Linking Community Service and Interprofessional Education: The Salus University Veterans Readiness Initiative

The interdisciplinary author team has developed a model for community partnered, multisensory (hearing vision balance) outreach screening events to identify Veterans who have sensory/sensorimotor problems and link them with care while also providing an interprofessional (IPE) learning experience for students and faculty. Returning Veterans enrolled in community college to enhance employability sometimes struggle with non-specific visual, auditory and/or vestibular symptoms that interfere with academic performance. These Veterans may have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion. Salus University has partnered with the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and two community colleges, to conduct an interdisciplinary outreach screening on two community college campuses in two successive years. Audiology (AuD) and Optometry (OD) student teams supervised by Salus University Audiology and Optometry faculty members administered a customized, 21-item interdisciplinary symptom-rating questionnaire and conducted screening tests of hearing, vision, balance, and tinnitus. To date, 37 students and seven faculty have participated in the screening events. All student and faculty participants attend a one-hour, pre-event training session, and students complete a post-event outcome assessment questionnaire that includes four questions about the inter-professional experience. Content analysis reveals a high frequency of positive words and phrases and self-identified learning outcomes, as well as recommendations for improvement. The students appreciate learning about a sensory system different from their intended area of practice. They also find it beneficial to observe the performance of clinical screening tests utilizing equipment different from their own. The Veterans appreciate the on-campus convenience and opportunity to work with AuD/OD student/faculty teams. We conclude that integrating IPE into a community service activity engages students, fosters meaningful, active learning, promotes confidence as healthcare professionals, and deepens student appreciation and understanding of different healthcare professions. Two-three measurable learning objectives relevant to conference goals: The participant will: Become knowledgeable about the Salus University Veterans Readiness Initiative as a collaborative community-based interprofessional multisensory screening endeavor. Understand the Salus University Veterans Readiness Initiative as an effort to engage patients in developing a new integrated interprofessional education and care model. Recognize the Salus University Veterans Readiness Initiative as an innovative approach to engaging and preparing students and faculty for interprofessional collaboration and care