The professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the School of Pharmacy has spent nearly two decades at UMB.
Since the beginning of her career, Heather Congdon, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, has had a focus on interprofessional education (IPE). Starting this fall, Congdon is furthering that work in a new leadership role.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has announced the appointment of Congdon as director of the Center for Interprofessional Education (CIPE). Congdon, professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), comes to the role after having spent nearly two decades at UMB.
And as the role of pharmacists has evolved over time — with a focus on chronic disease management, as opposed to medication dispersion alone — the interprofessional model has become more important than ever.
“As a pharmacist, I’m the medication expert. But I have always felt like there was so much more I could offer patients than just help with their medications,” Congdon said. “Patients benefit so much from different disciplines working collaboratively together as a team — their care is significantly enhanced from that interaction, and ultimately their clinical outcomes improve dramatically. And it’s not just patients who are benefiting from these team-based care experiences. Students participating in IPE teams that provide collaborative care are learning with, from, and about the other disciplines, thus preparing them to work efficiently and effectively in teams upon graduation.”
CIPE began under former UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, now chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM), and was announced at the first IPE Day in April 2013. Perman, a pediatric gastroenterologist who continues his practice in the weekly President’s Clinic that includes students from various schools, has continued to be an avid supporter of interprofessional education and the center.
“There’s no better choice for center director than Dr. Congdon,” Perman said. “I don’t know anyone more knowledgeable about interprofessional education — anyone with more expertise in how to do IPE well or a better appreciation of its significant benefits for our patients and our colleagues when we get it right. From my earliest days at UMB, I knew I could look to Dr. Congdon not just for her leadership in IPE but also for her deep passion for the work. I’m delighted she’s in this new role.”