HEALTH SCIENCES
PATHS OF DISCOVERY
The Planetree Difference In 2019, the School of Health Sciences (SHS) signed a letter of intent to become one of the first schools in the country to pursue higher education certification from Planetree International, a nonprofit that works with health care organizations around the world to promote patient-centered care. Planetree — with over 700 partner organizations spanning 25 countries — was founded in 1978 to inspire health care professionals to personalize and humanize the patient experience. Nearly four decades later, Planetree continues to stretch its imagination in pursuit of this vision. In 2018, Planetree executives posed a question. To date, the majority of organizations certified by Planetree were hospitals. But what about the entities overseeing the teaching and training of future health care professionals — colleges and universities? Should there be a similar process for certifying institutions of higher learning? Planetree assembled the beginnings of a pilot program to explore this question further. That same year, the University launched an equally ambitious initiative — SHS. Summer McGee, Ph.D., dean of SHS, and Renee Garcia-Prajer, R.D.H., M.S., professor and associate dean of SHS, traveled to local hospitals and health care organizations to introduce themselves and share the excitement about the
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The School of Health Sciences delivers innovative, interdisciplinary allied health and health sciences education that prepares students to be caring, compassionate professionals who improve the health of their communities.
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organizations with a person-centered care approach newly established school. At Griffin Hospital in Derby, as the focus of everything we do. This will result in not Connecticut — the headquarters for Planetree — they only more caring, competent health professionals in met with Dr. Frederick Browne, the hospital’s chief the long run but also happier, more successful students medical officer. Seeing tremendous promise in SHS and in the short term.” its leadership, Browne told McGee and Garcia-Prajer McGee appointed Garcia-Prajer the primary about Planetree’s pilot program. Shortly thereafter, contact for the Planetree pilot program and SHS’s plans SHS became one of only five schools nationwide to to pursue certification. participate in the program. Garcia-Prajer is an “One of the major “Incorporating the principles active member of the challenges for health care in of person-centered care from day Planetree Person-Centered the 21st century is improving one creates student, faculty, and Care (PCC) Certification the patient experience. staff experiences that are unlike for Higher Education Pilot Hospitals are reimbursed Council, a working group based on not only what care those at any other health sciences that reviews proposed is provided but also how that school in the nation.” criteria for colleges and care is provided and received Summer McGee, Ph.D. universities in a would-be by patients. Training future Dean of SHS Planetree assessment health professionals needs process. Much of the current PCC criteria must be to change to catch up to that reality,” said McGee. tweaked to better apply to academic institutions. “Incorporating the principles of person-centered The Council recently finished refining the care from day one creates student, faculty, and staff proposed higher education drivers for certification, experiences that are unlike those at any other health and all participating schools have begun preparing sciences school in the nation,” added McGee. “The their reports to provide examples of evidence, data, relationship between Planetree and the University and specific outcomes needed when applying for will create one of the nation’s first health education certification. Each school has three years to finalize its report to submit to Planetree. In September 2020, Garcia-Prajer was certified by Planetree as a Planetree Fellow in Person-Centered Care. Garcia-Prajer is the first professional in higher education to be granted this certification. This credential is awarded to professionals who Countries worldwide Patients & caregivers have demonstrated their knowledge, experience, and leadership in person-centered care. It signifies their conviction that this approach is right for patients, families, and health care professionals as well as students, faculty, and staff. “Our affiliation with Planetree demonstrates SHS’s unparalleled commitment to training caring professionals who are prepared for the future of health care,” said Garcia-Prajer. “Faculty, staff, and students are embracing Planetree’s person-centered philosophy, working with one another and with the patients, families, and communities we serve to break down barriers.” “Everyone is excited to be part of the process,” she added. “We are fostering a learning environment in which students and faculty are engaged in bringing this same person-centered aspect and spreading it to the entire campus community. They are promoting transparency about what we are doing and exhibiting a holistic approach. The entire SHS community deserves this recognition.”
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