This Lightning Talk highlights an innovative Interprofessional Education (IPE) workshop—IPEssentials—hosted by the Medical College of Wisconsin, which brought together over 500 health professions students from 10 diverse programs across the Milwaukee area. Designed to foster interprofessional collaboration and build psychological safety, the IPE session used planetary health as a unifying theme to explore values, ethics, and communication in complex patient care. Through a combination of pre-event learning, interactive breakout discussions, and case-based collaboration, students were introduced to key concepts in Planetary and One Health, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human and environmental well-being—an essential lens for addressing the social and ecological determinants of health in community settings. The workshop structure promoted psychological safety and respectful dialogue, equipping learners with tools like SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to navigate ethically challenging conversations. A central patient case—featuring environmental exposures, naturopathic care, and challenging family dynamics—served as a platform for students in small groups to practice shared decision-making and advocate for holistic, patient-centered care. Outcomes from this workshop contribute to IPE core competencies including One Health and the Quadruple Aim by enhancing communication, fostering mutual respect, and aligning different trainees’ understanding of planetary health concepts. By integrating planetary health into interprofessional ethics education, this session empowered learners to collaborate in advocating for sustainable, equitable care in both clinical and community contexts.
