• Definition: The World Health Organization defines interprofessional education (IPE) as education in which "students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes.” IPE is necessary and critical to prepare a “collaborative, practice-ready” health workforce that is better prepared to address the health needs of patients and patient populations (World Health Organization, 2010).
• Background: TTUSHC El Paso faculty, staff, and students developed a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) plan to focus on IPE as part of the reaffirmation of accreditation process by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). By selecting IPE for its first QEP, TTUHSC El Paso is building upon its institutional mission, enhancing its academic programming, and demonstrating leadership in healthcare.
• TECH Ready IPE Initiative’s Mission: The mission of TTUHSC El Paso’s institutional IPE initiative, entitled TECH Ready: Team-based, Effective, Collaborative, Healthcare (TECH) Ready is to provide TTUHSC El Paso students with a robust IPE learning experience. In doing so, our graduates will be prepared for success in dynamic health care environments through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary for successful interprofessional teamwork.
• TECH Ready IPE Initiative’s Vision and Purpose:
  • The overarching vision of TECH Ready is to establish an institutional culture committed to the values of IPE. These values promote safe, effective and compassionate patient-centered health care through teamwork and include mutual understanding and respect, trust, integrity, high ethical standards and the deliberate consideration of the knowledge, skills and perspectives of all team members.
  • The purpose of the TECH Ready initiative is to promote core competencies for collaborative practice to prepare all TTUHSC El Paso graduates for enhanced team-based care of patients and improved population health outcomes and to become future leaders in dynamic health care environments.