Published on 2026-10-19 by Courtney Grace-Anderson
On September 30, an orientation event took place online to kick off the 2026 national, multi-university Interprofessional Education (IPE) Geriatric Case Competition. An annual virtual event, the Interprofessional Geriatric Case Competition is a unique opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students from multiple disciplines and schools to come together as a team to develop a comprehensive, interprofessional plan of care for an older adult.
Student groups will work on their case presentations and submit them at the end of October. In early November, regional competition winners will be announced, and the final inter-university competition will take place on November 17.
A compelling fictional case grounded in geriatric healthcare
One of the exciting aspects of this annual competition is that each year an interprofessional team of healthcare faculty creates a new fictional case vignette. The topic of the case is always grounded in current issues in aging care. To ensure accuracy, the team writing the case consults with geriatric experts.
The 2026 Interprofessional Geriatric Case Competition focuses on the fictional Mrs. Margaret “Maggie” Whitaker, an 81-year-old retired schoolteacher with moderate-stage Alzheimer's dementia living on a remote family farm. She lives far from the specialty care she needs. As her condition declines, she experiences nighttime wandering, agitation, weight loss, and signs of an acute infection layered on top of her dementia. Her daughter Linda, a full-time nurse, struggles under mounting caregiver strain while the family debates how to honor Maggie's wish to remain at home. Maggie has complex needs, which are influenced by her cultural and spiritual identity, and the real barriers of rural life, including long distances, spotty broadband, workforce shortages, and limited local resources.
Participants in the Interprofessional Geriatric Case Competition are from universities all over the United States. The teams are tasked to assume this case is in a rural community in their own region. The state where the Whitaker family lives is intentionally left unspecified so each team can apply local rural systems, geography and resources.
The benefits for student participants
The event is a great way for students to gain real-world interprofessional experience. From building leadership experience, to sharpening communication and critical thinking skills, to meeting students from across disciplines, this event offers something for everyone. Participation demonstrates initiative, teamwork, professionalism, and problem-solving — qualities that stand out to graduate schools and future employers.
For students considering participating in the future, it’s good to know that no prior experience is needed — just a willingness to learn, collaborate, and challenge yourself. Students will gain practical experience, grow their professional network, and maybe even make a few new friends along the way. Learn more about all that students get out of the experience.
Faculty and community members lend their expertise
As part of every year’s case competition, university faculty and community experts serve as coaches and judges. On average, each contributes about four to six hours of their time as they help guide the student participants through the case.
So how does it work? Students apply as individuals and are assigned to an interprofessional team with a coach, either a faculty member or community expert, who serves as a mentor. Judges utilize their expertise to score team presentations using a judging rubric and provide constructive feedback to student teams. See how the competition works from the perspective of the coaches and judges.
The role of the University of Minnesota and how it began
The case competition truly exemplifies cross-collaboration among universities. Minnesota serves as the coordinating center for the national effort. Originally, the competition was designed jointly by universities in Missouri with experts in geriatrics and aging. Now the competition involves leaders from other Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Programs in Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Virginia and Kentucky.
Thanks to federal funding, the case competition has continued and evolved for several years. The Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).*
The interprofessional team making it happen
The coordinating center for the National Interprofessional Geriatric Case Competition is led by Kristine Talley, PhD, APRN, CNP, FGSA, who is a University of Minnesota professor in the School of Nursing who holds a Long Term Care Professorship in Nursing. Dr. Talley has been recognized as a Distinguished Educator in Gerontological Nursing by the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. Dr. Talley is co-director of the Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.
Orientations for the case competition are facilitated by Teresa Schicker, MPA, program manager of the Minnesota Northstar GWEP at the University of Minnesota. Teresa serves as administrative director of the regional and national Interprofessional Geriatric Case Competition.
Evaluation planning and interprofessional outcomes are led by Rhiannon Williams, PhD, lead evaluator of the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education and the Minnesota Northstar GWEP. Christina Cauble, LNHA, HSE, MBA, is a PhD candidate and serves as the geriatric education specialist for the University of Minnesota Medical School. In addition, Aunchun Klamik supports this complex effort by lending communications and organizational structure.
The author of the 2026 case vignette is Sam Cotton, MSSW, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
All involved are looking ahead to the competitions with great excitement. Stay tuned to the Minnesota Northstar GWEP LinkedIn page for updates on the case competition and keep an eye on our MN GWEP website for future videos showcasing the winning teams.
Interprofessional collaboration for the health of persons and populations across the continuum of care. Values and ethics, roles and responsibilities, communication, and teams and teamwork.