Alumna Dr. Carlene Johnson created her own position as the Interprofessional Coordinator at her clinic as a result of the leadership skills she learned in RMUoHP’s OTD program
Dr. Johnson (left) with OT student
Through our programs at RMUoHP, alumni often have the opportunity to grow professionally. Whether it’s a promotion based on higher education received, or creating a new position based on an observed need, we are extremely proud of the growth that our alumni experience as a direct result of their higher education!
Carlene Johnson, OTD, OTR/L, is one of those alumni who experienced that growth by creating a new role for herself as the Interprofessional Coordinator in the 41 bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, TN. Before jumping into her new role in January, Dr. Johnson was working as needed, filling in for other therapists when they were out of town. Through the OTD program, she acquired research and appraisal skills, and discovered the huge role Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) is beginning to play in healthcare. In the fall of 2015 while Dr. Johnson was completing her OTD program final capstone project, she decided to propose a new position for herself to fill at her clinic. After her graduation at the end of 2015, she pitched the new position proposal to the rehab director, and began her new job a week later. “The leadership skills training obtained through RMUoHP gave me the confidence to pitch the need for the new position I now hold to my facility’s leadership team,” Dr. Johnson said. Now, she spends 50% or her time focusing on her passion of treating patients with neurologic disorders, and the other 50% developing the IPC Program.
“The leadership skills training obtained through RMUoHP gave me the confidence to pitch the need for the new position I now hold to leadership at my facility,”
IPC refers to two or more professionals who learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and quality of care for patients, family and community. IPC allows healthcare professionals of different backgrounds to create a shared understanding that neither had, or could have come to on their own. IPC is important because it is becoming a curriculum requirement for new therapists, and value-based reimbursement now requires coordinated care across the healthcare system. But not only that, it also improves patient safety and satisfaction, increases healthcare providers’ job satisfaction and retention and promotes sustainable programs. According to the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, the four core competencies of IPC are: Values/Ethics for Interprofessional Practice, Understanding Roles/Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication and Teams and Teamwork.
In her new role of Interprofessional Coordinator, Dr. Johnson trains clinic staff on the four competencies of IPC. Since she began, Dr. Johnson has focused on introducing the competencies to Rehab department leaders. She is also training a dedicated interprofessional group to design a plan to implement IPC initiatives within the entire department. So far, she has already created and facilitated the department’s first interprofessional journal club, where she lead a panel discussion on each professional’s role in treating a patient who has had a stroke. Dr. Johnson is putting her research and appraisal skills that she learned in the OTD program to work by collecting data on the staff’s current perception of teamwork. Later on in the process, she will collect additional data with a goal to demonstrate measurable change in that perception as a result of IPC training. Dr. Johnson is also working to compile data regarding patient satisfaction and length of stay in order to assess the impact of the program on patient recovery.
Once the staff training is completed, Dr. Johnson plans to move toward phase two of her IPC integration and education plan, which includes developing mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research projects for students and faculty from local universities and community colleges. Right now, Dr. Johnson is working with one entry-level OTD student who is completing a 16-week experiential component in the student’s program, and she hopes that this is just the tip of the iceberg as she continues to roll out the IPC core competencies in her clinic.
Dr. Johnson would also like to invite anyone with an interest or experience in IPC to email her at carlenej96@gmail.com.
