Jax State Faculty Highlight Innovative Health Fair at UAB Symposium

08/01/2025

IPE Symposium 2025Faculty from Jacksonville State University presented their insights on the "Cocky Cares for Calhoun County Health Fair" at the 7th Annual Interprofessional Healthcare Symposium: Elevating Patient Safety Through Interprofessional Innovation. The presentation, titled "Faculty Reflections on Designing and Implementing an Interprofessional Community-Based Health Fair," took place on July 25 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). 
 
The "Cocky Cares for Calhoun County Health Fair," established in 2021, provides medically underserved residents with health education, promotion and screenings, while providing an authentic interprofessional education (IPE) setting for students. What began as a School of Nursing endeavor had significantly expanded by 2025 to include vital contributions from Kinesiology, Respiratory Therapy, Public Health, Dietetics, and Social Work programs. 
 
Through this collaborative effort, the health fair offered a comprehensive range of services, including health and mental health screenings, immunizations, and essential education on nutrition, diabetes management, and smoking cessation.  
 
The presentation at the UAB symposium described faculty perspectives, exploring the benefits, challenges, and future opportunities inherent in this evolving IPE health fair model. It aimed to share valuable lessons learned from designing and implementing such a complex, community-focused initiative. 
 
The authors of this presentation included: 
 
  • Missy Duckett, DNP, MSN, RN, CCRN, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Jacksonville State University
  • Meghan Burroughs, PhD, Assistant Professor, Public Health Program, Jacksonville State University 
  • Tammy Killen, MSN, RN, Instructor, School of Nursing, Jacksonville State University
  • Rhonda Knight, MPH, RD, Instructor, Dietetics Program, Jacksonville State University 
  • Kelley Swatzell, DrPH, Associate Professor, Public Health Program, Jacksonville State University 
 
The 7th Annual Interprofessional Healthcare Symposium was dedicated to fostering innovation in patient safety through interprofessional collaboration, making it an ideal venue for JSU faculty to share their impactful work. 
 
1. Duckett, M., Burroughs, M., Killen, T., Knight, R., & Swatzell, K. (2025, July 25). Faculty reflections on designing and implementing an interprofessional community-based health fair. Poster presented at the 7th Annual Interprofessional Healthcare Symposium: Elevating Patient Safety Through Interprofessional Innovation, University of Alabama at Birmingham.