Posted on: April 10, 2020
Clinical Associate Professor Betsy Blake, Pharm.D., has been elected into the National Academies of Practice (NAP) as a Distinguished Practitioner & Fellow.
Founded in 1981, NAP is an interprofessional, nonprofit organization, with membership representing 13 health care professions. Members of NAP serve as distinguished advisors to health care policy makers in Congress and elsewhere.
The 13 academies of practice within the NAP include: Audiology, Dentistry, Allopathic and Osteopathic Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Podiatric Medicine, Psychology, Social Work, Speech-Language Pathology and Veterinary Medicine.
NAP’s fellowship is extended to those who have excelled in their profession and are dedicated to furthering interprofessional practice, scholarship and policy in support of interprofessional care. The central purpose of NAP is to advise public policy makers on health care issues using NAP's unique perspective of expert practitioners and scholars joined in interprofessional dialogue and advocacy.
Blake considers her induction a significant honor, particularly since it represents peer recognition for her commitment to interprofessional education and practice. “For 14 years, I have been embedded in a primary care practice at various sites to collaborate with physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, and many other health professionals to enhance the care we provide our patients,” Blake says.
This recognition as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of NAP highlights how much I value interprofessional education and practice...
Betsy Blake, Pharm.D. Clinical Associate Professor
Over the past 10 years, she has been involved with the development and expansion of interprofessional education opportunities at UofSC. “This recognition as a Distinguished Practitioner and Fellow of NAP highlights how much I value interprofessional education and practice and the impact we can have on our students and patients by enhancing these opportunities,” she adds.
Advocacy is another passion for Blake and as a fellow of NAP, she will also be able to work with a team of scholars and practitioners from many different professions to serve as a resource for policy makers and an advocate for health care issues. “I love to be able to share my knowledge and experience with legislators and their staff to promote better policies – for my profession, for interprofessional care, and for improved health care and outcomes,” she says.
Blake was welcomed into NAP in March 2020.