ST. LOUIS — On Wednesday, May 21, the Saint Louis University Interprofessional Education Program, the Doisy College of Health Sciences, will host the fifth annual Regional Summit sponsored by the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP). 

This initiative fosters dialogue between academic institutions and their health care industry partners to enhance collaboration and improve health outcomes. The 2025 ASAHP Summit theme is Collaboration in Action - Engaging to Build Readiness for Interprofessional Clinical Practice. SLU is one of five Summit Hub locations. Others include Birmingham, AL; Cincinnati, OH; Orlando, FL; and San Antonio, TX. 

Anthony Breitbach, Ph.D., professor and director of interprofessional education at SLU and chair of the ASAHP Interprofessional Committee, spearheaded the Regional Summits initiative. 

“ASAHP's institutional membership model gives us the unique opportunity to create academic-industry connections at the local level,” he said. “Then, combined with the innovative ‘ASAHP Collaborative Stakeholder Engagement Model’ and the virtual harvest session, we can take the important local dialogue from these Regional Summits and create national-level recommendations to improve workforce readiness for collaboration.” 

The learning model was first developed in consultation with Debra Lohe, Ph.D., associate provost for teaching and learning, when SLU hosted the ASAHP's first Summit in 2019. The learning model used in these Regional Summits is designed to bridge the gap between the textbook and the real world. By allowing clinicians to voice their needs and expectations, academic institutions can identify areas of improvement and curricular modifications within their health professions training programs, which has translated into better clinical readiness.

Taking place at five distinct Hub locations across the country, the SLU Summit Hub will take place from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Allied Health Professions Building. The summit will feature a full day of discussions between academia and clinical stakeholders about improving the education of health professionals to ensure better workforce readiness. The regional ‘Hub’ discussions will culminate in a virtual “Harvest” session between all six regional Hub participants.

To learn more about the Summit, or to register, visit the ASAHP website. For more information, contact Anthony Breitbach or Lisa Meyer.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic research institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,300 students a rigorous, transformative education that challenges and prepares them to make the world a better place. As a nationally recognized leader in research and innovation, SLU is an R1 research university, advancing groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries that promote the greater good.