Registrations for the UT System’s Seventh Annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference are being accepted through Jan. 30.
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By Rosanne Fohn

Hosting The University of Texas System's Seventh Annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference Feb. 3-4 at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio is an honor recognizing the importance of faculty educators and innovative educational efforts at the Health Science Center.

It also marks a milestone in that it is the first time the conference will be held outside Austin, said conference coordinator Janet F. Williams, M.D., Health Science Center Distinguished Teaching Professor of pediatrics and president-elect of the UT Academy of Health Science Education.

“Our campus has a rare opportunity to turn out in force and demonstrate our educational excellence and dedication to our teaching mission, show a poster or teaching tool, and learn about national trends and developments in interprofessional education,” Dr. Williams said. “Anyone interested in education should ‘seize the day’ to showcase their work and mentor others to get involved.”

This year’s conference is sponsored by the UT Academy of Health Science Education in collaboration with the UT Health Science Center San Antonio’s President’s Council on Interprofessional Education, Academic Center for Excellence in Teaching and Academy of Master Teachers.

Janet F. Williams, M.D., Distinguished Teaching Professor of pediatrics and president-elect of the UT Academy of Health Science Education, is coordinating the conference at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.

Interprofessional education
With the theme “Interprofessional Health Science Education: The Innovation Imperative,” this free conference features a poster and educational product showcase as well as national and statewide experts discussing education across the spectrum of the health science professions. The conference will be held in the Parman Foyer, Health Science Center Auditorium and the Academic & Administration Building.

The conference opens at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3, in the auditorium with a welcome by Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, M.D., and remarks by Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., UT System executive vice chancellor for health affairs. Dr. Shine initiated the UT Academy of Health Science Education, the UT Health Science Education grants programs and the annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference.

Keynote presentation
Keynote speaker Amy Blue, Ph.D., will then present “Interprofessional Education is Now.” Dr. Blue is assistant provost for education, professor of family medicine and director of Creating Collaborative Care at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Also speaking is Steve Lieberman, M.D., FACP, provost and vice dean for academic affairs at the UT Medical Branch in Galveston, who will present the UT TIME Project: Transformation in Medical Education. Robert L. Robinson, Ph.D., assistant vice provost and director of educational technology at UT San Antonio will follow with an update on the UT TXLOR Project: Texas Learning Objects Repository.

Faculty presenters
A number of UT Health Science Center San Antonio faculty members will provide conference workshops, including:

• “Scientific Success through Communication: Teaching Grad Students and Post-docs to be Science Educators/Advocates,” by Ellen Kraig, Ph.D., professor of cellular and structural biology; Bettie Sue Masters, Ph.D., the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor in Chemistry in the Department of Biochemistry; and Carmen Rios, post-doctoral fellow at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Research
  
• “UT System Quality Improvement Course for Faculty and Staff Development,” by Jan Patterson, M.D., M.S., professor, associate dean for quality and lifelong learning and director of the Center for Patient Safety & Health Policy
  
• “The Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics — Interdisciplinary Community Service Learning,” by Craig Klugman, Ph.D., associate professor and assistant director for ethics education at the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics
  
• “Educating Health Professionals: Square Pegs for Round Holes? Workforce Training in Interdisciplinary Patient Care Quality and Safety,” by Michael Corneille, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, and Kathleen Stevens, Ed.D., RN, ANEF, FAAN, professor of nursing and founding director of the Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice in the School of Nursing.

Continuing education available
Continuing medical education and continuing nursing education credit is available for a fee. For more information, visit the Continuing Medical Education Website, cme.uthscsa.edu.

Registration information
Visit cme.uthscsa.edu for more information about the conference and registration. After finding the conference on the left under “Upcoming Events,” click “REGISTER NOW.” Preregistration by Sunday, Jan. 30, will help organizers plan for sufficient conference materials and snacks.