Interprofessional Telehealth Project Recognized With National Award

Dr. Sheri Tokumaru received one of five awards as part of the 2025 Excellence in Interprofessional Education Collaboration National Award from the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). The award panel selected one overall award, and four honorable mentions in specific categories. Tokumaru’s leadership with "TELepresence InterProfessional RoboT (TELIPoRT) for Pharmacy and Nursing Students in Hawaii," received the Honorable Mention in Health Communications and Health Technology.

Given Hawaii’s long-standing physician shortage, the training leverages the expertise of pharmacists and nurses to serve as “physician extenders” in rural and medically underserved scenarios where access to physicians is problematic. Since 2019, all pharmacy and nursing students in the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) and School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene at the University of Hawaii have participated in this activity.

“By empowering pharmacists and other ‘physician extenders’ to practice toward the top of their licenses, the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy is working together with other health professional programs in the University of Hawaii System to find innovative solutions to improve health in our communities,” said DKICP Dean Rae Matsumoto.

Tokumaru serves as Director of Interprofessional Education for the DKICP and represents pharmacy on the University of Hawaii Interprofessional Education (HIPE) working group. She works closely with Dr. Lorrie Wong, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on this and other interprofessional projects. “We are fortunate to collaborate with other healthcare professions to create a great opportunity for learners to practice communication and teamwork using telehealth technology to improve patient care,” said Tokumaru.