Council for Health Interprofessional Programs-Duluth

Introduction
This health sciences student organization promotes a team approach to health care delivery through sponsoring interprofessional social, educational, and service activities. CHIP-D is affiliated with CHIP on the Twin Cities campus. In Duluth, organization leadership and activities involve Duluth campus pharmacy and medical students, as well as students in nursing, physical and occupational therapy, and health information technology at the College of St. Scholastica (CSS).

Leadership
One student chairperson, elected each spring, one representative elected or appointed from each class for each program, e.g., one first-year medical student and one second-year medical student).  Representatives will serve as committee chairs, and can recruit committee members from outside of the CHIP-D leadership council, i.e., from any of the member programs at UMD and CSS.

Faculty advisors include Dr. Karen Bastianelli (2006) from pharmacy; Dr. Jeff Adams from medicine; Kathleen Thiede and Paul Wartman from nursing; and Dr. Jena Ogston from physical therapy. Ruth Leathers, pharmacy, serves as staff to CHIP-D.

Activities

• An educational seminar on methamphetamine abuse was held at CSS.  The seminar was presented by an interdisciplinary volunteer group of panelists, including a nurse, recovering addicts, and a sheriff department’s representative.
• A Mardi Gras social and fundraiser was held at Grandma’s Sports Garden. Donations made to Charity Hospital in New Orleans.
• Participation in PEERS Alcohol and Drug Abuse Training Retreat in Sandstone.
• Interprofessional Dinner and Panel Discussion at CSS:  a panel of practitioners representing nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, medicine, and health care administration discussed a case study from each of their perspectives.
• CLARION competition. Teams included pharmacy, medicine, and nursing students from UMD and CSS.
• Bowling social event with students donating to Bethany Crisis Nursery in Duluth.
• CHIP-D cosponsored a visit to UMD by Neil and Peggy Ernst, physicians portrayed in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman. Other sponsors were the College of Pharmacy, Duluth; the Medical School, Duluth; UMD Department of Social Work; and UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions. The visit included an auditorium presentation open to all health science students, faculty, and staff; and a small reception with the Ernsts and CHIP-D student leaders.
• CHIP-D cosponsored  presentations by former meth user and nationally known speaker, David Parnell, at five local high schools and then to the Duluth community where approximately 2400 concerned citizens viewed his powerful message of the dangers of methamphetamine use.