NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF PRACTICE (NAP)
ANNOUNCES ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS
Each year at the National Academies of Practice (NAP) Annual Membership Banquet and Induction Ceremony, NAP bestows awards to truly deserving candidates who are nominated by their peers. This year’s awards were presented on April 1, 2023 during a black tie gala at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
The Creativity in Practice & Education Award was established to recognize and encourage interprofessional programs, projects, and models which focus on the improvement of healthcare. This year the award has two recipients: CAIPER eLearning Trainings from Arizona State University and the Case of the Kidnapped Healthcare Professionals: Developing a Virtual, Avatar-Based, Multi-User 3-D Video Interprofessional Escape Room from Ball State University.
CAIPER’s goal is to advance the science of interprofessionalism and, in turn, translate that science into engaging and evidence-based IPE eLearning programs for all health profession learners. Similarly, the virtual escape room supports health profession students in developing interprofessional communication and teamwork skills.
The National Academies of Practice Interprofessional Group Recognition Award is presented to a group who has made enduring contributions to interprofessional practice and education. This year, the award recipient is the ECLiPSE (Education for Clinical Interprofessional Simulation Excellence) Team at The Ohio State University.
The ECLiPSE Team has focused on creating cases that would engage students from multiple professions in a realistic simulation requiring intensive interprofessional teamwork. Within the first ten years of the program, over 6,000 students participated in the simulations where they engaged with complex patients portrayed by standardized patient actors. The ECLiPSE model has been presented in multiple formats nationally and internationally to provide a template for other programs to incorporate into their interprofessional curriculum.
The National Academies of Practice Patient Advocacy Award recognizes a patient or care partner whose lived experience transformed them, and, in turn, they are transforming healthcare to enhance the well-being of others. This year, the award is bestowed upon Susan Dudley Gold.
Susan Dudley Gold lives with chronic pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and spent years feeling unheard and dismissed by health professionals when trying to get diagnosed and treated. In response, Gold has transformed interprofessional healthcare as a devoted educator with students from multiple professions changing their perceptions and addressing their prejudices about chronic pain. She has changed the lives of people living with chronic pain by validating their experience and helping them find confidence in seeking treatment without judgement.
The National Academies of Practice Leadership Award is given to an individual working to advance interprofessional education/interprofessional collaborative practice and whose actions and results align with the NAP mission and vision. The award recipient is a non-NAP member who has displayed transformative leadership in advancing policy that supports IPE/IPCP.
This year’s winner is Patricia Cuff. She is a senior program officer for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) which provides expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and world.
Cuff embodies interprofessional collaboration and has advanced interprofessional education from entry-level through workplace learning. Her vision and lens align and support the NAP mission to lead and exemplify interprofessional healthcare that promotes and preserves health and well-being. Her leadership and initiatives bring together member associations (including NAP) to discuss current challenges and innovative solutions to health professional education. Her leadership has ensured the inclusion of all professions in the Global Forum workshop teams, facilitators, co-chairs, and moderators and she is a champion for bringing learners and practicer into the mix when appropriate to broaden conversations and perspectives.
The Emerging Interprofessional National Academies of Practice Member of the Year Award was created to recognize an early to mid-career professional working in interprofessional care, serving as an exemplar, and demonstrating future promise in contributing to interprofessional practice and to our association. This year, the recipient is Dr. Joseph A. Zorek.
Zorek was inducted as a NAP Distinguished Fellow and Scholar in the Pharmacy Academy and is an active member of the association. He has contributed to the advancement of interprofessional education and practice within NAP, most notably through his involvement with the Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice, the official journal of the National Academies of Practice.
Zorek became the Director of IPE at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2019. He is an Associate Professor within the School of Nursing and the Director of Linking Interprofessional Networks for Collaboration (LINC). He serves as an exemplar champion of interprofessional education and practice and has been recognized nationally and internationally for his significant contributions around IPE.
The Nicholas A. Cummings Highest Distinguished Fellow Award was created in honor of NAP’s founder and is bestowed upon a member of the National Academies of Practice who has demonstrated outstanding or extraordinary contributions to interprofessional healthcare. The 2023 Cummings Award is presented to Dr. Jody Frost.
During her presidency of the National Academies of Practice in 2019 and 2020, Frost focused on intentional and strategic growth of the association’s influence across interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Her impact on the National Academies of Practice is significant and everlasting.
Frost’s ability to convey concepts in a clear and concise manner while maintaining a sense of humor and respect for her colleagues contributed greatly to the association’s success and growth. Even during her tenure as the immediate past president, Frost worked tirelessly to ensure NAP continued to evolve as a dynamic and critically important association when it comes to interprofessional education, scholarship, research, practice, and public policy.
Throughout her career, Frost has distinguished herself as passionate, strategic, and collaborative through her words, actions, and forward-thinking leadership. Additionally, Frost is highly regarded as a scholar, author, speaker, and thought leader in the physical therapy and interprofessional education and collaborative practice circles.
Lastly, the National Academies of Practice Optometry Academy bestowed their distinguished James A. Boucher Award of Excellence. The award is presented to a member of the academy who has demonstrated exemplary contributions to the profession of optometry, the healthcare field, and has upheld the mission of NAP to advance science and the concept of interdisciplinary healthcare. This year, the recipient of the award is Dr. W. Howard McAlister.
For more information on NAP, please visit NAPractice.org or email [email protected]
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