‘Bangor Daily News’ article highlights UNE rural health immersion in Aroostook County
The Bangor Daily News published an article about 15 University of New England students who recently traveled to Aroostook County to learn more about the importance of inteprofessional education and rural health care. The medical, dental and pharmacy students traveled with Jennifer Gunderman, B.S., M.P.H. assistant lecturer of Public Health and Dora Anne Mills, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., University of New England vice president for Clinical Affairs and director for the Center for Excellence in Health Innovation.
During the trip, students visited hospitals and clinics, met with community leaders and took part in clinical training exercises where they worked as a team, including a simulated rapid intubation exercise at The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle. The article described UNE’s interdisciplinary approach to training future health care providers, many of whom will go on to practice primary care in rural settings. Mills says interprofessional education is critical in reducing medical errors. “The most common medical error deaths are from infections, many of them from urinary tract infections,” she said. “Those infections can lead to life-threatening conditions like the blood infection sepsis, and they can often be traced back to failures of communication or coordination.”