Four health science students from UW-Stevens Point were recently involved in the inaugural Interprofessional Healthcare Case Competition, sponsored by the Area Health Education Center – WI System (AHEC). The team of Ashley Stangel, Carissa Robertson, Kayla Schultz and Julia VandeHei won third place and a prize of $1,000 for their health care case study.
Faculty members were notified of the event last summer and Professor Carole Paulson solicited student volunteers from her fall capstone course enrollees to participate as a service-learning project. Team selection was competitive the UW-Stevens Point team was chosen to represent the North-Central Region. Requirements were that teams be comprised of no more than 4-5 students representing at least three different professions. Students worked throughout the semester to analyze a complex health care case study using multiple resources, culminating in the development of a professional presentation that would meet specified guidelines.
Student groups and their advisers from around the state then gathered at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells on Jan. 9-10 to present their findings and submit to a panel of judges. Besides conducting their presentations, students attended the Interprofessional Village where they had the opportunity to visit with professionals from many settings and health care organizations from around the state. Cash prizes were awarded to first, second and third place at the awards banquet.
“They did a terrific job throughout the course of the semester investigating the situation and consulting with variety of interdisciplinary health care professionals, then coming to researched conclusions and recommendations based on best practices,” said Paulson, their adviser.
The group competed against students who were licensed in their professions such as RNs as well as graduate students (medical, pharmacy, nurse practitioners), many of who had years of professional experience. The students, who graduated December 2013, agreed that the experience was a fitting way to top off their academic career at UW-Stevens Point.