Advancing its commitment to comprehensive community health, the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences at UC Irvine has launched the Interprofessional Community Health Action Project (ICHAP), bringing together students from its four schools to address pressing health issues affecting vulnerable populations. This innovative program, co-sponsored by the Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPEP) Collaborative and the Health Equity Collaborative, exemplifies UC Irvine’s commitment to fostering collaboration and providing high-quality healthcare access for all.
ICHAP engaged 329 students from the schools of pharmacy, nursing, medicine and public health, forming 57 interprofessional groups. Over two academic quarters, these teams worked collaboratively to identify social issues affecting vulnerable populations and design community engagement projects to address them.
“I am proud of our students for coming together in a collaborative, interprofessional manner to tackle the root causes of social issues that significantly impact healthcare access and outcomes. By leveraging their diverse perspectives and expertise, these students created practical, community-centered solutions which move beyond conventional approaches,” said Nana Entsuah-Boateng, PharmD, the assistant faculty director for the IPEP Collaborative, assistant clinical professor at the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences and the ICHAP project lead.
By leveraging their diverse perspectives and expertise, these students created practical, community-centered solutions which move beyond conventional approaches.
Sora Tanjasiri, MPH, DrPH, faculty chair for the Health Equity Collaborative and professor at the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “One of the purposes of the Health Equity Collaborative is to broaden the opportunities for students to learn about health equity needs in communities. ICHAP presented the perfect opportunity for us to partner with faculty and staff from all four schools in the development of interprofessional student projects that addressed a wide array of issues.”
The project’s objectives included identifying community health issues, enhancing understanding of healthcare access barriers, applying critical thinking skills, proposing innovative solutions and developing effective interprofessional communication strategies. Students submitted 7-minute video presentations highlighting their proposed solutions. The top three teams received recognition and rewards.
Stephanie Au, DNP, MSN, APRN, faculty director of the IPEP Collaborative and associate clinical professor at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, underscored the importance of interprofessional collaboration: “Healthcare is not practiced in silos, and addressing community health issues requires a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. This project fosters meaningful partnerships among healthcare professionals, ensuring sustainable, equitable solutions for the communities we serve.”
The winning project, titled “Reducing Social Isolation in Low-Income Elderly Communities: A Hybrid Model of Digital and In-Person Interventions,” proposed a comprehensive approach to address social isolation among older adults in low-income California communities. The team’s innovative solution combined digital literacy training, telephone outreach, video conferencing sessions, and in-person activities to enhance social support networks and improve health outcomes for vulnerable older adults.
Two other outstanding projects focused on mental health among unhoused Los Angeles residents and enhancing healthcare access for unhoused individuals in Los Angeles County. These projects demonstrated the students’ ability to tackle complex health issues with creative, multidisciplinary approaches.
The selection of the top three teams was based on a rigorous evaluation process that considered comprehensive criteria such as interprofessional collaboration, impact and feasibility, innovation and creativity, alignment with competencies, and presentation quality. This process ensured that the winning projects not only showcased exceptional teamwork but also had the potential for real-world impact.
Looking ahead, ICHAP aims to refine and enhance the project, focusing on deeper integration into the curriculum and stronger alignment with both discipline-specific and interprofessional education competencies. This ongoing development will ensure that ICHAP continues to be a transformative experience that prepares students for collaborative, team-based healthcare practice.
As healthcare continues to evolve, initiatives like ICHAP play a crucial role in equipping the next generation of health professionals with the skills and perspectives needed to tackle complex health challenges. Through this collaborative approach, UC Irvine enhances the education of its students and contributes to the development of more effective, equitable healthcare solutions for communities in need.
The success of ICHAP is a testament to the dedication of faculty members and students from across the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.
