The Interprofessional Community Clinics at Ball State University are both a training ground for students in audiology, speech pathology, counseling, and wellness, and a provider of clinics in the same areas for the community.
Ball State University has partnered with the Heart of Indiana United Way to transform the waiting area space of its Interprofessional Community Clinics. The partnership was supported by the George and Frances Ball Foundation and Early Years Indiana to renovate the clinic waiting room to enhance patient experience and promote early learning.
According to an article on Ball State University’s website, Dr. Blair Mattern, who serves as the associate dean for clinical affairs and clinical professor of audiology, was quoted as saying of the project, “This project reflects what is possible when a university and community partners come together with a shared purpose. At the Interprofessional Community Clinics, we are committed to delivering exceptional care while also creating environments that support learning, connection, and wellbeing. This transformed space allows us to better serve children and families while reinforcing our mission of combining clinical education with meaningful community impact. This project is a direct result of strong community partnership. We are grateful to the Heart of Indiana United Way, the George and Frances Ball Foundation, and Early Years Indiana for helping us create an environment that supports early learning, strengthens family engagement, and enhances the care we provide.”
The Interprofessional Community Clinics (ICCs) are a multi-specialty group practice established in 2019. According to the webpage for the ICCs, it is “an intra-college collaboration that is both an educational and community asset,” and is able “to meet very unique community needs due to the availability of a broad range of clinical and research experts in their respective fields.” The labs available include Dizziness, Balance, and Rehabilitation Lab, Nutrition Assessment Lab, Alternative Augmentative Communication Lab, Voice Lab, Neurogenics Lab, Dysphagia Lab, Device Modification Lab, and Hearing Lab.
The United Way’s Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing and Read & Achieve initiatives inspired the ICCs to redesign its waiting areas to better serve the children and families it assists. The design and implementation of the improvements was led by Dr. Jeanne McMillan, an associate clinical professor of speech pathology and audiology, and her students in an immersive learning course.
Dr. McMillan said, “Our students didn’t just imagine a better space—they built one. Through immersive learning, they applied their knowledge in a way that directly benefits the community. This project exemplifies how experiential education at Ball State empowers students to make a tangible difference while developing the skills they’ll carry into their professional careers.”
The redesigned space was created in a way that will encourage early literacy and interactivity, leading to conversation and play between children waiting for their appointments and their families.
Makenna Schwartz, a student who was involved in the design process, said of the experience, “This immersive learning class has given me lifelong relationships and experiences that will help me grow as a student and future clinician. I hope our transformation of the clinic waiting room will create a welcoming space and make a meaningful impact on everyone who walks through its doors.”
For more information about Ball State University, visit the school’s website.