This past semester, CUW occupational therapy students partnered with Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Ozaukee Hospital Campus in an innovative collaboration aimed at addressing real-world challenges in clinical care.
The project, a unique initiative between CUW’s Occupational Therapy (OT) students and Ascension staff, showcased how CUW students are preparing to make a meaningful impact in their future careers. The Quality Improvement community collaboration was the culmination of quality improvement, strategic planning, and management learning objectives in the Community Clinic Administration course taught by CUW Occupational Therapy faculty, Dr. Bobbie Vergo and Professor AmyJo Verbeten.
A Semester of Learning and Problem-Solving
Under the guidance of Vergo and Verbeten, along with Ascension Director of Strategic Operations Todd Halsey, a small group of CUW OT students interviewed patients and associates throughout the fall 2024 semester, observed the care environment, and researched best-practices for clinician engagement and responsiveness. Through the collection of quantitative and qualitative data, the students were able to assess what was performing to standard and help to define what opportunities existed for improvement or expansion. CUW OT students were assigned to four different clinical areas:
- Med/Surg Unit
- Acuity Adaptable/Intensive Care Unit
- Emergency Department
- Inpatient Rehab Hospital
Vergo and Verbeten developed the learning objectives, taught the principles, and provided feedback to students. At the end of the semester, the student presented their findings to Ascension staff.
Valuable Outcomes for Students and Ascension
This collaborative effort was mutually beneficial for both CUW students and Ascension. The students gained hands-on experience tackling practical issues in healthcare, broadening their understanding of patient and clinician perspectives. These insights will undoubtedly enhance their clinical practices in the future.
For Ascension, the partnership provided valuable, unbiased feedback on their current processes and actionable insights into patient expectations. Halsey, reflecting on the project’s success, emphasized how the students’ objective perspective helped identify innovative solutions that might not have been considered otherwise.
“Our organization was able to gather additional feedback on what our patients expect using a neutral party and utilize unique solutions that were proposed,” Halsey said. “We are extremely appreciative of this opportunity to partner with Concordia and look forward to future endeavors.”
Want in?
Concordia’s OT program makes stepping forward in your calling as an occupational therapist attainable no matter where you are in your journey. Our multiple program pathways and hybrid course formatting will prepare you holistically through our faith-based, student-centered curriculum, and diverse, hands-on, clinical experiences. You’ll graduate ready to help your patients thrive in a variety of settings.