Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program (HICP)
The Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program (HICP) develops, offers and evaluates sessions and workshops with the central aim of enhancing the communication skills of program participants. The program has a dual focus: clinician-patient communication and clinician-clinician — interprofessional —communication. Since its inception in 2015, the program has created more than 100 clinical scenarios or cases in about 20 thematic categories, from disclosing medical errors and delivering bad news to motivational interviewing and resolving conflict. Facilitated by the program’s core faculty and featuring members of the program’s cadre of actors, sessions and workshops are offered to residents, fellows, clinicians and non-clinical employees.'
What do we do in our program?
Our Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program assists with writing cases for standardized encounters, training standardized patients (SPs), developing assessment tools and providing the logistics/environment for the program. We develop sessions based on the learners’ needs and use different learning formats, including SP encounters for evaluation, as well as small- and large-group coaching and feedback sessions. We have developed several cases, but are constantly updating and developing new ones, including:
- Standardized patients – We have a pool of 30 trained actors.
- Relationship-centered communication faculty – More than 30 faculty members are trained in relationship-centered communication to coach and provide feedback during SP sessions.
In addition, HICP creates resources to support clinicians and enhance their skills for:
- Effective communication
- Interprofessional collaboration
- Conflict resolution
What are standardized patients?
A critical aspect of our Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program is the ability to recreate a clinical setting in which the learner can practice their clinical and interpersonal skills with a standardized patient (SP). SPs are valuable for these roles and teaching objectives, as they give the educator a great deal of control over a clinical encounter. Standardized patients (SPs) are people who have been trained to simulate patients or colleagues in medical situations in a defined, consistent and standardized manner.
By portraying a patient or colleague, an SP helps others learn how to interact with others.
How do we use SPs?
We use SPs for a variety of reasons, including to see how well a student, resident, fellow or practicing provider can get information from a patient or do a physical exam, to let doctors practice difficult communication situations before having those conversations in the “real world,” and to demonstrate respect between and among colleagues.
What is the process for using the healthcare communication program?
If you’re interested in communication skills training using standardized patients, contact Stephanie Long (MC 26-31).
We’ll arrange a meeting with our team members and the requesting faculty member and administrator, if appropriate. During the meeting, we will plan the details of your training session and begin to write the case or select one from our library.
Locations
Center for Healthcare Communication
We offer six simulated clinic rooms, four inpatient rooms for standardized patient interactions and two classrooms.
Geisinger Education and Medical Simulation (GEMS) Center - Northeast
This center contains a classroom, two inpatient rooms, six outpatient rooms and a conference room.
Nicole Woll, PhD, MEd
Vice Dean for Faculty and Professional Development
Executive Director of Geisinger Academy of Educators
Nicole Woll, PhD, MEd, is the vice dean of faculty development and the executive director of Geisinger Academy of Educators. Dr. Woll oversees the Clinical Simulation Program and the Healthcare Communication Program.
Dan Davis, PhD
Program Director of the Healthcare Communication Program
Associate Chief of Clinical Ethics
Dan Davis, PhD, is the program director of the Healthcare Communication Program. Dr. Davis offers guidance and support in the development, implementation and facilitation of communication training programs for UME, GME and CPD learners. He also provides faculty development for those who would like to participate as facilitators of the program. As part of his role, Dr. Davis assesses the climate in the clinical learning environment from a clinical perspective and brings themes and topics back to the program for incorporation into goals and objectives.
April Morgan, EdD
Education Director of Faculty and Professional Development
April Morgan is the director of education. Ms. Morgan provides leadership in the areas of curriculum development, program revision, assessment, evaluation and scholarly activity over simulation, healthcare communication, faculty development and health professions education.
Samantha Lee, EdD, MHS, CHSE
Assistant Director, Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program
Samantha Lee, EdD, MHS, CHSE is the Assistant Director for the Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program. Dr. Lee promotes communication training activities to support interprofessional and interdisciplinary teamwork, educational accreditation, maintenance of certification, patient safety and quality initiatives. In addition, she provides leadership focused on learning, career development, and training. She leads a team designing innovative learning solutions aligned with program and organizational goals, developing relationships with key stakeholders, and coordinating educational programs based on adult learning principles.
Samantha Norton, MFA
Senior Education Specialist
Samantha Norton, MFA, serves as a senior education specialist for the Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program with a focus in the Central region. Samantha promotes and coordinates activities to support interprofessional and interdisciplinary teamwork, provides faculty and learner support for interprofessional education programs, facilitates interdisciplinary forum for interprofessional education programs, supports and makes recommendations for curriculum and evaluations, and makes recommendations for and assists in the development of new educational initiatives relevant to healthcare learners.
Brian Voelcker, MFA
Senior Education Specialist
Brain Voelcker, MFA, serves as a senior education specialist for the Healthcare and Interprofessional Communication Program with a focus in the Northeast region. Brian promotes and coordinates activities to support interprofessional and interdisciplinary teamwork, provides faculty and learner support for interprofessional education programs, facilitates interdisciplinary forum for interprofessional education programs, supports and makes recommendations for curriculum and evaluations, and makes recommendations for and assists in the development of new educational initiatives relevant to healthcare learners.
Stephanie Long
Program Coordinator
Stephanie Long is the program coordinator for the Healthcare Communication Program. Ms. Long promotes activities to support interprofessional and interdisciplinary teamwork, educational accreditation, and maintenance of certification, patient safety and quality initiatives. She integrates simulation to effectively train and objectively assess applied knowledge, adequacy of skills and level of competence. Ms. Long also offers support for logistics, recruitment, training and quality of standardized case encounters.
Renee Fawess, BA
Lead Standardized Patient
Renee Fawess, BA, is a Lead Standardized Patient. Renee focuses on ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness of standardized patient simulations used for training and assessing medical professionals. Renee is responsible for training, supporting, and evaluating standardized patients, as well as collaborating with faculty and administrators to align standardized patient activities with curricular goals.
Molly Lloyd, BA
Lead Standardized Patient
Molly LLoyd, BA, is a Lead Standardized Patient. Molly focuses on ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness of standardized patient simulations used for training and assessing medical professionals. Molly is responsible for training, supporting, and evaluating standardized patients, as well as collaborating with faculty and administrators to align standardized patient activities with curricular goals.