Interprofessional Education (IPE) Leadership Team
Sara Burke, PT, DPT, ACUE
Chair, Physical Therapy Assistant Program
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Professor Sara Burke received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from Ohio State University and then received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Findlay. She is a certified IPE Facilitator by the Texas IPE Consortium and is the Chair of the Physical Therapy Assistant Program (PTA) at Owens!
Professor Burke spent many years as a Home Health Physical Therapist and became a full-time instructor at Owens in 2017. She has taught a myriad of PTA classes, including: Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology, Musculoskeletal Dysfunction, Directed Practice and Evidence-Based Practice.
For Professor Burke, IPE empowers students with skills, knowledge and confidence in their field. Students are encouraged to network with other healthcare professionals to ensure that a patient receives collaborative and holistic care. This allows the patient, who is in the midst of a vulnerable experience, to receive the best health care outcome possible.
Jacqueline Heilmann MSN, RN
Instructor, Nursing
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Professor Jacqueline Heilmann received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2007 and then worked as an RN at Toledo Hospital inpatient for 13 years, working in a medical-surgical unit and obstetrics.
She started her teaching journey in 2019 at Owens and taught many obstetric clinicals, skills labs and human patient simulation lab. Professor Heilmann began her full-time teaching career in 2022 after obtaining her master’s degree in Nursing Education in 2021!
For Professor Heilmann, IPE is imperative to the health, safety and well-being of patients. Teaching students that no one discipline can solely take good care of a patient is crucial. This will allow patient health and safety to improve, but students’ professional lives will also improve as they will have a better sense of being a team player and not being alone in the care of their patients.
Teresa McGaharan
Professor, Health Information Technology
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Professor Teresa McGaharan received her license in nursing in 1984, which led her to the health information management field. She received her associate degree in applied science from Mercy College and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Toledo. She went on to receive her Master of Arts in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University.
Professor McGaharan was a Health Information Management (HIM) professional in acute care, behavioral health and LTC for more than 20 years, during which she ran her own HIM consulting business. McGaharan began her career at Owens in 2003 and views interprofessional education as a necessity for the healthcare world. It is imperative that all disciplines communicate and work together to provide quality patient-centered care.