IPR.Global Scholar Spotlight - Dr. Aayesha Kholvadia, Nelson Mandela University (South Africa)

Fostering Collaboration and Innovation in Interprofessional Education and Research at Nelson Mandela University.

 Who Are You? Where Are You From? And What Is Your Role

I am Dr. Aayesha Kholvadia, a dedicated senior lecturer, HOD, and researcher and the IPE chairperson at Nelson Mandela University, within the Faculty of Health Sciences. My role involves advancing interprofessional education (IPE) and research, with specific focus areas on fostering collaborative practices among healthcare professionals. This includes bringing education and engagement to the three schools within our faculty: the School of Medicine, Clinical and Medicinal Sciences, and the School of Lifestyle and Behavioural Sciences. Originating from and working in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), a city in the Eastern Cape, I am acutely aware of the health inequality challenges in both curative and preventative health in our region. I am committed to promoting innovation and cooperation in health education and practice at NMU.

How Did You First Get Involved in Interprofessional Education and Research?

I am Dr. Aayesha Kholvadia, a dedicated senior lecturer, HOD, and researcher at Nelson Mandela University, within the Faculty of Health Sciences. My role involves advancing interprofessional education (IPE) and research, with specific focus areas on fostering collaborative practices among healthcare professionals. This includes bringing education and engagement to the three schools within our faculty: the School of Medicine, Clinical and Medicinal Sciences, and the School of Lifestyle and Behavioural Sciences. Originating from and working in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), a city in the Eastern Cape, I am acutely aware of the health inequality challenges in both curative and preventative health in our region. I am committed to promoting innovation and cooperation in health education and practice at NMU.

My journey into interprofessional education and research began during my early career as a PhD candidate at Wits, where one objective focused on the multidisciplinary management of knee osteoarthritis. Additionally, I was involved in IPE sessions where different departments in the faculty worked together on cases, witnessing the transformative impact of collaborative practice on patient outcomes. This inspired me to pursue further studies and research in IPE, eventually leading to my current role where collaborative practice is a focal point of my research, engagement, and teaching.

I am a member of The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) and the African Interprofessional Education Network (AfrIPEN), both national and international bodies dedicated to collaborative healthcare.  Further I am supervising PG students in the discipline area (3 PhD and 2 Masters and 2 undergraduate). Research collaboration with Prof W Burdick from the University of Philadelphia 

What Achievement Are You Most Proud of in the Area of Interprofessional Education and Research?

I am most proud of several significant achievements in the field of interprofessional education and research. I was a guest and invited speaker at the TUFH conference in Vancouver, Canada in 2022, which provided a platform to share insights and advancements in IPE on an international stage. Additionally, I serve as the chairperson of our faculty's IPE committee, where I lead efforts to integrate collaborative practices across different departments. I have also contributed to the academic literature, with my most recent publication being a literature review in the Patient Experience Journal titled "Patients’ Perceptions of Interprofessional Collaboration: A Scoping Review." These accomplishments have not only advanced the field but also significantly benefited our community and demonstrated the power of interprofessional collaboration.

What Does IPR.Global Mean to You?

To me, IPR.Global represents a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation. It is a community that unites scholars and practitioners from around the world, dedicated to enhancing interprofessional education and research, and ultimately improving global health outcomes.

Pineapple on Pizza: Yes or No?

Pineapple definitely belongs on pizza! There’s people who eat pizza without pineapple? Is that even legal? 😊

Email: Aayesha.Kholvadia@mandela.ac.za

IPR.Global Scholar Spotlight - Hanlie Pitout, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (South Africa)

Hello, this is Hanlie Pitout and I am an occupational therapist by profession who worked initially as a clinician where I experienced the value of collaborative team work. Now I am a lecturer at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) in Pretoria, South Africa in the Occupational Therapy Department. I am also a PhD candidate researching the development of an IPECP module for final year students. I coordinate IPECP at SMU. I am a proud member of the AfrIPEN Board, of SAAHE IPECP committee and of AfriVIPE steering committee. I am also part of the Dirisana project which is a collaborative project with different national and international universities. 

Throughout my career I have been passionate about working with colleagues from different professions. I have experienced the value of working in a team with colleagues from a variety of professions to ensure quality health care in my job as an occupational therapist in a tertiary hospital. At SMU I was introduced to IPE in 2012 where we started a small interprofessional event for students from three professions. Currently there are four Schools including ten professions involved. Our focus was initially on final year students but we plan to involve all year levels soon in a longitudinal curriculum. In deciding on my PhD I wanted to establish IPECP at the university for all health care students. My other passion is research and especially collaborative research. 

I value the experience that I gained through attendance of and presentations during the AfrIPEN congresses. I learned so much from colleagues at other universities. Publishing in IPE is not easy but I was privileged to be part of the special edition of the Journal for Interprofessional Care on IPE in Africa.

I see IPR.Global as an international vehicle for networking and sharing resources in order to establish a scientific basis for IPECP worldwide. IPR.Global is important for all role players, as it offers the latest information on IPECP. 

And finally, should pineapple be on pizza? Yes or No?

I love pizza – with or without pineapple. What I do not like on pizza is banana. 

Email: Hanlie.Pitout@smu.ac.za

IPR.Global Scholar Spotlight - Dr. Renata Eccles, University of Pretoria (South Africa)

The bigger the dream, the more important the team

Hello, my name is Dr Renata Eccles, I am a speech-language therapist and senior lecturer from the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria in South Africa. I am predominantly involved in early childhood development, early communication intervention specifically. 

I am part of the team of lecturers involved in the INtwegrated Health Leadership modules at the University of Pretoria. These are multidisciplinary modules running from 1st to 3rd year that focus on interprofessional collaboration to achieve community engagement. I am most proud to chair the IPE theme for the Dirisana+ project. 

IPR.Global is valuable because it provides a network which further opportunities to connect with the IPECP community. 

And finally, should pineapple be on pizza? Yes or No? 

No, no, no. As an Italian, pineapple on pizza is not for me. But you do you

Dr. Eccles email: renata.mosca@up.ac.za

Interprofessional Research.Global Scholar Spotlight is a regular feature that highlights member research in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice.  

Follow this link to submit content

IPR.Global Scholar Spotlight - Dr. Gérard Filies, University of the Western Cape (South Africa)

My name is Dr. Gérard Filies, and I am a registered Occupational Therapist by profession with a B.Sc. (Occupational Therapy) degree from the University of the Western Cape. I also have an M.Phil. (Health Sciences Education) Master’s degree from Stellenbosch University and obtained a PhD degree from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). My wife, Dr Sylnita Swartz-Filies, and I made history at UWC in 2018 by being the first married couple to both graduate with PhD degrees in the same ceremony. We were acknowledged by the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa as the first married Occupational Therapy couple to achieve this accolade in the Western Cape. In 2019 we received the platinum award for the most inspirational couple from the I Do Magazine annual award ceremony in Johannesburg. The title of my PhD study was: Development of an interprofessional education model that aims to instill the core competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice in allied health students’ curriculum. 

At UWC, I am employed as a full time senior lecturer within the Interprofessional Education Unit (IPEU) in the Faculty of Community & Health Sciences. Responsibilities include: curriculum development, lectures, research, facilitation of faculty development workshops, co-ordination of interprofessional activities with postgraduate and undergraduate students, interprofessional supervision of students; and development of community sites for interprofessional placement of students for fieldwork. Research areas of interest include: Interprofessional Education, Service-Learning, Health Promotion, Primary Health Care and Community-Based Education. His current research project includes the use of 3D printing in interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Current teaching responsibilities at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels are: Primary Health Care, Interdisciplinary Health Promotion, Interprofessional Education World Café workshops, Interprofessional Ethics and Shared Research Methods. I am part of a team and was appointed as convenor for driving the process for registration and accreditation of the Postgraduate Diploma in Interprofessional Education and Health – a first of its kind in the Western Cape, if not a first in South Africa. The programme is currently being planned for implementation in August 2021. 

I have been invited by the Universities of Missouri and Winston Salem State University in the United States of America to develop their Interprofessional Education curriculum in 2018 and 2019. I was also invited to the Nelson Mandela University in 2019 as a guest speaker for interprofessional education and has facilitated a webinar series on interprofessional education and collaborative practice between 2019 and 2020 as part of capacity development for faculty members. I also served as the secretariat of the African Interprofessional Network (AfrIPEN) from 2017 to 2018 and is a member of Interprofessional Research.Global (IPR.Global).

Contact Dr. Gérard Filies: gfilies@uwc.ac.za

Interprofessional Research.Global Scholar Spotlight is a regular feature that highlights member research in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice.  

Follow this link to submit content

University of Western Cape Sponsors "Caring for the Carer" Outreach Programme in South Africa

On 14-15 April 2021, students and staff from the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (CHS), Faculty of Law, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Science will be providing services to 140 carers in the Mitchells Plain community. The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has been working in the Mitchells Plain community for over 20 years, placing health sciences students at various community organizations and institutions to deliver health and social care programmes that benefit the community members and university students. 

The theme for the upcoming Outreach Programme is “Caring for the Carer” in which UWC will be bringing health screening, wellness talks, therapeutic, dental, and legal counselling services to the women and men who work tirelessly as Community Rehabilitation Workers (CRWs) and Home-based Carers in Mitchells Plain. These carers are often at the frontline and are the first contact for many in the community with the health and social care system. We know that those who provide care to others as a carer, often fail to set aside the time and resources for their own self-care. "This engagement comes out of having identified that the homebased carers and community rehabilitation workers are an essential part of the health workforce in South Africa. They are at the frontline of bringing health and wellness services to the communities and currently are major role players in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 in communities" said Prof Waggie. 

Community engagement and social responsiveness is a fundamental pillar of health sciences education at UWC and the university has shown and demonstrated that it is committed to go an extra mile in serving the communities in Cape Town and surrounding areas. This drive and commitment will continue to grow each year, thereby impacting communities and making health services accessible to the most vulnerable and marginalised. 

The outreach services are pioneered by the team in Interprofessional Education Unit (IPEU) under the leadership of the CHS Deputy Dean for Clinical and Community Engagement, Prof Firdouza Waggie and in partnership with Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Dentistry. The faculty values the contribution from Melomed Hospitals, Shoprite, Checkers and Foschini Group.

For more information contact Dr Gerard Filies (Senior Lecturer), University of the Western Cape, Interprofessional Education Unit: gfilies@uwc.ac.za

University of Western Cape Develops IPE Postgraduate Diploma in South Africa

The Postgraduate Diploma Interprofessional Education in Health has been approved and accredited to be implemented in 2021 at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The development of the Interprofessional Education Unit (IPEU) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) aimed to address the challenges experienced in the fragmented healthcare system whereby professionals are working in their silos and thereby affecting the health outcomes of the population. At UWC, a focus was placed on preparing the undergraduate students to work interprofessionally and collaboratively and hence an interprofessional education core curriculum was implemented since 2000. 

The development of this Postgraduate Diploma Interprofessional Education (PGDipIPE) further strengthens this project and aims to enable practitioners to collaborate across and within professions (eg. doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, etc.) and sectors (education, agriculture, etc.) to provide high-quality health and social care. Internationally and nationally, the emerging need for interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPCP) is emphasized through current practices. 

This programme is unique in its offering as it is the only qualification of its kind on the continent of Africa. The implementation of this programme could facilitate IPCP core competencies (roles and responsibilities, leadership, communication, ethics and values) between different healthcare professionals from various health and social sectors. The following modules will be offered: IPE Theory, Models & Concepts; Shared Decision-Making; Leadership & Research. 

For more information contact Dr Gerard Filies (Senior Lecturer), University of the Western Cape, Interprofessional Education Unit: gfilies@uwc.ac.za 

(Photo: Original planning meeting of the Postgraduate Diploma in collaboration between South Africa and Norway)