NEWS RELEASE

The Rural Health Association of Tennessee presented Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine Senior Associate Dean of Interprofessional Education, Simulation and Accreditation and Associate Professor of Medical Education Sherry Jimenez, EdD, CHCP, CHSE, FNAOME, with the Exemplary Project Award 2023 during the organization’s annual conference last month in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The award recognizes an organization or group that has successfully developed a unique program or project that advances rural health. Jimenez was honored for the TeamSTEPPS® Essentials Training program she has introduced at LMU-DCOM which has trained nearly 1,000 health professional students including LMU-DCOM medical students and pharmacy students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and South College since 2020. Developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety is an evidence-based set of teamwork tools, aimed at optimizing patient outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills among health care teams, including patients and family caregivers.

Dr. Sherry JimenezJimenez has integrated TeamSTEPPS Essential Training into LMU-DCOM’s Center for Interprofessional Education and Simulation, which she oversees. CIPES serves as a focal point for coordinating and integrating course content for multiple health professions programs at LMU and neighboring institutions in interprofessional education, faculty development, educational assessment and data analysis, and evaluation of patient-centered clinical skills education. In collaboration with faculty partners from programs including osteopathic medicine, physician assistant, occupational and physical therapy and nursing, CIPES supports and implements curricular experiences to fulfill interprofessional education and other requirements in preparation for clinical rotation and future practice of its students.

LMU-DCOM participated as a platinum-level sponsor for the 29th Annual RHAT Conference which celebrated the theme “Shining a Light on Rural Health: Advocating for a Bright Future.” LMU-DCOM Director and Life Support Training Instructor Johnathan Greene served on the planning committee of the conference which took place at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown November 15-17.  Dr. Anya Cope, associate dean of clinical affairs and associate professor of internal medicine, introduced the opening plenary speaker at the conference and Clinical Affiliations Manger Rebecca Barnett, Chief GME/Rotations Officer Mark Browne, MD, MMM, CPE, FACPE, and Associate Dean of Clinical Medicine Cassi Jones, DO, FACOI, exhibited on behalf of LMU-DCOM.

The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, and at LMU-Knoxville. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often-underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1.800.325.0900, ext. 7082, email dcom@LMUnet.edu, or visit us online at http://med.LMUnet.edu.