foundations Course? Please complete this sign-up form to indicate your availability. This form also includes details of this course's logistics and dates.
What is this course?
博彩网站 is proud to offer our Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice Course (IPE 401, 501, & 701), which introduces early healthcare learners to the four core competencies of interprofessional education:
Competency 1: Values/ ethics for interprofessional practice (VE)
Competency 2: Roles and responsibilities for collaborative practice (RR)
Competency 3: Interprofessional communication practice (CC)
Competency 4: Interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice (TT)1
1Interprofessional Education Collaborative. (2016). Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: 2016 update. Washington, DC: Interprofessional Education Collaborative.
Who takes this course?
About 700 incoming students each year are required to take IPE Foundations. Students are assigned to groups of up to 15 students, and then combined in interprofessional teams of three or four.
We involve a range of students, including:
- Second year pharmacy students from 博彩网站 and Oregon State University (OSU)
- First year students from:
Who runs it and when?
Clinical and educational faculty from all across 博彩网站 and Oregon Tech facilitate the sessions. It is an annual course that includes one 3-hour session each term (Fall, Winter and Spring), for three total sessions. For more details, 博彩网站 members can visit the Interprofessional Practice and Education O2 site.
How can I learn more?
博彩网站 members can learn more at the Interprofessional Practice and Education O2 site. If you are an 博彩网站 faculty and would like to facilitate in future sessions, please sign up. If you are not part of 博彩网站, please reach out to ipe@ohsu.edu for more information.
2023-2024 In person (and some online sections) IPE Foundations
Session I
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
1:00 PM to 4 PM
In addition to asynchronous work
Session II
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1:00 PM to 4 PM
In addition to asynchronous work
Session III
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
1:00 PM to 4 PM
In addition to asynchronous work.
