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For more information: contact Joseph Giomboni
King's College, (570) 208-5957

May 16, 2017 – The King’s College Physician Assistant program coordinated the college’s participation in the recent eighth annual Northeast/Central Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition (NECPA IPEC) Collaborative Care Summit.

More than 850 students and nearly 150 facilitators from various health professions attended this year’s Summit. Eleven different colleges/universities participated. The Summit which was held simultaneously at sites in the  Wilkes-Barre, Scranton and Williamsport areas. King’s was one of the regional sites in Wilkes-Barre. 

The goal of the summit was to prepare all students in health professions majors so that they can collaboratively work together with the common goal of building a safer and better patient-centered U.S. health care system.  The conference consisted of an opening session and small, interprofessional group discussions. 

The summit focused on the topic of obesity, where participants discussed the role of bias and stereotype as it applies to health care for patients with obesity, the impact and challenges of obesity on individual and population health, individual perspectives and the role of healthcare professionals on improving the health of patients and communities, and responsibilities in forming a collaborative team that provides comprehensive and patient-centered care.

Pictured at the Annual Collaborative Care Summit held at King’s College, seated from left, are student participants Sangjae Jang, Wilkes University; Alex Taylor, King’s College; Caroline Moore, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Asia Christian, Penn State University- Hazleton; Nancy Race, Luzerne County Community College; and Shannon Morguno, Misericordia University. Standing: Judith Kristeller, Wilkes University; Letitia Warunek, Wilkes University; Jan Kretzschmar, King’s College; Susan Malkemes, Wilkes University; Sheryl Goss, Misericordia University; Rosemarie Petrilla, Penn State University-Hazleton; Jim Caggliano, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; Jenifer Olszyk, Luzerne Country Community College; and Rachel Yenkowski, King’s College.