The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education is privileged to present the 2017 Pioneer Award to the following for their groundbreaking work in advancing the field of interprofessional education and collaborative practice:

·      DeWitt “Bud” Baldwin, M.D., Scholar in Residence at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Rosalind Franklin University;

·      John Gilbert, C.M., Ph.D., LLD., FCAHS, Principal & Professor Emeritus, College of Health Disciplines, University of British Columbia; and

·      Madeline Schmitt, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP, Professor Emerita, University of Rochester

The three Pioneer Award recipients, very early on, worked tirelessly to establish the field. Each has held Each Pioneer awardee has a rich individual curriculum vitae shared at the Nexus Summit Award event. All three were the guiding forces behind establishing the first Collaborating Across Borders conference and were instrumental in establishing the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative. Over the years, all have had editorial roles on the Journal of Interprofessional Care, today’s premier IPECP academic journal. Collectively, their work, particularly in North America, has a permanent stamp on the field that the National Center honors.

Without their vision and commitment, the field would not be the thriving and growing community it is today. All three spearheaded efforts to build momentum and permanence through multiple channels such as the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies, IPE accreditation standards, many interprofessional and uni-professional commitments, the American Interprofessional Health Collaborative, the World Health Organization commitment, the National Center and on and on. We thank them all for the vitality and growth of the field.

All three recipients were on hand to receive the award at the Nexus Summit.

For their leadership, the National Center is honored to recognize DeWitt “Bud” Baldwin, John Gilbert, and Madeline Schmitt.