Nexus Distinguished Scholars

National Center Announces Nexus Distinguished Scholars

The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education is pleased to announce a new honorary program within the National Center called Nexus Distinguished Scholars. Nexus Distinguished Scholars are individuals who have served in senior-level roles within academic and/or health settings and have a demonstrated track record of commitment to advancing interprofessional practice and education as well as a willingness to ask tough and thought-provoking questions. As Scholars, these individuals will encourage and support the interprofessional practice and education community to talk about important questions while serving as a sounding board to National Center leadership on actionable strategies to support and advance interprofessional practice and education implementation to achieve outcomes that matter most to the individuals and populations served.

Please join us in congratulating our inaugural Nexus Distinguished Scholars.

Gerri Lamb, PhD, RN, FAAN is Professor Emerita at Arizona State University (ASU), Founding Director of ASU’s Center for Advancing Interprofessional Practice, Education and Research, author of numerous papers and learning programs on IPE, teamwork in primary care, and the interprofessional clinical learning environment (CLE), and principal investigator on IPECP grants funded by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, ASU-Dignity Health Research Initiatives, the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education and others.

Mary Mauldin, EdD is Professor Emerita at the Medical University of South Carolina, previous Executive Director of the Office of Instructional Technology and Faculty Development and Associate Director of the Office of Interprofessional Initiatives. Focused on establishing and maintaining collaborations between education and clinical settings, interprofessional teamwork, digital health and quality improvement opportunities for students in clinical settings, development of unique learning experiences for interprofessional students in a variety of settings. Author of numerous papers and invited presentations on IPE.

“As the Director of the National Center, and working in partnership with our Founding Director, Dr. Brandt, I am delighted to welcome the Nexus Distinguished Scholars to join the National Center work. Our strategic priorities are focused on enhancing interprofessional practice and education in partnership with people, practices and communities to achieve health and learning outcomes. Drs. Lamb and Mauldin bring valuable expertise and lived experience as our inaugural class of Nexus Distinguished Scholars”, said Christine Arenson, MD, director, National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. Barbara Brandt, PhD, EdM, FNAP, Founding Director, added, “We felt the National Center’s 10th anniversary was an opportune time to invite senior-level individuals that care deeply about the field of interprofessional practice and education - and are willing to have hard conversations - to join us in facilitating dialogue and learning together. Let’s roll up our sleeves, focus on outcomes that matter and assess if we are really doing what we need to do to get there.”

Taking Action on Tough Questions

In Spring 2023, the Nexus Distinguished Scholars will launch a new Webinar and Blog Series, Taking Action on Tough Questions. The series will build upon Dr. Barbara Brandt’s Nexus Summit 2022 plenary, IPE Version 5.0: Let's Party Like It's 2022, Not 1999 that alerted the audience about today’s red flags and wake-up calls for the field of interprofessional practice and education.

The quarterly webinars will feature individuals – practitioners, educators, researchers, and consumers – who know and live in the Nexus of learning and care delivery in clinical and community practice settings to reflect on the tough questions. Through the webinars, Scholars and their guests will propose practical and necessary actions to secure a sustainable future for interprofessional practice and education.

Here are a few of the questions that will be considered:

Do health systems and higher education leaders agree about the benefits of interprofessional education and team-based care?
What is the role of IPE in accreditation? Is the evidence base for high performance teamwork represented or is IPE being relegated to a checklist that is assumed to be met without substantive science and evaluation?
Interprofessional education and team-based care have gone through many cycles of popularity only to be followed by withdrawal of interest and resources. We're currently in the third decade of significant forward progress spurred in part by the quality and value-based payment movements. What is the evidence that IPE and team-based care are mainstreamed and here to stay? Are there signs that interest is diminishing? How can we take positive action to prevent a shift in interest and resources?
What problems does effective teamwork solve - or not?

Monthly blogs, written by the Nexus Distinguished Scholars and invited guests, will feature topics that spur passion or concern in the webinars or in ensuing conversations. The Scholars will be reaching out for your ideas for webinar and blog topics in future communications.

Check back soon for details about the webinar series and first blog from our inaugral Nexus Distinguished Scholars.