Interprofessional Health Mentors Program

TitleInterprofessional Health Mentors Program
Faculty/College/UnitUBC Health
StatusCompleted
Duration3 Years
Initiation04/01/2011
Completion03/31/2015
Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2011/2012
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorAngela Towle
Year 1: Funded Amount49,993
Year 1: Team Members

Angela Towle, Associate Professor, Health Care Communication, College of Health Disciplines
Lesley Bainbridge, Co-Chair, Working Group on Health Systems MD Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine / College of Health Disciplines
Lynda Eccott, Chair, Interprofessional Curriculum Committee, Pharmaceutical Sciences / College of Health Disciplines
Bernie Garrett, Associate Director, Undergraduate Programs, School of Nursing
William Godolphin, Health Care Communication, Faculty of Medicine and College of Health Disciplines
Michael Lee, Curriculum Coordinator, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Karol Traviss, Education Coordinator, Dietetics, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Barbara Purves, Associate Professor, Audiology and Speech Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Year 1: Summary

The proposal is for the development and implementation of an interprofessional (IP), longitudinal ‘Health Mentors’ program in which teams of students from different disciplines learn together from a mentor (patient/client) with a chronic condition or disability (an expert in their life). Over the course of the program (2 years) the student teams visit their mentor several times, each visit focusing on specific curricular goals and IP competencies. This new initiative builds on experience gained in working in partnership with students, patients (mentors) and community organizations through the ‘Community-Partnerships for Health Professional Education’ project. The objectives of the first phase of the Health Mentors program (2011-2012) are to i) plan and create the infrastructure for a pilot project in Fall 2011; and ii) implement and evaluate a pilot involving 20 health mentors and 100 students from at least 6 different health and human service programs at UBC.

Year 2: Project YearYear 2
Year 2: Funding Year2012/2013
Year 2: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 2: Principal InvestigatorAngela Towle
Year 2: Funded Amount51,730
Year 2: Team Members

Angela Towle, Associate Professor, Health Care Communication, College of Health Disciplines
Lesley Bainbridge, Faculty Supervisor, Physical Therapy / Co-Chair Working Group, Health Systems MD Undergraduate Program, College of Health Disciplines
Lynda Eccott, Chair Interprofessional Curriculum Committee / Faculty Supervisor, Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Health Disciplines
Bonita Sawatzky, Faculty Supervisor, Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine
William Godolphin, Co-Director, Health Care Communication, Faculty of Medicine
Amy Ash, Student, Nursing
Chantelle Cavazzon, Student, Occupational Therapy
Charles Walsh, Student, Medicine
Hilary Brown, Health Mentor
Chris Hofley, Health Mentor
Paul Kerston, Health Mentor and Positive Living BC
Sue MacDonald, Vancouver Community Mental Health Services
Donna Dryan, Faculty Supervisor, Occupational Therapy
Maura MacPhee, Faculty Supervisor, Nursing
Firoozeh Samim, Faculty Supervisor, Dentistry

Year 2: Summary

The proposal is for the further development and implementation of an interprofessional (IP), longitudinal ‘Health Mentors’ program in which teams of students from different disciplines learn together from and with a mentor (patient/client) with a chronic condition or disability (an expert in their life). Over the course of the program (16 months) the student teams visit their mentor several times, each visit focusing on specific curricular goals and lP competencies. The Health Mentors program was implemented for a pilot cohort of 92 students from six different professional programs and 23 Health Mentors in September 2011. The objectives of the second phase of the Health Mentors pilot program (2012-2013) are to i) complete implementation and evaluation of the program for the first pilot cohort (ends in December 2012) and ii) investigate scalability of the HM program through a second, larger scale pilot cohort beginning in September 2012.

Year 3: Project YearYear 3
Year 3: Funding Year2013/2014
Year 3: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 3: Principal InvestigatorAngela Towle
Year 3: Funded Amount50,189
Year 3: Team Members

Angela Towle, Associate Professor, Health Care Communication, College of Health Disciplines
Lesley Bainbridge, Faculty Supervisor, Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine / Interprofessional Education Lead, College of Health Disciplines
Lynda Eccott, Faculty Supervisor, Pharmaceutical Sciences / Chair Interprofessional Curriculum Committee, College of Health Disciplines
Bonita Sawatzky, Faculty Supervisor, Medicine and Orthopaedics
Willaim Godolphin, Co-Director, Health Care Communication and Faculty of Medicine
Amy Ash, Student, School of Nursing
Heather Lyons, Student, Occupational Therapy
Chantelle Cavazzon, Student, Occupational Therapy
Rachel Dalzell, Student, Medicine
Charles Walsh, Student, Medicine
Hilary Brown, Health Mentor
Chris Hofley, Health Mentor
Paul Kerston, Health Mentor and Positive Living BC
Sue MacDonald, Vancouver Community Mental Health Services

Year 3: Summary

The proposal enables completion of the development and piloting of an interprofessional ‘Health Mentors’ program in which students from different professions learn together from and with a mentor (patient/client) with a chronic condition or disability (an expert in their life). Over the 16-month program, groups (four students and mentor) meet several times to discuss specific topics. The first cohort of 90 students from six different professional programs and 23 Health Mentors started in September 2011 and will finish in December 2012. Cohort 2 began in September 2012 with 203 students from nine different programs and 51 mentors, Objectives of the third phase of the pilot program (2013-2014) are to i) complete implementation and evaluation of cohort 2; ii) recruit mentors, students and faculty supervisors for a third cohort to start in September 2013; iii) work with participating programs to ensure sustainability of the HM program beyond the pilot phase.