“Our committee has been engaged in a variety of efforts to collaborate with community partners to help address unmet health needs in communities in northeast Connecticut,” according to Devra Dang, clinical professor of pharmacy practice and a co-chair of CIPEH. Its Northeast CT Initiative was developed in response to a rural health summit hosted by State Comptroller Sean Scanlon.  

The event hosted interactive booths and activities aimed at promoting health and wellness for individuals of all ages. Attendees received free health screenings such as blood pressure and hearing loss tests, learned about lung health and asthma inhaler techniques, prescription medication affordability tips, healthy nutrition, and balance assessment and fall prevention. According to Stephanie Gernant, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and a CIPEH co-chair, “The focus was not just on learning about health conditions that attendees may already have developed, but also on prevention and wellness across the lifespan.” 

Nicole Gallagher, a clinical professor of speech-language and CIPEH secretary was especially fond of the hands-on experiences the event provided children and their families: “The foundation of good health habits should start early in life. We all loved seeing the kids who attended the health fair be so engaged with our fun, interactive topics.” In addition, children and teens had opportunities to discuss health career options with UConn health profession students and got to visualize themselves as future healthcare professionals at the photo booth.  

“[It] was excellent. Seeing all the different programs, and hearing from current students, really shows what a wonderful University we have, so close to home. Everyone we encountered was excited to share about their program, and very engaging with my kids!” - Cassie Kiley from Brooklyn, CT who attended with her family

Community partner organizations were a key component of this collaborative event. The Northeast District Department of Health co-hosted the family health and wellness day and worked with Dang and two Master of Public Health students over a number of weeks to develop activities for this multi-faceted event. In total, nine community organizations brought a variety of health-related topics and resources, including Generations Family Health Center, Day Kimball Hospital, Hartford Healthcare Community Health, and AHEC/ Health Education Center. Participants from UConn’s Master Gardener Program provided science-based tips on gardening topics and distributed free seeds.  

The event also provided an excellent avenue for UConn health profession students to engage in interprofessional education and collaboration, learning with, from, and about each profession as they teamed up to present health topics. “Brainstorming health fair plans and developing Psychological Sciences’ materials promoting stress management across the lifespan tapped into creative and collaborative skills. We enjoyed the planning process, learning from other UConn faculty and students, and look forward to strengthening future efforts to serve those in Northeast Connecticut,” stated Christine Yantz, assistant clinical professor and assistant director of the Psychological Services Clinic. 

CIPEH consists of 11 UConn heath profession programs across three campuses (Storrs, Farmington, Hartford): athletic training/kinesiology, audiology, clinical psychology, dietetics, dental medicine, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and social work, and reports to the health profession deans and the Vice Provost for Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Initiatives, Amy Gorin. Established in 2013 with the support of the deans of health profession programs, CIPEH’s primary goal is to advance interprofessional collaboration in education, community outreach and patient care, and research. 

According to Dang, the Northeast Connecticut Family Health and Wellness Day was just one of several community-based events that CIPEH faculty and students have actively participated in at towns in Windham and Tolland County during this academic year. Other recent community outreach events included a health fair for older adults hosted by the town of Thompson, the Coventry Winter Farmers’ Market, and vaccine clinics at senior centers in collaboration with the Eastern Hyland Health District. A number of upcoming health-related outreach activities are being planned, including events during the summer.   

Christine Haines, clinical professor of audiology noted that, “Interprofessional education within health profession training is crucial so that our students know how to best work together to optimize patient care when they become clinicians.”

“I look forward to collaborating with students and faculty from across UConn health disciplines in supporting the wellbeing of Connecticut’s residents in future community engagement efforts.” – Christine Haines

UConn programs and community organizations interested in collaborating with CIPEH on future health-related community outreach events can reach out to Devra Dang at devra.dang@uconn.edu.