Stay connected,
stay informed!
Join Our Newsletter
As Disability Community Liaison for LuskinOIC and co-founder of Thrive Adaptive, Joe Holt played a key role in bringing together the necessary interdisciplinary specialists, including behavioral health professionals, lived-experience participants, MDs, and DOs who shaped WesternU’s first NICHE-MED learning module. This collaboration ensured students received a community-grounded curriculum centered on high-quality care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The NICHE-MED program began with an online module co-developed by Joe Holt, Jamie Currie, WesternU College of Osteopathic Medicine (COMP) faculty, and the Harris Family Center for Disability and Health Policy. This virtual foundation introduces essential communication strategies, sensory considerations, and clinical expectations, preparing students for deeper hands-on learning.
The Wellness Visit Workshop then brought student doctors into direct practice with patients living with autism and IDD in the Sarkaria Family Patient Simulation Suite. The workshop united DOs, MDs, podiatric faculty, disability policy experts, and communication partners. Students practiced adaptive communication, shared decision-making, and sensory-aware care in a realistic and supportive setting.
Altogether, 313 students completed the online module, and 54 students worked directly with 16 lived-experience participants. This interdisciplinary environment—rare in most medical schools—provided meaningful exposure to a patient population that frequently faces disparities in care.The NICHE-MED grant was secured through a partnership among COMP, the Harris Family Center, and Thrive Adaptive, with LuskinOIC’s strong support of Thrive Adaptive’s mission to prepare aspiring clinicians to serve people with disabilities. With two additional modules forthcoming, WesternU continues to establish a leading model for disability-inclusive medical education.
[Top photo: Paralympian Ezra Frech and Angel City Sports players]
