OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center announced today that Unity Clinic, the campus’ student-led interprofessional clinical experience, has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 George E. Thibault, MD Nexus Award by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, or the Nexus.
This national award recognizes a Nexus partnership of health systems, clinics, educational institutions and/or community organizations for extraordinary contributions to the Nexus: redesigning both health care education and health care delivery simultaneously to be better integrated and more interprofessional while demonstrating outcomes.
Founded in 2019, the mission of Unity Clinic is to promote clinical interprofessional collaboration between current and future health care providers while delivering patient-centered, high-quality health care to underserved populations of Oklahoma. This work is completed through primary care, collaborative care clinics and mobile health outreach initiatives spanning 18 professions across eight University of Oklahoma colleges. Care is delivered to over 500 patients per year through hundreds of hours in clinical sessions with over a dozen community partners.
“The OUHSC Unity Clinic is a wonderful example of a student-led, academic-practice partnership that achieves outcomes in student learning and increases the community’s access to care,” said Dr. Christine Arenson, director of the National Center.
Demonstrating leadership in action, Unity Clinic operates with a complex team of over 70 student and faculty leaders. As an innovative practice model, Unity offers a flexible framework intended to promote collaboration and problem-solving where each team is established deliberately to include different combinations of professions dependent on the focus of the clinic and the patients’ needs.
Measurable outcomes have included metrics such as student participation rates that have increased by more than 900%. Using the Jefferson Team Observation Guide to measure team behaviors related to the IPEC Core Competencies, 84-91% reported teams exceeded expectations to had exceptional performance. Patient outcomes are assessed according to access to care where thousands of hours of cumulative direct patient care are provided annually.
Unity Clinic strives to deliver the best experience possible to our patients, our communities, and of course, to our student learners,” said Margaret Robinson, senior associate director of the OUHSC Office of Interdisciplinary Programs. “Although a workforce development clinical experience, Unity Clinic provides a unique opportunity to address health disparities and improve health outcomes all while building a sense of belongingness among our student and provider teams. Our teams have truly built one of the best IPE programs in the country. We are humbled to be recognized by the National Center and we are committed to continued growth and improvement to provide team-based care to as many Oklahomans as possible.”
Unity Clinic is operated by the OUHSC Office of Interdisciplinary Programs in the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & Faculty Development. Additional information regarding Unity Clinic can be found at ipe.ouhsc.edu/Unity-Clinic or by calling (405) 271-5557.
About the University of Oklahoma - Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. OU was named the state’s highest-ranking university in U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges list. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.