
Dr. Regina Doherty to lead Institute’s efforts to educate students on providing the collaborative, team-based care that improves patient outcomes.
The MGH Institute is continuing to expand its role as a national leader in interprofessional education with the appointment of a dean to lead those efforts.
Regina F. Doherty, OT, OTD, OTR, FAOTA, FNAP, Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been named the inaugural Dean of Interprofessional Education and Practice, effective December 1, 2023.
“Since its founding, the Institute has ensured that learners, educators, clinicians, and scholars have the tools needed to collaborate in interprofessional teams. It is core to the IHP’s mission and part of our DNA,” said Dr. Doherty. “I look forward to leading the Institute’s expansive IPEP program, harnessing the collective expertise of our faculty and staff and increasing the visibility of the Institute as a national and global leader in the field of interprofessional education and practice.”
All direct-entry students at the Institute are exposed to the team-based collaborative care model that permeates through its academic programs. Upon graduation, they will have learned the professionalism, communication, decision-making, system-based practice, leadership skills and abilities required to provide safe and equitable person-centered care that leads to improved patient outcomes.
Interprofessional education and collaborative practice have long been differentiators at the Charlestown Navy Yard-based school, and are distinctive features of the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Institute’s founder, underpinning its ability to deliver world-class care.
According to Reamer L. Bushardt, PharmD, PA-C, DFAAPA, the Institute’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Doherty impressed the search committee and other interviewers by providing a compelling vision for the future of interprofessional education and practice, her depth of expertise and scholarship in the field, and innovative ideas about how the Institute can shape and improve future healthcare delivery through engaging more of the Institute’s faculty, staff, and students, and the local community.
“Dr. Doherty will develop and implement a dynamic vision and plan for interprofessional education and practice, design faculty and staff development programs, innovate the delivery of team-based and collaborative healthcare, facilitate increased scholarship and research, champion community engagement and outreach efforts, and use her talent for turning big ideas into action and sustainable programs,” said Dr. Bushardt. “She also has developed plans to ensure inclusivity in our academic and clinical programs, and offered creative ideas about how we can leverage interprofessional education and practice to advance health equity, which is an important element of the Institute’s strategic plan and a system-led priority across the Mass General Brigham system.”