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Students present solutions to Atlanta-based health challenges during second annual IPE-ACTS Day

The Woodruff Health Sciences Center Office of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) hosted its second annual IPE-ACTS Day on Friday, Jan. 31. Launched in spring 2024, IPE-ACTS (Interprofessional Education – Achieving Collaborative Team Solutions) is the required interprofessional training course for students in the schools of medicine, nursing and public health. This year, IPE-ACTS Day included more than 1,220 students working in 119 interprofessional teams to address 10 different Atlanta-based health challenges.

In 2025, IPE-ACTS Day was transformed into a fast-paced, one-day, health challenge hackathon. Health science faculty and Emory Healthcare providers served as IPE-ACTS Day faculty champions who presented the student teams with 10 health challenges impacting communities in Atlanta or across the state of Georgia. Student teams were tasked with creating a project or program addressing one of the 10 health challenges that could improve the health of an Atlanta- or Georgia-based community. The student teams worked together using the Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies to develop and present their concepts at the end of the day. Judges for each health challenge selected a winning student team.

“When we created IPE-ACTS, our goal was to give our students a real-world problem that affects the health of Atlantans and to have them work together in interprofessional teams to create ways to bring health to communities,” says Jodie Guest, co-director of the Office of IPECP.

“Our academic programs are rigorous and finding time to bring every first-year health professional student together to learn and collaborate is hard but so very worth it,” Guest adds. “Each of us who served as faculty champions was really impressed with the solutions student teams developed in such a short period of time. Personally, the energy from the students to tackle these problems made me very hopeful for our future. More broadly, our office hopes to find ways to implement some of the best concepts our students developed.”

Beth Ann Swan, co-director of the Office of IPECP, agrees. “Applied team-based activities are one of the best ways for health professional students to learn how to work together, which will be essential when they graduate and are working in either a clinical team or in a community public health setting,” she says. “We are pleased with our modifications to the IPE-ACTS course and IPE-ACTS Day and hope our students had a good experience learning about each other’s health professional roles and how to work in an interprofessional team to solve a problem.”

For more information on the IPE-ACTS course, please visit the WHSC Office of IPECP website.

Click each challenge name to learn more about the 2025 IPE-ACTS faculty champions, winning concepts and winning team members.

Faculty Champion

Susan Brasher, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN

Assistant professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing


Winning Concept

Books on the Bus (go round and round)

Develop partnerships between bookmobiles and existing rural health outreach programs to provide children with access to a language specialist


Team Members

Adrianna Alvarado, Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

Ashley Bazor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Cynthia Cabral Bonilla, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Yasmith Farnan, Rollins School of Public Health

Eleane Lema, Rollins School of Public Health

Daniella Meza, Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

Georgia Symbas, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Monica Villalpando, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Amanda Wade, Emory University School of Medicine Anesthesiology Assistant Program

Tyler Washburn, Rollins School of Public Health

Faculty Champion

Rebecca Philipsborn, MD, MPA

Associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine

 

Winning Concept

HeatShield Justice Coalition

Develop a course coordinated and funded by Emory Healthcare that provides Georgia high school athletic trainers, band directors and other school administrators with knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and treat heat-related illnesses in their students

 

Team Members

Jennifer Amaefuna, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Charunya Bheem, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Suhas Das, Rollins School of Public Health

Ruel Hanlan, Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

Yi-Tien Hsu, Rollins School of Public Health

Amaria Robinson, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Laura Rogers, Rollins School of Public Health

Alex Ross, Emory University School of Medicine Anesthesiology Assistant Program

Lejun Shen, Rollins School of Public Health

Andrew Williams, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Faculty Champion

Ilana Graetz, PhD

Associate professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health

 

Winning Concept

Coalition of Access for Diabetes (CAD)

Establish CAD to advocate for a law that requires PeachCare for Kids to cover continuous glucose monitoring for enrollees diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and to develop an interprofessional program that serves underserved populations

 

Team Members

Temi Falae, Rollins School of Public Health

Alyssa Jesse Hugo, Rollins School of Public Health

Niaria Leach, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Saad Maan, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

John Meshramkar, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Fray Olson, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Krystal Owusu-Yaw, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Megha Patel, Rollins School of Public Health

Julia Pitino, Rollins School of Public Health

Faculty Champion

Jason Schneider, MD, FACP

Professor, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine


Winning Concept

G.A.I.D. – Gender Affirming Incentivized Database

Incentivize health care providers in metro Atlanta to complete cultural competency training and create a publicly accessible database of these providers to increase queer people’s access to knowledgeable care

 

Team Members

Pasquelle Aggett-Carosella, Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program

Amanda Carson, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Sonali Dharanipragada, Rollins School of Public Health

Gurleen Khaira, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Zavier Mason, Rollins School of Public Health

Jazmon Perkins, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Emma Rabley, Rollins School of Public Health

Margherita Rampichini, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Shreya Shankar, Rollins School of Public Health

Laura Silva, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Faculty Champion

Jeb Jones, PhD, MPH, MS

Assistant professor, Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health

 

Winning Concept

PrEPPared, NOT Judged

Establish a program that educates health care providers on HIV and PrEP as part of holistic health to decrease stigma and increase access.

 

Team Members

Kailyn Belle Isle, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Luciana Carrasco, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Bisrat Dessalegn, Rollins School of Public Health

Isaias Muñoz, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Abha Namjoshi, Rollins School of Public Health

Natalie Ozuna, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Codi-Ann Reid, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Hanyu Song, Rollins School of Public Health

Brian Zhou, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Faculty Champion

Helen Baker, PhD, MSc, FNP-BC

Associate professor, clinical track, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

 

Winning Concept

Empowering Birth: Expanding Doula Access for Maternity Health

Develop a program to connect mothers and other birthing people with doulas for supportive maternity care, with a focus on rural communities and people of color

 

Team Members

Z Bekemeyer, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Olivia Cappelletti, Rollins School of Public Health

Mirra Chinta, Rollins School of Public Health

Alexandra Fox, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Aysia Hilliard, Emory University School of Medicine Genetic Counseling Training Program

Jessie Himes, Rollins School of Public Health

Brittany Holness, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Za’ni Minto, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Jacob Shtulman, Rollins School of Public Health

Tylar Williams, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Faculty Champion

Martha Ward, MD

Associate professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine


Winning Concept (tie)

STAY: Supporting Teens and Youth – Tomorrow Needs You

Develop the STAY Program, which includes sensitivity training for teachers, trained peer mental health ambassadors, awareness training through curriculum and presentations, and youth-centered support

 

Team Members

Dayna Dorestin, Rollins School of Public Health

Dalia Habash, Rollins School of Public Health

Elanna Jahanfar, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Silvia Kaur, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Joseph Lee, Rollins School of Public Health

Megan Miller, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Leilany Muñoz, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Tanasha Reid, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Kencey Spindler, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Ruth Wei, Rollins School of Public Health

Winning Concept (tie)

LIFT: Laugh, Inspire, Friendship, Thrive

Establish a mentor group for middle-school children to improve school experiences through group activities such as board games, exercise and guided conversations between students and teachers

Team Members

Chizaram Anyaegbu, Rollins School of Public Health

Denise Bonenberger, Rollins School of Public Health

Hailey Falzone, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Ashleigh Grace, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Lily Kamat, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Alyssa M. Leal, Rollins School of Public Health

Leigha Lee, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Alec Rosenthal, Rollins School of Public Health

Erika Thomas, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Lauren Turner, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Faculty Champion

Sarah Febres-Cordero, PhD, RN

Assistant professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing


Winning Concept

SAFENEST: Innovative App to Reduce Harm on Campus

App development leads to a safer, more informed college community where students have immediate access to harm reduction resources, lifesaving tools and educational support

 

Team Members

Alion Belvin, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Gizelda Florindo, Rollins School of Public Health

Dazhanae Houston, Rollins School of Public Health

Sonia Hurwitz, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Londyn James, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Ryan Lee, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Parker Nowell, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Mahsan Sadegh Aghdam, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Amy Stabley, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Sean Stielow, Rollins School of Public Health

Faculty Champion

Jodie Guest, PhD, MPH

Professor and vice chair, Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health

Co-director, WHSC Office of IPECP


Winning Concept

Huggies Child Vaccine Initiative: From First Hug to First Steps – Vaccines Protect Every Moment

Partner with Kimberley-Clark, the manufacturer of Huggies diapers, to communicate and increase awareness of childhood vaccinations in Georgia in each package through information and access to community messaging


Team Members

Kyle Forrester, Emory University School of Medicine Anesthesiology Assistant Program

Eduardo Gonzalez Santiago, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Peicheng Ji, Rollins School of Public Health

Anna Leland, Rollins School of Public Health

Sydney Martin, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Jasmine Ordaz, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Haley Powell, Rollins School of Public Health

Emily Reichman, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Peighton Reilly, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Brittany Ta, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Ephratta Woldearegaye, Rollins School of Public Health

Faculty Champion

Janikqua Cutno, LMSW

Director, Violence Prevention Program, Emory Hillandale Hospital, Emory Healthcare


Winning Concept

Community Planning to Prevent Gun Violence

Comprehensive program that includes community needs assessment, development of community center and evaluation and dissemination designed to reduce violence in Black Atlanta neighborhoods

 

Team Members

Arabella Barnes, Rollins School of Public Health

Madison Brantley, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Prachi Desai, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Kate Franco, Rollins School of Public Health

Kafi Hamler, Emory University School of Medicine Genetic Counseling Training Program

Varun Mosur, Emory University School of Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program

Maya Ogbodo, Rollins School of Public Health

Nazanin Pourshivari, Emory University School of Public Health Anesthesiology Assistant Program

Brittany Saxon, Rollins School of Public Health

Elle Sunkara, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing


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