MOULTRIE – Local leaders of faith attended the most recent Interprofessional Education session at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia. 

Rabbi Moshe Elbaz, Ph.D., of Temple Israel in Valdosta and the Rev. Hugh Ward, chaplain of Colquitt Regional Medical Center, spoke to the doctor of osteopathic medicine students about religion and culture in everyday life and how it affects patients’ medical care, school officials said.

PCOM South Georgia takes a whole person approach to health care, incorporating IPE into the curricula, they said. Students are required to take part in two IPE sessions during each term. The sessions bring together a collection of students and professionals throughout the region and educate them on how to become one health-care team with a unified plan when treating a patient. 

Nursing students from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Southern Regional Technical College attended the most recent session to collaborate and bring a new perspective.

“Everyone in the health-care industry comes with a different skill set,” said Stacie Fairley, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology. “IPE is all about learning how to work together as a team in order to better treat the patient. Not understanding another health-care profession may lead to poor professionalism, poor patient care and lack of communication.”

During an IPE learning day, the groups investigate issues and develop treatment plans that put the patient first, school officials said. This team approach is designed to minimize miscommunications and maximize effectiveness of patient care. Collaboration is encouraged between all attendees so they can experience the benefits of treating patients as one health-care unit.

“At PCOM South Georgia, we’re being intentional about working with the community to bring all of these students and professionals together,” Fairley said. “It’s important for them to know that skills of professionalism are learned behaviors that require learning from others.”