by David Howell
MUSC Creating Collaborative Care
MUSC’s interprofessional competition brought students from different programs together to dissect a health care case and provide recommendations.
 
The annual Clinician Administrator Relationship Improvement Organization (Clarion) was established held at MUSC Nov. 20. The program expands the educational experience of health care students through team interaction, and raises awareness of each profession to increase patient health outcomes.
 
Dr. Valerie West, center, celebrates with the first place Clarion winners: Lisa Murphy, Dezmond Sumter, Jenny Glace and Molly Lussier.

Danielle Baskin, Melissa Thompson and Janine Mitchell, South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) MUSC campus students, coordinated the event with sponsors Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society and the MUSC Student Government Association (SGA).
 
“The competition is an excellent way for students from all six colleges to collaborate together in solving health- care-related problems,” said Thompson, SCCP MUSC campus Class of 2010, SGA secretary and Phi Lambda Sigma vice president. “The teams work for hours on end, dissecting a case involving a sentinel event to change the system and avoid future poor outcomes. This year’s case was very challenging and unique, because the teams incorporated informatics and interactive systems into their design. These technologies—computerized physician order entry, electronic white boards and bar code medication administration—are changing in our very own hospitals. These new areas of high-tech health care will impact everyone’s practice and these students have an advanced understanding of these technologies and will be well prepared when they are working in clinical practice.”
 
“Each year the cases challenge students to delve into areas that may not be part of their current courses. All three teams were well-prepared and delivered polished presentations that demonstrated their knowledge and their effort put into the experience,” said Valerie West, Ed.D., associate provost for educational programs.
 
Seven teams submitted presentations to preliminary judges: Amy Blue, Ph.D.,  associate provost for education and MUSC Creating Collabora-tive Care director; Edward Soltis, Ph.D., professor and director of professional education, Depart-ment of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences; and Barbara Tilley, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor and chair, Department of Biometry and Epidemiology. Three qualifying teams were involved in the finalists’ competition held at the Storm Eye Institute auditorium.
 
“To excel in the competition, student's must not only learn new material, they must learn to work together as a team. These skills will serve them well in their future interprofessional experiences. In addition, they come to respect each other’s professional knowledge while getting to know the strengths of someone outside their profession,” West said.
 
Judges included Oscar Lovelace, M.D.; Rick G. Schnellmann, Ph.D., professor and chair, Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences; James Sterrett, PharmD, assistant professor, SCCP MUSC campus; and myself. Following the competition, a reception took place where the teams were presented with awards by West. This year’s participants, faculty and staff acknowledged West for her support of MUSC’s Clarion program established in 2006.
 
“It is gratifying to know our future health care is in the hands of these truly accomplished students,” West said. “Their performance and willingness to involve themselves in this intensive experience outside of their already demanding programs demonstrates their commitment to being leaders in health care improvement.”
 
The first place team will travel to the University of Minnesota in April 2009 to compete at the National Clarion Competition in Minneapolis. A first place prize of $5,000 will be awarded to the top team.

• First place ($3,000)—Jenny Glace (Pharmacy); Molly Lussier (Nursing); Lisa Murphy (Pharmacy); Dez-mond Sumter (Medicine); and David Morrisette, Ph.D. (faculty advisor)

• Second place ($2,000)—Monica Barden (Pharmacy); Sydney Cummings (Medicine); Jacqueline Eckert (Health Professions); Katie Kavanagh (Pharmacy); and Willette Burnham, (faculty advisor)

• Third place ($1,000)—Alfred Griffin (Dental Medicine); Sean Jesinkey (Pharmacy); Elizabeth O’Hara (Pharmacy); Tyler Pierce (Medicine); and Laurine Charles, (faculty advisor).

Friday, Dec. 12, 2008