Dean Ma inducted into National Academies of Practice

Carolyn Ma, PharmD., BCOP, FNAP and Dean of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo, has been selected as a Distinguished Practitioner Fellow by the National Academies of Practice (NAP). Ma was welcomed into the NAP Class of 2021 Fellows at a virtual awards and induction ceremony held March 20, 2021.

“Since the beginning of my pharmacy career as an oncology pharmacy specialist, interprofessional patient care has proven to be the best approach for quality patient care,” says Ma. “Here at the University of Hawaiʻi, I’ve worked with my fellow deans and directors in the Council for Health Sciences and Social Work to build a strong foundation to support the Hawaiʻi Interprofessional Education working group, which is composed of interprofessional faculty from each college. This amazing faculty group has created and assessed various interprofessional curriculum for the health science programs that promote team-based care education meant to carry over into their professional careers as they enter their respective practices.

“This opportunity with the National Academies of Practice expands on this critical work of interprofessional health education by representing Hawai`i on a national level,” she adds.

Founded in 1981, NAP is an interprofessional, nonprofit organization with membership representing a range of healthcare professions. There are 14 academies of practice within NAP, including Pharmacy, Audiology, Dentistry, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Allopathic and Osteopathic Medicine, Athletic Training, Optometry, Physical Therapy, Podiatric Medicine, Psychology, Social Work, Speech-Language Pathology and Veterinary Medicine.

Fellowship is extended to nominees who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering interprofessional practice, scholarship and policy in support of interprofessional care. Fellows must be willing to serve as distinguished advisors to healthcare policy makers in Congress and elsewhere.

NAP will have a virtual day on Capitol Hill on April 21, 2021, where interprofessional teams comprised of Distinguished Fellows will meet with congressional members to discuss this year's topic of telehealth.