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The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, situated at the University of Minnesota, presented the award during its plenary at the Nexus Summit 2026.

As a CIPE summer intern, Belle turned a personal passion for better-coordinated care into firsthand experience with interprofessional teamwork at Michigan Medicine.

A new five-year initiative will bring students from all 26 U-M health science programs together in clinical and community settings, transforming how future health professionals learn to work across disciplines.

Delivering exceptional patient care also requires the ability to lead, collaborate across disciplines, and navigate complex team dynamics—skills that extend beyond what can be learned through classroom instruction alone. During the 2025–26 academic year, the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (CIPE) set out to change that by launching Interprofessional Students: Innovating. Collaborating. Leading. (ISICL), its inaugural student leadership development program designed to help students build those skills before entering practice.

CIPE has announced the recipients of the 2026 Awards for IPE Innovation and Excellence. Michele Bird, DPT, received the Innovation Award for developing the Mobility Team Program, while Michelle Pardee, DNP, FNP-BC, received the Excellence Award for her longstanding leadership in advancing interprofessional education across the University of Michigan and beyond.

On April 13, a vibrant community of learners, educators, and practitioners from across Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint, and Michigan Medicine came together at the Michigan League for Health Professions Education (HPE) Connect ’26, continuing a long-standing effort at the University of Michigan to elevate health professions education across campuses and disciplines.

Step inside the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System to see how intentional, interprofessional teamwork is transforming the veteran care experience. Through the voices of clinicians, staff, and patients, explore how coordinated, team-based care shapes a more connected and responsive model of healthcare.

More than 100 University of Michigan pre-health students gathered for this year’s Pathways in Health meet and greet, an annual event designed to introduce undergraduates to the wide range of professions that support patient and community care.

At the Michigan Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education’s (CIPE) 10-Year Anniversary Celebration, Provost Laurie McCauley presented the inaugural Frank Ascione Award in Recognition of Distinguished IPE Leadership to Mark Fitzgerald, DDS, former Senior Associate Dean for Community-Based Collaborative Care and Education and Professor of Dentistry at the U-M School of Dentistry.

Each year, the Michigan Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education (CIPE) honors those who have made outstanding contributions to advancing interprofessional education, practice, and scholarship through the Awards for IPE Innovation and Excellence. The awards celebrate both new, creative approaches and sustained excellence in teaching, curriculum development, and collaborative practice. The 2025 recipients were recognized at the Center’s 10-Year Anniversary Celebration, held at the Michigan League on October 9.