The college’s faculty members Luzita Vela and Glenda Hux were recently inducted into the National Academies of Practice (NAP), a testament to the college’s commitment to interprofessional education.
Vela is a teaching associate professor and director of the Master of Athletic Training Program. Hux is an assistant professor in the college’s doctoral occupational therapy program. Both are leaders in the college’s Interprofessional Education Council (IPEC), which was established in 2022 to enhance collaborations among its various health and education programs to improve outcomes for people in Arkansas and beyond. Preparing students to work with people in professions outside their immediate area of study will lead to better outcomes for their future patients, clients or students. Many of the complex challenges in schools, healthcare facilities and communities benefit from a team-based approach.
IPEC council members have taken action to educate and train faculty, students and staff in best practices for interprofessional education, prepare future professionals to work collaboratively, and provide support for research.
Students from the college’s health and education programs have had the opportunity to observe interprofessional collaborations in real-world settings, interview professionals about collaboration and examine systems that promote interprofessional practice. Students have also participated in various collaborations where they can learn from each other, including the college’s Innovate for Healthcare and Education (I4HE) Academy. Students from multiple programs in the college — future teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists — participated in the event. The overarching theme of I4HE was how to increase access to quality healthcare in Arkansas by solving a real-life problem. Students were fascinated to see how their different ideas and perspectives generated a more impactful health care solution.
Induction into the National Academies of Practice is a prestigious honor that recognized Vela and Hux as leaders who excel in their respective professions and dedicate themselves to advancing interprofessional education, scholarship, research, practice and policy in support of interprofessional care. They were inducted as fellows at the National Academies of Practice Annual Induction Banquet and Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. The non-profit was founded in 1981 and advocates for the value of interprofessional practice to improve healthcare and policy for all.
