George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences Senior Associate Dean for Health Sciences Reamer Bushardt, PharmD, PA-C, DFAAPA and GW School of Nursing Dean Pamela Jeffries, PhD, RN participated in the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education (Global Forum), April 17–18.
The Global Forum is an ongoing, convening activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that brings together experts and stakeholders from around the globe and from different professions to network, discuss, and illuminate issues within health professional education. The group, which consists of 60 appointed members, are leading experts from higher education, health care and professional associations representing 19 different disciplines from eight countries.
“Strengthening the connection between health professions education and practice is critical step to ensure our health workforce is ready and able to meet the needs of patients and families within a rapidly evolving health care environment,” said Bushardt. “The Global Forum brings together diverse groups of educators, professionals and consumers from all over the world to challenge current practices and develop innovative strategies to shape a more effective, collaborative and person-centered health care workforce.”
Since it began in 2012, the Global Forum has committed to guiding principles to direct its efforts. Those principles emphasize engaging students, being person-centered, and creating an environment for learning with and from partners outside of the United States. Both Bushardt and Jeffries contributed to a joint workshop, “Strengthening the Connection between Health Professions Education and Practice,” in late 2018 and are featured in the Proceedings of a Joint Workshop recently published by the National Academies Press. During the Global Forum’s planning meeting in April, Bushardt co-led the meeting as participants revisited messages from the Institute of Medicine’s landmark 2003 report “Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality” and explored strategies to prepare a collaborative practice ready health care workforce. Jeffries addressed the group on the development of innovative teaching strategies, experiential learning techniques, new pedagogies and the delivery of content using technology.
“Having two GW Leaders at the table at the Forum is important, as it reflects GW’s interest and leadership in planning for the future of health professional education,” Jeffries said. “We’re confident that we are paving the right pathway for students, so that as professionals they can provide quality health care for generations to come.”
The Global Forum will meet next in November 2020 for the workshop, “Educating Health Professionals to Address the Social Determinants of Mental Health.”