Four University of Minnesota faculty were recently inducted into the National Academies of Practice (NAP). The prestigious honor acknowledges their outstanding achievements and recognizes them as leaders in their professions.
The following Class of 2024 honorees were welcomed into the NAP at an awards and induction ceremony in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 16:
- Bradley Benson, MD, FACP, FAAP, professor, Medical School
- Sherry Chesak, PhD, MS, RN, clinical professor, School of Nursing
- Dorcas Kunkel, DNP, RN/PHN, CNE, CPHIMS, clinical associate professor, School of Nursing
- Sara North, PT, DPT, MEd, FNAP, associate professor, Medical School
North also received the "Emerging Interprofessional National Academies of Practice Member of the Year Award, which is given to a NAP member who serves as an exemplar and demonstrates future promise in contributing to interprofessional practice and to NAP.
Induction into the National Academies of Practice is an honor extended to those who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering interprofessional practice, scholarship and policy in support of interprofessional care.
"I was so very honored to be nominated by my peers for membership in the National Academies of Practice for transforming interprofessional health care," said Kunkel. "The greatest objective in my professional life is to contribute meaningfully for universal access to quality healthcare globally. That is what NAP stands for and I am glad to be in the Academy for that purpose."
“I am honored to receive the Emerging Interprofessional NAP Leader of the Year award, which represents not only my contributions but those of the many mentors and colleagues who have supported my journey,” said North. "My professional evolution over the years reflects being encouraged, having my ideas challenged, and observing role models who champion interprofessional collaboration and education. I am excited and energized by the possibilities that lie ahead and inspired to advance this work in service to our Minnesota communities and beyond."
“I am very honored to be inducted as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice," said Chesak. "My passion lies in actively participating within a collaborative, interprofessional environment to make a positive impact on health care education, practice, and research. I firmly believe that we are stronger together and our collective strength is amplified when we embrace the contributions of diverse professions and disciplines. This enables us to develop innovative strategies and solutions that address the multifaceted challenges inherent in today's complex health care landscape. This commitment drives my dedication to fostering synergy and driving positive change within our health care community."
"I was deeply honored to be inducted as a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academies of Practice," said Benson. "This organization champions the scholarship and innovation in inter-professional care models and education that we so sorely need in our health systems today. This is also a recognition of the good work our teams have done to study and improve inter-professional learner experience and we’re committed to building on this over the coming years.”
The central purpose of NAP is to advise public policy makers on health care issues using NAP's unique perspective—that of expert practitioners and scholars joined in interprofessional dialogue and advocacy.
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