Padilla and Affronti Receive IPEC Grant

Iris Padilla, assistant professor; and Mary Lou Affronti, associate professor, recently received a grant for their proposal entitled "Interprofessional Longitudinal Student Geriatric Clinic to Enhance Collaborative Practice." Co-collaborator includes Jody Feld, PT, DPT, PhD with Duke's Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, and Alicia Bolden, DMSc, MPH, PA-C with Duke's Physician Assistant Program. The grant proposal aimed at creating innovative interprofessional curricula by Primary Investigators Gwendolen Buhr, MD; Liza Genao, MD; and Milta Little, MD; is funded by Duke AHEAD and Duke Health Center Interprofessional Educational Center (IPEC).

The proposal demonstrated a high level of intellectual merit and clear and compelling alignment with the mission of the IPEC Center and was judged to have a high potential for success on both fronts. It will additionally provide additional clinical placement opportunities for selected DUSON adult gerontology nurse practitioner (AGNP) and Palliative care NP specialty students at The Forest at Duke (TFAD) Retirement Community.

The overall purpose of this project is to address research gaps in geriatric and Interprofessional; training by studying the impact of a shared longitudinal clinical experience on enhancing competent geriatric collaborative provider practice among MD, NP, PA, and DPT thereby improving transition to practice and healthcare leadership.