Establishing an Experiential Liaison Position to Increase IPPE and APPE Capacity and Preceptor Satisfaction in the Health System Environment

Description of the problem: Providing experiential experiences for student pharmacists within health systems can be challenging for schools of pharmacy. Establishing clinical faculty practices within health systems enables schools to increase student placements, however the clinical faculty typically prioritize experiential education within their individual clinical practice and may not be positioned to develop experiential education opportunities across the site. Description of the innovation: A novel clinical faculty position, the experiential liaison (EL), established at the school’s largest health system partner to focus on improving the quality and quantity of experiential education across an academic medical center (AMC). Critical analysis: University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science (SSPPS) identified interested preceptors, recognized and coordinated preceptor development, and facilitated development of quality experiential activities within the site through the establishment of the EL position. Since the establishment of the EL position, student placement at the site increased to 34% of SSPPS’s experiential placements in 2020. A high number of preceptors answered “strongly agree or agree” to understanding SSPPS’s curriculum, expectations from the school, how to utilize assessment tools to measure student performance on rotation, and how to provide feedback to the school. Preceptor development opportunities are routine and effective, and the relationship between the school and hospital is collaborative. Implications: Establishing an experiential liaison clinical faculty position within a health system is a feasible strategy for schools to further increase experiential education placements in health systems.