Description

This year’s award spotlight features faculty, staff, and student volunteers from the Texas A&M University Health Science Center who participated in Operation Border Health Preparedness (OBHP), the State of Texas’ annual disaster preparedness exercise. Webinar participants will hear about how the 2024 winners of the Excellence in Interprofessional Education Collaboration Award provided community-based interprofessional learning opportunities for their students alongside multiple local, state, and federal partners and provided collaborative care to the medically underserved along the South Texas border.

Register and discover “lessons learned” on the implementation and assessment of an interprofessional disaster response curriculum.

Details on how to submit collaborative projects for the 2025 award cycle will also be shared.

Speakers include:

• Asim Abu-Baker, PharmD, Associate Dean for Clinical and Professional Affairs, Office of Experiential Education, Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University
• LeRoy A. Marklund DNP, MPH, RN, CCNS, CNRN, CEN, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Texas A&M University
• Christine Kaunas, EdD, MPH, Assistant Vice President for Interprofessional Practice, Education & Research, Texas A&M University Health Science Center
• Kodilichi Echeozo, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCACP, Lieutenant commander, U.S. Public Health Service; Reviewer, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Moderator)

• Discuss details of a sustainable interprofessional service-learning experience addressing local public health issues, including emergency preparedness and access to care
• Describe an innovative collaboration between multiple state, local, and regional vested partners to achieve improved population health outcomes and sustainable rural health care
• Demonstrate the benefits of developing community-based interprofessional education activities

To register

Speakers

Asim Abu-Baker, PharmD

Associate Dean for Clinical and Professional Affairs, Office of Experiential Education, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M University (TAMU)

Dr. Asim M. Abu-Baker joined the TAMU Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in August of 2017 as Associate Dean for Clinical and Professional Affairs and Clinical Professor. Dr. Abu-Baker previously held appointments at California Health Sciences University College of Pharmacy as Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences and Chair of the Department of Clinical and Administrative Sciences (2014-2017), St. John Fisher College Wegmans School of Pharmacy (2007-2014) as Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Interim Department Chair, Assistant Director of Experiential Education; and Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy (2004-2007).

He completed his PharmD and an Ambulatory Care Residency with a focus on Endocrinology and Internal Medicine at the Albany College of Pharmacy. Dr. Abu-Baker completed the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Academic Leadership Fellowship in 2014 and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Accreditation Reviewer training in 2012. His research experience is in clinical outcomes and practice research.  Dr. Abu-Baker is also on the TAMU Health IPE Leadership Team, where he works collaboratively to integrate IPE across the institution.  He received the 2022 TAMU Health Research Award for Interprofessional Excellence.

LeRoy A. Marklund DNP, MPH, RN, CCNS, CNRN, CEN

Clinical Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Texas A&M University

Lieutenant Colonel LeRoy A. Marklund retired from the U.S. Army Nurse Corps following a 30-year military career. After studying horticulture and psychology as an undergraduate, he entered the Army reserves while he earned his degree in nursing. He then transitioned to active duty to perform humanitarian work. During his military career, Dr. Marklund worked as a critical care nurse going on medical missions in the heart of Afghanistan as well as working stateside treating injured soldiers and veterans. From rural Panama to the hurricane-ridden streets of North Carolina, he constantly worked to improve the health of the communities he served.  His last military assignment was at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood in Texas, where he worked as the department chief for inpatient care on the ICU, behavioral health, and surgery floors.

Dr. Marklund later earned graduate credentials in public health and nursing.  He currently serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Undergraduate Program at TAMU’s College of Nursing. He is the recipient of the 2023 Dean's Legacy of Service Award. Dr. Marklund also demonstrates his commitment to interprofessional education by serving on multiple committees that design and implement these activities and mentoring students in collaborative care.  He received the 2022 TAMU Health Leadership Award for Interprofessional Excellence.

Christine Kaunas, EdD, MPH

Assistant Vice President for Interprofessional Practice, Education & Research, Texas A&M University Health Science Center (TAMU Health)

Christine Kaunas, EdD, MPH is the Assistant Vice President for Interprofessional Practice, Education, & Research at TAMU Health.  She collaborates with the colleges/schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and veterinary medicine as well as the athletic training, counseling psychology, and nutrition programs to provide institutional leadership for interprofessional education (IPE).  Her work focuses on building infrastructure for and removing barriers to IPE, providing IPE faculty development, and designing, implementing, and supporting interprofessional student learning.  Dr. Kaunas’ research has focused on the relationship between institutional characteristics and IPE implementation.  She is one of five founding members of the Texas IPE Consortium, a community of practice engaged in elevating IPE across the state.  Dr. Kaunas is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Medical Education at the TAMU College of Medicine.

Kodilichi Echeozo, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, BCACP
Lieutenant Commander (LCDR), U.S. Public Health Service
Reviewer, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Moderator)

LCDR Kodilichi (Kodi) Echeozo is a Labeling Reviewer in the Office of Generic Drugs, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. She plays a critical role in advancing FDA’s public health mission by mitigating errors on medication labeling to promote the safe and effective use of generic drugs. She facilitates bringing highly needed and cost-effective generic drug products to the American Public.

LCDR Echeozo joined the USPHS Commissioned Corps in November 2016 and currently serves as the Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee Policy Workgroup Lead. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Trinity University with a B.S. degree in Biology and received her Pharm.D. and M.B.A degree from Roseman University of Health Sciences. She is also a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP).